Debunking 4 Common Cloud Migration Myths

13 Aug Debunking 4 Common Cloud Migration Myths

Posted at 12:45h in Cloud Migration Myths by Simon Spencer

The cloud is one of the most important modern technologies. After all, lots of organisations are looking towards the cloud as the future of computing, and your organisation should follow suit — or risk falling behind.

There are lots of myths that exist about the cloud, a lot of which are simply just based on general fears of new technologies and a fear of innovation. Most of these myths — including the four that we’re going to discuss in this article — are not only false but often are the complete opposite of the truth.

In this article, we’re going to debunk four of the most common cloud migration myths. We’ll also show you why taking the first step into cloud migration is great — and how it can take your business to new heights.

Myth 1: Migrating to the Cloud is Expensive

It’s a common myth that the cloud is expensive. After all, newer, in-demand technology is often costly, and so the same fears about the cloud are commonplace. However, the cloud is much more cost-effective than the on-premise alternative.

Cloud providers work mainly on operational expenditure, whereas using an on-premise system will require you to use capital expenditure to invest in the equipment to use for your infrastructure. Already, this is far less flexible, and generally more expensive than simply paying a monthly fee for a cloud service.

Moreover, cloud services like Microsoft Azure have lots of different features that can help you fully take control of your costs.

Here are some of the ways that Azure helps you save money —

Pay-as-you-go Model: Azure uses a pay-as-you-go model to allow you to only spend what you need. When mixed with other tools, pay-as-you-go will let you ensure that you’re not overprovisioning and that you only pay for the resources you’re using, with full scalability.
Reserved Instances: Contrastingly, reserved instances are there to take advantage of if your workload is predictable. Reserved instances are fixed contracts, which differ in that you save a lot compared to pay-as-you-go customers while having reduced flexibility. .
Reduced Operational Costs: By migrating to the cloud, you no longer have to focus on maintaining and upgrading infrastructure – Microsoft handles all of this for you, allowing you to save on operational costs and precious time.

Myth 2: Cloud Migration Poses Significant Security Risks

Giving your data to a third party to look after can be worrying.

After all, it may feel more secure to handle your own data, but the cloud is generally far more secure than an in-house strategy. While handling your own data leaves it open to the risks that a smaller business might endure, companies like Microsoft have unmatched security.

Here are a few ways that Microsoft keeps your Azure data safe —

Shared Responsibility Model: Azure runs on a shared responsibility model. This means that, while you do your bit to make sure that you’re practising good cybersecurity, Microsoft will protect your data and ensure that it doesn’t become compromised.
Advanced Threat Protection: Azure’s threat protection tools ensure your data is entirely secure. Advanced threat analytics, intrusion detection, and vulnerability assessments are all featured within Azure, and help you ensure that your security is of the highest standard.
Data Safety: Azure protects your data throughout every step of the migration process, providing robust data encryption to safeguard your information while in transit. Azure’s data recovery and backup capabilities also help minimise the risk of your data being lost or corrupted both during and post-migration.

Myth 3: Moving to the Cloud Will Result in Significant Downtime

Moving to a new infrastructure will result in some downtime. After all, there is a time that passes between moving data from one place to another, and getting everything set up isn’t instantaneous. However, the amount of downtime that cloud migration results in is greatly overstated.

There are a lot of different methods that are used to ensure that cloud migration downtime is mitigated as much as possible. Methods like rehosting — more commonly known as ‘lift and shift’ — exist to be able to make migration as quick as possible, but aren’t suitable for all migration strategies.

The most important thing here is to plan. By planning when migration will occur, using which methods, and which departments will migrate first, downtime can be minimised and you can ensure that you can move over to the cloud without putting your business out of action for weeks on end

Myth 4: It is only for Large Enterprises

It’s often said that cloud migration is best for large enterprises. But, SMBs can benefit from the same cloud benefits all around — if not more. After all, a lot of the benefits of the cloud bolster growth and can help take your business to the next level. While large enterprises do benefit from a lot of the same, these benefits are vital for SMBs too.

On top of this, it’s far easier to migrate smaller businesses to the cloud than larger enterprises. This means that — while large enterprises do benefit from the cloud — the cloud is incredibly suited to emerging SMBs looking to take the next step.

Oftentimes, SMBs will outperform larger enterprises using the cloud. This is because, as a smaller business, there’s a much smaller chain of decision-making. On top of this, SMBs can be more efficient, making them more cost-effective than larger enterprises that may have lots of considerations to make.

Conclusion

The cloud is a vital technology for the future. However, there is a lot of confusion about it being detrimental or difficult to migrate to. When, in reality, these are simply myths that can be easily debunked when considering how the cloud works in the real world.

Looking to get started with the cloud? We’re here to help. Our experts will ensure that you have everything you need to successfully prosper in a cloud-based future. We’ll give you a helping hand every step of the way.