The capabilities of the cloud are quickly making it into a business necessity, streamlining operations, boosting collaboration, and adapting to changing demands. However, despite these clear benefits, the unfamiliar categorise it as a challenge and consider cloud migration more trouble than it’s worth.
This is backed by research that has shown many business leaders believe migrating to the cloud is expensive and will take away their decision-making power. This could be traced back to a lack of awareness of how the cloud actually works and the ways it can be used to improve operations.
Fortunately, this is far from the reality. Consider Microsoft Azure a prime example. It provides thousands of applications that can facilitate business management, optimisation, and growth following a cost-effective and stress-free onboarding process that makes cloud migration simple.
So, if you’re hesitant to make the move and leverage the full benefits of the cloud, take into account these common cloud myths.
MYTH: Moving to the cloud is a long, convoluted process that causes too much business downtime
Many believe that Azure migration will force your business to cease operations until the process is complete. However, with prior planning and assessment, you can significantly diminish downtime and maintain continuity of service, no matter the size or scale of your business.
The assessment is a particularly critical step in the Azure migration journey. It includes a real-time review of your business data, strategies, workloads, costs, and capacity to create a clear and achievable roadmap for migrating to the cloud. At Nectar, we will deliver these findings to you in a detailed report, typically within 72 hours of your assessment. With this in hand, you can uncover the most effective migration strategy. Maybe it will reveal you need a phased approach to minimise disruption while your data processes, or maybe it will determine that it will only take a few weeks with very little impact.
MYTH: The cost to migrate is higher than the cost to update your existing systems
Even with a few upfront expenses, the ongoing cost of Microsoft Azure is nothing in comparison to maintaining your legacy systems and physical IT infrastructure. Older, aging systems are notorious for being unable to keep up with the processing power and speeds and new technology and applications. Resisting the cloud means you will likely find yourself spending more on resources like CPU and memory to perform tasks that your competitors are doing easily in the cloud. So, by being nostalgic, you are really holding your business back.
Not only that, Azure has capabilities that help you reduce your operational costs. This is possible via automatic updates and software, as well as cost management and analysis tools that give you visibility of your cloud costs. It also enables you to set thresholds on spending, identify workload changes that optimise costs, and leverage automated tools that enhance your processes. You could even save up to 34% in your first year by using Azure’s Microsoft Cost Management to monitor and reduce spend.
MYTH: Learning to operate in the cloud is complicated and demands significant training, onboarding, and restructuring.
Adopting any kind of new technology always requires some kind of learning process, whether it’s adapting to a new way of doing things or becoming familiar with new applications. Luckily, Azure doesn’t demand expert-level IT knowledge to use. It is specially designed to be easy to operate so any business can grow by harnessing its exciting capabilities.
Outside of this, Nectar can offer you subsidised Azure technical training via Microsoft Learning and accredited partners. You’ll also have access to a library of self-guided resources that can help support your unique needs. Step-by-step guidance from Azure engineers is available as well, helping you mitigate migration risks as much as possible.
MYTH: Bringing your business to the cloud exposes you to cyber attack and IT issues
Cyber security is very topical at the moment, and you may fear that going digital opens your business up to a new range of threats and uncertainties. However, Microsoft Azure is designed to keep your business safe and operational.
Microsoft invests $1 billion into cybersecurity every year, making Azure one of the most secure cloud platforms in the world. It is supported by a team of more than 3,500 global cybersecurity experts, offering built-in disaster recovery and backup capabilities that reduce the chances of downtime and data loss. It also provides 99.95% availability for its users and makes 24/7 support and continual health monitoring available through a network of data centres in more than 60 regions around the globe.
Begin your Azure migration journey with Nectar
Now that you understand the truth of the cloud, it’s time to unlock the full Microsoft Azure benefits. Nectar is here to help you arrange an Azure Cloud Assessment so you can move your business to the cloud easily and effectively.
Trust in our dedicated team as they guide you through the process, facilitating a secure and smooth transition for your applications and data. Accessing Azure means leveraging a wide range of powerful cloud services that enable innovation, enhance collaboration, and drive your business towards new heights.
Don’t miss out on the future of business – register for your Microsoft Azure Cloud Assessment and learn how to propel your business to new levels of success.
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Source: https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity/report/productivity-volume4-data-digital-dividend.pdf