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So…Who is Afraid of Cloud Migration?

Cloud Migration Fears Despite the widespread adoption of Cloud computing and the wholesale migration of organisations’ Data to the Cloud, there are

Cloud Migration Fears

Despite the widespread adoption of Cloud computing and the wholesale migration of organisations’ Data to the Cloud, there are still a number of fears that slow down the march of Cloud adoption somewhat and can restrict the options for Data Managers.

Depending on which analyst firm you ask or which Tech blog you read, the opinions are divided sharply on whether Cloud will completely conquer or the balance will steady out over time in terms of those who remain committed to on-Premise. Either way, there are a number of concerns that are hindering the ease of Cloud migration projects at the moment and we run the rule over their validity. In Part 1 of our Cloud Migration series, we take a look at the Top 5 challenges.

TOP 5 Concerns

Security

Perhaps the single biggest concern for potential migration of Data to the Cloud, the idea persists that if the Data is not resident on Premise in your own server room, then it is likely vulnerable to a virtual Wild West of attacks. With Ransomware, Data Breaches and Data Loss becoming as common as celebrity gossip in mainstream, non-Tech front page news, it is easy to understand why you might be nervous to green light a Cloud migration project.

Vendor lock-in

A fear that if you send Data to the Cloud, the Cloud owner can restrict access or make portability of your Data difficult. On a practical basis, it can involve having to move Data back and forth from one provider back to your own environment and then to the new provider, often with different compatibility between systems. The projects can become long and complicated (or at least be presented as such) and this may dissuade decision makers from going along with that course of action.

Control of Your Data

There is an understandable concern that if your Data is in the Cloud, it is no longer under your control. What if the Cloud provider goes out of business or a dispute arises with the Cloud provider that could leave your Data in an almost ransom situation, being held by the external party? On a practical basis, being able to access, amend and interact with your Data seamlessly and without delay is a given when it is on-Premise – but what about when it is in the Cloud?

Data Residency

A very topical issue for Data migration projects at present with GDPR and other global Data Protection regulations coming into force, where your Data “lives” in the Cloud is extremely important. With scandals such as the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook debacle being exposed and the constant uncertainty of nation states such as the USA analysing Data in the name of security, where you put your Data (and your clients’!) is important like never before.

Spend Control

Traditional IT spend for Data Management was mostly CAPEX. You would buy the hardware and create your own version of a Data Centre – everything is hosted locally and costs are controlled relatively easily with proper management. With Cloud migration, hosting your Data in the Cloud brings new challenges and prices may go beyond the SaaS-based pricing advertised when the project started. Charges on “egress” (taking your Data back from the Cloud) and “overage” (going over the agreed amount of Data into the Cloud) are just two of the seemingly hidden charges associated with Cloud use.

In Part 2, we will take a look at the validity of these concerns and how to address them, as well as alternative strategies for your Data Management.

If you would like to speak to our Data Management experts about your Cloud Migration project, contact us today!