Why Migrate to the Cloud?
Having supported businesses for over 25 years, we’ve seen that staying ahead in any industry requires a culture of embracing innovation, and one of the most impactful shifts a business can do is by moving their operations to the cloud.
The benefits are compelling: greater flexibility, cost savings, improved collaboration, and enhanced security. As a leader or business owner, you’ll recognise the need to ensure your company’s technology infrastructure supports your long-term goals, and cloud migration is a strategic move that can empower your business in many ways.
Jump to case studies or read on for the steps.
Our Experience
We’ve been guiding companies within both the private and public sectors through their IT transformations for more than two decades. We’ve partnered with businesses of all sizes to help them navigate the complexities of cloud migration, ensuring a smooth transition that meets their unique needs.
Using this knowledge and experience, we’ve put together a handy step-by-step guide to help you understand what cloud migration entails and how you can prepare for a successful journey.
Steps to Migrate to the Cloud
1
Assess Your Business Needs
Every organisation is different, so the first step in your cloud migration journey is to assess your specific needs. Consider what you want to achieve—whether it’s reducing costs, scaling operations, improving security, or enabling remote work. This assessment will guide your cloud strategy and help you prioritise which applications and services to migrate first.
2
Evaluate Your Current Infrastructure
Next, conduct a thorough evaluation of your existing IT infrastructure. Identify which applications, data, and processes are critical to your operations and understand how they will function in a cloud environment. This will help you identify any potential challenges and opportunities for optimisation.
3
Choose the Right Cloud Model
There are various cloud models available—public, private, and hybrid—each offering different benefits. Public clouds offer scalability and cost-efficiency, private clouds provide more control and security, while hybrid clouds combine the best of both worlds.
Selecting the right model depends on your business needs, compliance requirements, and budget.
4
Develop a Detailed Migration Plan
A successful cloud migration requires careful planning. Work with your IT team or partner with a cloud migration expert to develop a comprehensive plan that outlines the steps, timeline, and resources needed for the migration. This plan should also include a risk management strategy to address any potential challenges.
5
Prepare Your Team
Cloud migration isn’t just a technical shift; it’s a cultural one as well. It’s important to prepare your team for the changes ahead by providing training and support. This ensures everyone understands how to use the new cloud-based tools and systems effectively.
6
Start with a Pilot Migration
Before migrating your entire infrastructure, it’s wise to start with a pilot migration. This allows you to test the process on a smaller scale, identify any issues, and refine your approach before rolling it out across the organisation.
7
Execute the Full Migration
Once your pilot migration is successful, it’s time to execute the full migration. This process should be carefully managed to minimise disruption to your operations. Depending on your migration plan, this could be done in phases or all at once, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal downtime.
8
Continuous Optimisation
After completing your migration to the cloud, the work doesn’t stop there—optimising and securing your new environment is critical to realising the full benefits of the cloud. Optimisation begins with evaluating your cloud resources to ensure they’re being used efficiently. This might involve resizing instances, adjusting storage allocations, or automating processes to reduce waste and control costs. It’s essential to regularly review your usage patterns and adjust resources to match your business demands, ensuring you’re not overpaying for unused capacity.
9
Ongoing Support and Management
Cloud adoption doesn’t end once you’ve moved your data and applications. Ongoing support and management are essential to ensure your cloud environment continues to meet your business needs. Partnering with a reliable IT provider like Nexus means you have continuous support to adapt to changing requirements and stay ahead of emerging threats.
Security is another crucial aspect that requires continuous attention. While cloud providers offer robust security features, it’s your responsibility to configure and manage them properly. This includes implementing strong access controls, encrypting data both in transit and at rest, and regularly updating your security policies to address new threats. Additionally, it’s vital to establish comprehensive monitoring and alerting systems to detect and respond to potential security incidents promptly.
Cloud Migration Case Studies
With over 25 years of experience, Nexus is a trusted partner for businesses looking to harness the power of the cloud. We’ve successfully carried out numerous cloud migrations, working with clients ranging from SMBs to large enterprises. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work, we have the expertise and resources to help you make the most of your cloud investment.
Read our recent cloud migration case study where we migrated leading construction company Progressive from office-based to cloud-based with Azure and Microsoft 365.
Read how we migrated and merged the Microsoft 365 accounts of hundreds of users when housing maintenance company Cardo Group was formed.
We Understand Cloud Migration
Our team understands the unique challenges and opportunities of cloud migration, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way. From initial assessment to ongoing support, we’re committed to ensuring your transition to the cloud is smooth, secure, and aligned with your business goals.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with cloud technology, call our team of consultants now on 01392 205 095, or email us on hello@nexusos.co.uk and we’ll get back to you promptly.
