As organisations seek to benefit from a migration to the cloud, many are daunted by the potential complexities of such a business move. We hear from Garry Ackerman, CEO, Argantic, who says: “Cloud migration may seem like a massive undertaking and could be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be.”
Businesses are increasingly moving to the cloud, not only to survive potential business disruptions, but to take advantage of the scalability, remote work enablement and cost efficiencies. Their investments into the cloud will help them refine and reimagine their digital strategies with an eye on remote productivity, sustainability and security.
However, cloud migration may seem like a massive undertaking and could be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be. By starting with a small project, one can streamline the process and solidify your strategy.
One should select a pilot project that aligns with some common reasons for moving to the cloud. The first migration project will be a massive learning experience and it should include a set of clear requirements that support a longer-term production solution. It should also help identify skills gaps and potential partnerships need to provide valuable inputs to your larger cloud migration plan.
A pilot project will be a source of learning that will help you to iterate and improve. More importantly, it will instil confidence for your next wave of migration.
Here are a few examples of ideal pilot projects one could consider when starting your journey to the cloud:
End-of-support technologies
If you have a workload that runs on a product nearing its end-of-support, this could be an excellent place to start your cloud migration updates. Moving to the cloud makes it easier for businesses to stay up-to-date, secure and in compliance.
Simple apps with low complexity
Applications that are not mission critical and that have few dependencies are another smart place to start your migration. You can identify dependencies by using dependency analysis in Azure Migrate.
Enabling a remote workforce
Many companies have had to adopt cloud solutions so that teams can work securely, even when they’re working offsite. Creating virtual desktops in the cloud for remote employees can provide a quick win; consider Azure Virtual Desktop as a first project.
Data centre exit
Data centres are expensive, so if you have a data centre contract that is about to expire, it’s worth identifying what applications you are running on those servers and using those as a starting point for your cloud migration.
Development and testing
Run your development/test environment on Azure Virtual Machines or Azure DevTest Labs to achieve efficiency and save costs.
Conclusion
It is critical to start your cloud migration on the right path. By initiating a pilot program, one will get a more thorough understanding of your migration, which will improve your strategy moving forward.
