Cloud computing is all the rage these days, and while some companies are moving their whole IT infrastructure to the cloud, many others are choosing to streamline their businesses by moving individual business applications.
If you are considering moving any of your company’s software applications “to the cloud,” make sure to consider these 5 tips BEFORE pulling the trigger:
Migrating data to any new location is a mess, and anything can (and usually does) go wrong. Therefore, make sure you have good, recent backup copies of everything before you make the move.
At first, moving to the cloud can be a bit scary. What can help mitigate the risk (and the fear) is keeping a local, on-site copy of your data and network image on an NAS (network-attached storage) device. That way you have a local on-site copy in addition to the working cloud copy.
One of the biggest questions about moving IT to the cloud is “What if the Internet goes down?” To mitigate that fail point, have a business-class Internet connection as your initial and main way to connect, and then also have a second Internet connection service as a backup. If Comcast is your main connection, for example, you might consider AT&T as a secondary connection.
You could just copy and paste your files from your local machines into the cloud, but why not take this as an opportunity to reevaluate the structure and organization of that data? This might include re-evaluating your file organization structure, updating permission levels on files and even archiving of old files and data that are currently cluttering up your server and costing you money by storing and backing them up.
Don’t try to migrate everything all at once. Create a transition plan and implement it. Make sure you move your files in bite-size pieces so the changes are easy to digest for your clients, employees, partners and everyone else involved. This also gives you the opportunity to test the water before taking the plunge, and it allows you to put out one fire at a time instead of having all systems down or broken.
about the author
Ashley Smith-Jenkins
Ashley has vast experience in the information technology field relating to computer and network services, including web development. For the past 20 years, Ashley has provided computer consulting and implementation for his customers. Ashley’s educational experience includes a Bachelor’s in Business Administration at the California State University of Fresno, as well as a being a Fluke Networks Certified Cabling Test Technician (CCTT), and CompTIA A+ Certified. | LinkedIn
Fill Out The Form Below To Schedule Your Network Health Check.
This service (normally $197) is FREE if you act TODAY!!
Our FREE Network Health Check will look for any problems in your IT network and make recommendations. At no charge, a senior technician will come to your office to perform a thorough 27-point network audit to look for security loopholes, hidden viruses and spyware, and other lurking problems. During the health check, we will:
to potential lapses in security, data backup, power outages, and system down-time.
It’s not uncommon for backups to fail, or for the data to be corrupt without any visible signs.
while cutting support costs.
against even the most evasive and deadly computer viruses, hackers, and spam for your specific network.
