More and more firms are moving to the cloud, and it’s not hard to see why. Cloud computing services can optimize your entire company’s workflow, increasing productivity, reducing mistakes and saving money overall at the same time. Migration to cloud computing, however, needs to be done carefully. Otherwise, some of these benefits are lost and new problems can be introduced into your IT environment. Before you move to the cloud, here are three migration mistakes that far too many organizations have made in the past.
Not Establishing Role-Based Access
You might not want all employees to be able to access all data across the company. Therefore, sensitive information access should be limited to authorized staff only. Chances are that not everyone in your office currently has access to financial data, for example, but they could if your cloud isn’t set to limit access to data based on a person’s role. You can also add more security layers by using certain features, such as adding another step to your authentication phase, which will weed out those unauthorized people who try to access it.
If you are not entirely sure about the workflow in your organization, work with key staff members to ensure you know exactly what type of data each employee needs to access to do their jobs.
Assuming Your Cloud Data Is Protected Automatically
Although some security measures will be provided by your cloud computing services provider, you may need additional solutions to ensure your data is secure and recoverable in the event of some sort of disaster. Work with a professional service who will be able to help you identify what type of security and back-ups you will need to have in place for your data on the cloud. Your data is crucial, and you simply can’t afford to leave anything about its safety and stability up to chance.
Know exactly what your backup plan is in the event of data loss, too. This will ensure the right steps are taken immediately should the unexpected occur.
Choosing The Wrong Service
The type of results you get will be influenced by the provider you chose. Do your research before selecting a service, and don’t make the cost your deciding factor. Going with a lower-cost provider could end up draining your bottom line more in the long run, as mistakes can mean devastating data loss, a loss of productivity in your workplace and other negative consequences that eliminate any upfront savings you had. Research your prospective providers thoroughly before you make a final decision. Ask them questions about prior migrations they’ve done, what types of problems they’ve encountered and how they handled those problems.
Cloud computing can completely change the way your company handles its IT environment, but it must be done properly so you and your staff are receiving the full benefits. Work with a reputable provider to ensure a successful cloud computing migration the first time.
