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Should You Move Your Business to the Cloud? (Part 2)

September 20, 2018

Once you’ve determined what it will entail for your business to move to the cloud, it’s time to put together a cloud migration strategy. (If you haven’t yet read Part 1 of this post, or need a refresher, take a moment to read it here.) Laying out a plan for moving forward with this big shift for your business helps minimize the disruption to your day-to-day workflow and allows you to start enjoying the benefits sooner.

 

Here’s how to go about creating a cloud migration strategy for your business that will make it a smooth ride for everyone involved:

 

 

How to create a cloud migration strategy

Choose what to migrate first

Some businesses go all in and migrate everything to the cloud at once, but you can also slowly test the waters. For those who rely on Outlook and other Microsoft services, switching to Office 365 gives you the familiarity of the applications you know and trust but with the flexibility of accessing them outside of the office. For those not married to the Microsoft operating system, G Suite offers a package of productivity apps including email, voice and video chat, integrated online calendars, and Docs, Sheets, and Slides to create and share data and creative content.

 

Related post: G Suite Versus Office 365: Finding the Best Solution for Your Business

Communicate with your employees

Talk to your team about why you’re considering migrating to the cloud so people have a chance to ask questions and share concerns. This is especially important for long-term employees who have gotten used to your existing systems and might be fearful of a change. It’s also helpful to allow time for testing before you complete the migration so employees can try out the new data storage system and new ways of communicating with colleagues and clients while there’s still the ‘safety net’ of the old, familiar system in place.

Update your security policies

Migrating to the cloud changes where and how your data is stored as well as how you communicate with staff and customers. This means your security policy will need an update to reflect your new data architecture. First, research the third-party cloud server you plan to use and ensure they are reputable and have high-level security measures in place. Then, make sure that you’re properly storing data so that sensitive information, like payment information and addresses, are in compliance with government regulations. If you’re in the health industry, for instance, you’ll need to comply with HIPAA laws. If you conduct business with people who reside in the EU, you’ll need to check the boxes for GDPR compliance. Lastly, think about who will need access to this sensitive data in the cloud and limit this access accordingly to minimize the risk of a security breach.

 

Related post: Why You Need a BYOD Policy and How to Create It

Are you ready to make the switch?       

Even though migrating to the cloud requires upfront planning and an initial monetary investment, the long-term results of increased security, flexibility, and productivity are usually worth it. (Not to mention the potential for reducing your environmental impact.) Remember too that migrating to the cloud removes the need for physical resource management which is a huge win. That room full of servers that runs up your power bill and requires additional defenses against power surges? Once you’re on the cloud, you can make that room into an additional office and enjoy lower energy bills since your cloud provider hosts the servers.

 

Have further questions about migrating your business to the cloud? We offer custom cloud solutions, including Office 365, G Suite, and AWS, for data backup and storage that will allow you to enjoy the flexibility and expanded opportunities of a remote and mobile workforce. Send us an email or call us at 831.419.8000 and let us know how we can help.

 

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About Pagoda Technologies IT services

Based in Santa Cruz, California, Pagoda Technologies provides trusted IT support to businesses and IT departments throughout Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and across the globe. To learn how Pagoda Technologies can help your business, email us at support@pagoda-tech.com to schedule a complimentary IT consultation.



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831-419-8000

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