Cloud Migration

At a basic level, the benefits of cloud are often around efficiency, achieving the maximum results with minimal expense. For organizations that pull off a successful cloud migration, the rewards reaped can include increased scalability, lower costs, and security. 

For simplicity’s sake, we’ll focus specifically on public cloud benefits, though some of these benefits apply to other cloud deployment models, too. Here are seven big benefits of migrating to the cloud.

1. Elasticity and scalability

Cloud allows for improved scalability, giving organizations the ability to almost instantaneously add or take away resources on an as-needed basis or to match demand. Elasticity goes hand in hand with scalability and refers to the ability to quickly expand or decrease computer processing, memory, and storage resources (data storage optimization) to meet changing demands without concerning yourself with cloud capacity planning. Elasticity enables scalability.

2. Cost savings and effectiveness

Cloud gives you the ability to only pay for the resources you use. (Think: taking an Uber instead of buying a car.) This gives you access to resources that would cost way too much time and money to keep up yourself, which ties back into scalability. 

A traditional IT approach to scaling up is costly. It takes planning; it can take months, requires hardware at a big upfront cost, electricity to keep it all operating and cool, and skilled IT staff capable of getting (and keeping) it all up and running. With cloud, that’s all done nearly instantly by your cloud provider.

3. Move from CapEx to OpEx

Cloud shifts tech systems from a capital expenditure (CapEx) to an operating expenditure (OpEx) — or from an investment in something you hold onto for a few years that will depreciate in value (like a bunch of expensive hardware gathering cobwebs) to a regular, ongoing cost for running the business (like paying for internet). That’s great news for businesses that like to hang onto as much cash as possible. (You can talk to your finance department to confirm, but that’s probably anywhere anyone works.)

4. Agility and Flexibility

Agility can mean a couple of different things around the cloud. “Cloud agility” is often used to describe the ability to quickly develop, test, and launch business applications. But cloud also gives you the agility to respond quickly as needs change. Even small businesses get access to the same powerful tools that the biggest enterprises use. New services can be accessed with a few mouse clicks, so when a new need, challenge, or opportunity arises, it’s possible to respond immediately.

5. Performance, Reliability, and Resiliency 

The big cloud service providers run a worldwide, world-class network of facilities packed with cutting-edge tech. This ensures everything from keeping network latency low to delivering near unparalleled data backup and disaster recovery. No matter where the people who need access to your tools are, the cloud typically brings them closer.

6. Security and Compliance

Most cloud providers are big companies with big companies relying on them. That’s why they go out of the way to consider security and compliance, which includes staying on top of updates and trends that will ensure your sensitive data is safe in the cloud.

7. Less Maintenance and Simplification of IT

Maintaining computer hardware and software is a full-time job. Literally. With public cloud, you don’t have to have employees spending time dedicated to the tedious maintenance of equipment that doesn’t directly contribute to business objectives. Your cloud service provider ensures the infrastructure is in place, so your tech wizards can focus on driving business outcomes.