Move your small business to the cloud in 2020
With the imminent arrival of 5G, AI and the Internet of Things, businesses must move swiftly with the times. As a small to medium enterprise (SME), responding to the ever-changing nature of the IT industry can seem close to impossible given how quickly new technologies emerge. It may feel daunting to stay abreast of how technology is changing the way you conduct business, not to mention difficult to digest the plethora of information out there.
Here, we address a critical component to the successful day-to-day operations of your company: cloud-based IT. As you digitally transform your business and learn to embrace change, we want to help you move beyond the technical jargon that is virtually incomprehensible. Which is why we’ve broken down it down into simplified language.
What is the cloud?
Cloud is a fast, agile and high-performing way to work using systems and platforms that are synchronized across the organization. According to NIST, cloud computing is officially defined as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources such as networks, servers, storage, applications, and services, which can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction".
There are three modes of delivery for the cloud:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) generally known as the bottom layer consisting of servers, switches, firewalls, routers, and cabling.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) AKA as the middle layer where a vendor offers you their platform to hold applications.
Software as a Service (Saas) the most common form of a cloud that usually runs on a subscription-based model.
Primarily, the cloud is meeting the increased need for speed – faster connectivity, faster upgrades, faster IT delivery and more. For example, 10 years ago, you had to physically go to a store to purchase the software. Today, the cloud allows you to gain immediate access to the latest software with continuous and automated upgrades. Virtually any application can be hosted on the cloud and managed by a service provider to bring you more secure, reliable and efficient ways to work.
Why is the cloud critical for SME’s?
We believe that moving to a cloud platform is the most effective way to streamline your processes, achieve higher productivity levels and improve efficiency in your day-to-day operations.
Managing IT inhouse involves periodic upgrades, managing software, maintaining servers and performing back-ups (to name a few). It's laborious, tedious and worst of all, takes up precious time that could rather be allocated towards revenue-generating activities.
Old legacy systems, improper implementation of solutions, lack of skilled resources and higher IT overhead costs are even more reasons to give DIY the ditch. Embrace cloud technology and prioritize migration as a way to improve your bottom line.
How do I migrate to the cloud?
While large corporations are reaping the benefits of working in the cloud, SME’s are more reluctant due to perceived barriers such as complexity and knowledge. Thankfully however, the smaller the company, the simpler the process. Generally, SME’s don’t have to worry about bureaucracy and barriers when it comes to digital transformation, making it a fairly smooth transition.
To adopt cloud-based computing, start to draft a plan. Take an inventory of your IT assets and split them into three areas: software, platform and infrastructure. Consult with your service provider to help you prioritize which applications should go into the cloud first. Microsoft 365, Sage, Quickbooks, Scheduling, Primavera P6, BIM, Autodesk Revit and Onscreen Takeoff are all applications that can be easily migrated to the cloud environment.
When it comes to cloud options for your platform and infrastructure, keep in mind that Windows Server and SQL 2008 is out of date. Luckily, Azure has an option for migration with an existing license that costs little none.
The time and cost for cloud migration can vary greatly between different businesses, depending various things such as size, number of assets and internal capabilities. Often a staged process that requires a lot of planning, cloud migration is better left to the experts who can manage the entire project.
Rest assured, we are experts in making the end-to-end process as seamless as possible. Though at a glance, migrating to the cloud may seem complicated, we ensure transparency and continuous communication along the way. You may like to follow these links for further reading on the cloud, IT transformation and how to make the migration:
3 best ways to IT transformation on the cloud
Why Migrate your IT environments to the Cloud?
Cloud-based solutions: Misperceptions and Reality
If you have any questions, please reach out to us by email sales@aeccloud.com or call (212) 505-0381. We’re more than happy to help you on your journey to becoming more digital-ready for 2020.