Businesses embracing the cloud are performing the most significant evolution of their operation since the internet was first popularised, and can lead to a number of rewards, but the journey doesn’t come without its own risks too.
An organisation’s digital transformation is one of the most dangerous journeys an IT team can embark on. And though the journey should be bespoke to its current operations, needs and challenges, many of the rewards enjoyed and risks associated with the transformation are the same, no matter the industry or size of the operation.
Risks
The most significant risk stems from a lack of planning. Embracing the cloud should be more than just ‘putting stuff in cloud’. It’s about finding how cloud services, and the almost-infinite power of cloud computing can benefit a business. It’s great to have a back-up of all that data, but is that the most the cloud can offer – I think not.
In the case of data storage specifically, it’s also important not to put all your eggs in one basket. We’ve seen major cloud service providers, even the likes of Google, AWS and Microsoft experience major issues in the last 18 months. And if your supplier was to experience an outage just when you need to access your data, then it wasn’t much use at all. Meaning a mixture of service providers and failovers is essential for the modern cloud-first business that needs to be online to operate.
To safeguard your data, BDR Group works to the ‘3,2,1’ rule of data continuity –
3 copies of your data, saved across 2 applications, with 1 copy offsite.
Learn more about how BDR Group can secure your data by getting in touch!
You wouldn’t commute to work each morning in a Ferrari! Even if you looked cool, you’re not using the machine to its full potential and all that stop-start traffic would do more harm than good. So, utilising the cloud for all its benefits – Machine Learning, Intelligent Call Routing, Automation, Back-up, data storage etc. – rather than one or two simple applications, will have a far greater return on investment and help businesses find new optimisations and get ahead of their competition.
All of this can be accomplished by performing a full gap analysis (preferably in partnership with an experienced IT MSP like BDR Group) to find where that investment can provide returns, and where it can make savings is vital, rather than simply having an end-result in mind before starting.
Rewards
Primarily, operations can save significant resources by moving to the cloud. One of the greatest savings is simply through transitioning to a more OpEx-based IT strategy. By reducing the amount of money invested in physical hardware and maintenance costs and replacing them with far lower monthly subscription costs, operations can hold resources for where and when they’re needed most, and respond far quicker to market changes to better compete.
Also, business that embrace the cloud massively increase the agility afforded to them. Given the last 18 months, business agility has been a massive focus. Cloud services not only enable your team to work remotely and remain productive, but again could save you money. By adopting a more hybrid approach to working, you could reduce the amount of floorspace you rent, or eliminate it completely!
Discover how BDR Group can save you money by speaking to our team today.
Finally, and most commonly in fact, the feature most enjoyed by cloud-based businesses is continuity. Whether by fire, flood, human error or act of God, losing your data (both operational and customer) is unforgivable in this day and age. Cloud services enable everyone from SoHos to start-ups, all the way to major enterprises, to back-up their data and ensure business continuity if the worst should happen.
Whether via a simple iCloud Back-up, on-site back-up or off-site, dual-redundant mag-tape, having a carbon copy of your business-critical is essential in this day and age, if only to ensure you don’t fall foul of GDPR Guidelines, exposing your business to the risks of financial penalties and a significant loss in credibility if it become national news.
