Cloud migration preparation checklist
Ensure you make the right decisions as you go through the steps of moving to the cloud and use this checklist to take you seamlessly through the process of cloud migration.
Goals and Priorities
Before committing to a cloud based solution begin by considering your goals. What are you trying to achieve? Are you looking to cut costs, increase reliability, improve email backups, centralise your data or simplify your business processes.
Action: Clarify your goals and priorities. The cloud comes in different forms and from many different providers. The right choice must meet all of your needs and help you achieve your goals.
Business changes
How will a cloud-based system change your business? Consider the effect of having your business in the cloud. Be aware of these changes and prepare your business for new workflows and the financial impact of this move.
Action: Define your new workflow, time-savings, on-going cloud costs and financial impacts. Ensure you have systems in place for these adjustments.
End-users
Consider how the changes will affect your end users then put in place systems to manage these changes. Sometimes moving to the cloud can be quite an adjustment for those who are used to your current systems.
Action: Ensure all of your end-users are involved in the change process and given adequate training.
Risk mitigation
What are the migration risks and how will you mitigate them? Be aware that no new technology is risk-free and ensure you have strategies in place to minimise these risks.
Action: Define the risks and plan your mitigation strategies. For example, what will happen if your cloud service is down for 3 hours (as happened recently to one of the main providers).
Migration management
Who will manage the migration internally? Do you have team members who will be on-hand to assist with the migration on a day-to-day basis?
Action: Make sure that you have someone internally who thoroughly understands cloud technology, a project leader who manages projects, and someone who is responsible for training the rest of the organisation in the proper utilisation of the technology.
Future migrations
Check if you will be able to move between cloud providers. Will you be locked into a specific provider after migration? Sometimes, when choosing a specific cloud platform, you may have to make adjustments to fit their specifications. This may put restrictions on your ability to transfer to another cloud platform.
Action: Define your future needs and discuss this with your provider.
Security
What are your security needs? Most companies have sensitive data (e.g. financials or intellectual property) that is somewhat vulnerable in the cloud.
Action: Define your security risks and make decisions based on that knowledge.
Existing data
Action: This is not a trivial matter. Be prepared and create a detailed plan for handling legacy data, searching etc. Remember that not all applications can or should be migrated for reasons of speed, connectivity and reliability.
Action: Don’t think that this is a trivial matter- create a detailed plan for handling legacy data, searching etc. (Not all applications can nor should be migrated for reasons of speed, connectivity, reliability etc.).
Proof-of-concept
Decide which part of your business can be migrated first as a test and proof-of-concept.
Action: Define a less critical but useful part of your IT for a proof-of-concept trial.
I.T. partner
Select an external managed service provider who has experience and responsibility across the full range of desktops, servers, cloud and communications technologies. You will want to engage an experienced company to help you implement your Cloud solution.
Action: Contact the Network Overdrive team to see how we can help migrate your business to the cloud seamlessly.
Microsoft Partnership
As a Microsoft Partner, our customers have confidence in our ability to move businesses to the cloud quickly and safely using best practice solutions.
