According to research, the public cloud market will be worth $800+ billion by 2025. That is a 17.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). We can already see how huge the cloud already is around the world, as more and more businesses are migrating every day. That said, most of them will face unexpected challenges when transitioning to the cloud. So, you need to understand what the most common cloud migration challenges are and prepare for them.
In this article, we talk about the 6 most common cloud migration challenges and how to solve them. This way you can be as prepared as possible before you even begin your migration journey.
Cloud Migration Challenges:
Cloud Adoption Resistance:
The most common cloud migration challenge by far is people. Often people will resist change and cloud migration is a massive change for most organizations. As it will require new systems, processes, and sometimes even management. Failure to address this issue early on will lead to unnecessary problems and delays down the road.
Solution:
If you want to implement change in an organization without a hassle, then you have to start at the top. C-Level leadership and top leaders in the organization will be your greatest allies if convinced. Ensure that they understand why you’re going cloud, the benefits they gain from it, and how it helps the business bottom line. They need to understand the business case for going cloud so they can communicate it to the rest of the organization. When your employees understand the reasons for the change and what to expect, they are more likely to be cooperative and help speed the process for you.
Lack of A Solid Strategy:
Migrating critical workloads to the cloud requires careful planning on your part. Often businesses will begin their journey without a solid plan. This often leads to unforeseen problems and delays, making the whole process harder than it needs to be. A cloud strategy acts as a roadmap for your migration. Having a solid strategy in place will make the migration significantly easier for you.
Solution:
Start by analyzing your business goals and understand why you’re going to the cloud. What will you gain from this move? Then start by analyzing your current environment. Create a checklist of what needs to be done beforehand and what you require for a successful migration. Don’t forget to also run a readiness assessment of your environment to see how ready you are for the cloud.
Developing your cloud strategy might take some time to complete but it will be worth it. A solid cloud strategy is a key ingredient for success. So, take as much time as you need to dot your i’s and cross your t’s first.
Cloud Migration Costs:
While migrating to the cloud will help you save costs in the long run, at the beginning it feels like a complex and costly endeavor. When developing your strategy, you need to look into the costs required to complete the move. You will also need to keep the business requirements in mind as well as the costs of transferring large amounts of data safely to the cloud. Failing to budget properly for your migration will only slow you down.
Solution:
Preparation is the key to avoiding huge expenditures. You will need to work with your vendor to establish the costs before you migrate. Cloud costs can typically be broken into three categories:
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- Direct costs: such as contracts, hardware, and software licenses
- Operational costs: such as maintenance and labor
- Administrative costs: such as payroll, staff training, and internal system management costs
Keep all three categories in mind when developing your strategy.
Cloud Security and Compliance:
One of the major barriers to migration is data security and compliance concerns. As many businesses are still hesitant to hand over their data to third-party cloud services. This is largely due to technology and application-specific concerns. As if your data is exposed to a cyber-attack during the migration process, it will lead to serious issues.
Solution:
Cloud platforms are more secure than ever today, so you don’t need to worry in that regard. Cloud providers now offer businesses more security than they could afford in-house. So, your security should be on the cloud. However, your data will be at its most vulnerable as you’re migrating. So, you will need to check the following before you begin:
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- The short-term vulnerabilities that the migration process could cause.
- Whether the systems will be monitored for threats in real-time or not.
- If the data will be end-to-end encrypted and backed up.
- Whether the cloud platform’s security policies align with your own.
- If the provider is compliant with data security compliance standards (HIPAA, PCI DSS, CCPA, etc.) or not.
The Skills Gap:
Migrating to the cloud from a legacy system will require some new skills. The lack of skill is a massive challenge to businesses looking to migrate. Organizations often will start training their existing teams on cloud technology before and during the migration process. However, not all skillsets can be acquired through training and businesses may not always be keen on the idea of hiring more staff to fill the gap. That is why businesses require a more reliable solution.
Solution:
The first step here is to train your staff for the cloud. Just because not all skillsets can be acquired through training, doesn’t mean it’s not important. Plus, this way your team can better understand why the cloud is important and smooth out the migration process for you. As for the remaining gap, while you could hire new people it’s often better to work with a cloud management partner to bridge the gap. Not only will cloud management partners help smooth your migration but they will help you operate more efficiently and securely once you’re on the cloud.
For example, as an advanced AWS partner, FORTE CLOUD teams are equipped to help you avoid risks, reduce costs, and improve performance. Our team will communicate with your internal teams to find the best solutions for you. We help you eliminate common cloud management problems, so you can focus on your business goals.
Vendor Lock-In:
Cloud migration is often a great choice for your business, but sometimes you may discover after migrating that there are discrepancies between your business needs and your chosen vendor. Even if you have a positive experience at first, this issue might come later. Or it could simply be the result of your business growing and your needs changing. Rather than being stuck with an inefficient cloud provider, it’s best to avoid the issue in the first place.
Solution:
Perform a thorough research on the potential cloud providers, go through their websites, and read testimonials and success stories. Compare the differences between their services, regardless of how similar they may same. Take note of the minute differences between each provider and how they might affect you in the future. And don’t forget to inspect any contract before signing first to avoid hidden clauses. Try as much as you can to read between the lines before you commit.
On top of all that, it is also essential that you have an exit plan in place. Even if you think you’ve found your “perfect” vendor, it never hurts to have a backup plan in case something unexpected happens.
Conclusion:
Cloud migration is a major change for businesses, so challenges should be expected. And while the solution for each challenge will differ based on the situation, it doesn’t hurt to prepare in advance. Developing a comprehensive cloud adoption strategy can be taxing but with the right expertise, it is made much easier. This is why it is often better to work with a partner for your migration.
FORTE CLOUD is an advanced AWS partner with deep experience in the cloud. We utilize proven tools and technologies in a staged approach to assess your unique needs and accelerate your migration to the AWS cloud. Contact our team today for a free consultation.
