How To Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls of Azure Cloud Migration

The benefits of migrating in-house applications to the cloud are alluring. Due to the long-term cost savings that cloud technologies offer, many companies are migrating applications traditionally managed on-premises. This eliminates much of the hardware and networking equipment required to run internal technology systems, increasing productivity for large development teams.

A well-structured strategy is essential to successfully migrating your business to the Microsoft Azure cloud. Nearly 70% of organizations accelerated their cloud migration strategies in the last year, according to Foundry’s 2022 Cloud Computing Report, with the percentage of most or all their IT infrastructure in the cloud increasing from 41% to 63% by the end of 2023 is expected to. 

Here are five common mistakes companies should avoid making their move to the cloud as smooth as possible.

• Not Having a Strong Migration Strategy

Whether you are responding to a significant business event such as an acquisition, or looking to optimize your operations and costs, over time the key business drivers of moving to the cloud and how they Identify how it aligns with corporate strategy. You can adjust the course along the way, but knowing your end goal can help you lay out a general roadmap for getting there.

Take the time to define your major business drivers for shifting to the cloud and how they connect with corporate strategy, whether you are doing so in response to a crucial business event like an acquisition or wish to optimize operations and expenses. While course corrections can be made along the way, having a clear understanding of your final goal allows you to create a high-level road map for getting there.

Documenting the desired outcome brings strategy into focus and increases enthusiasm throughout the organization. This means, for example, achieving cost savings by reducing hardware and software capital expenditures. Expand your global reach through Azure’s global data centers. Improve reliability with cloud backup, disaster recovery, and more.

A successful migration strategy’s critical component of Cost management. More than 60% of organizations cite cost containment as their top cloud concern, with more than a third exceeding their cloud budgets by 40%. Cloud providers offer significant discounts on pre-reserved capacity in addition to pay-as-you-go plans. Other intelligent strategies are also available, such as auto-scaling, which eliminates wasteful spending by appropriately sizing resources to meet fluctuating demand.

• Lack of Good Partners & Cloud Expertise

Working with an experienced cloud migration partner can be very helpful when planning your migration to the cloud. But don’t choose people based on your intuition alone. Instead, reference materials, statistics, past service level agreements, etc. should be consulted when making decisions. Many cloud service providers offer their own cloud azure migration services, but they may not meet all your specific needs and may be too expensive.

A good cloud migration partner can determine the right migration approach, identify the workloads that need to be migrated first, seamlessly integrate existing systems into the cloud, and ensure a successful migration. When choosing a partner, there are a few key things to consider, such as determining the most effective migration strategy, selecting the right migration method, monitoring, auditing, and optimizing the process to ensure a successful migration.

• Failure to Plan for Risks & Security

Organizations often do not realize the need for security and risk planning until it is too late, relying solely on the cloud provider’s security systems. However, data and system owners must take personal responsibility for protecting critical data and applications. Therefore, you should take precautions against potential events, even the unlikely ones, before moving to the cloud. Here are some ways to ensure that your critical information and assets are properly protected:

• Develop a risk mitigation strategy and develop a rapid resolution in the event of a breach.
• Have a clear understanding of responsibilities in case of a data breach.
• Thoroughly assess potential risks and exposures.
• Provide cloud training for employees to ensure data protection and risk management in the face of a mass insider breach.
• Plan for risk and security before performing a migration, saving cloud costs and time in the event of a disaster.
• Use the best security practices to fill gaps in your system.

Nuvento Simplifies Azure Migration

Even his cloud-savvy MSP cannot deny that helping new Azure customers migrate to his Microsoft cloud services can be complicated. But “complex” does not mean “impossible”. A quality third-party partner is key to avoiding the pitfalls of cloud migration and has a proven track record of enabling a wide range of customers to move smoothly to the cloud. With the help of a longtime Microsoft strategic partner like Nuvento, you can get ready to become an effective ambassador for Azure and its associated services. By carefully planning their resources and staffing, these organizations will ultimately be able to capitalize on the benefits already enjoyed by early adopters of the cloud. If you are considering migrating, then Nuvento will help you to successfully migrate without downtime or data loss.