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Embrace the Cloud: Unlocking the Benefits of Cloud Migration
What is Cloud Migration ?
In the last two years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the uptake of Cloud-based technologies. In their thousands, companies are ditching on-premises hardware for flexible software to secure greater cost efficiency, scalability, and security. Cloud adoption is as much about the technology involved as it is about the culture methods and skills needed to implement it successfully and sustainably. Our digital specialists understand that it is not a case of one-solution-fits-all but a continuous process that must be nurtured and maintained for the most optimal outcome. Savings on Infrastructure costs by migration to the cloud.
Is your IT infrastructure held back by outdated, on-premises legacy systems? What if you could migrate them to the cloud and save 15-40% on infrastructure costs? For some companies, the savings can be even greater.
In the last two years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the uptake of Cloud-based technologies. In their thousands, companies are ditching on-premises hardware for flexible software to secure greater cost efficiency, scalability, and security.Cloud adoption is as much about the technology involved as it is about the culture methods and skills needed to implement it successfully and sustainably. Our digital specialists understand that it is not a case of one-solution-fits-all but a continuous process that must be nurtured and maintained for the most optimal outcome.Savings on Infrastructure costs by migration to the cloud.
While Cloud Migration is essential for you to remain competitive and disruptive within your sector, the migration journey can be challenging and even counterproductive if done without a clear strategy or without the right team.
Before you migrate data and resources to the Cloud, you need to know how long the process will take and how much downtime, if any, that will cause.
With the right specialists by your side, your Cloud Migration will have a minimal impact on both internal operations as well as customer-facing applications.
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What are the advantages of Cloud Migration?
Moving your systems to the Cloud can be complex.Perhaps you have multiple systems within a system, data in many different systems that may be difficult to integrate, and no idea which Cloud products are best suited to your organisation’s needs. As digital partners, we deliver a clear strategy that means your business can enjoy great ROI, long-term data integrity and efficient 24/7 oversight of your new systems.
90% of all data has existed since 2016, which means companies with legacy infrastructure and on-premises systems are at risk of being overwhelmed by slow speeds, no scalability and unmanageable volumes of data. Our agile Cloud specialists put a stop to these issues.
Our teams use an agile framework that allows us to develop, test and launch applications at pace and ensure flexible, scalable and robust data management. This allows your organisation to stay competitive, future-proof and disruptive in a constantly changing digital landscape.
Cloud systems mean less infrastructure complexity. As specialists in Microsoft Azure, AWS and Dynamics 365, we offer centralised management tools that enable our clients to manage their Cloud resources from a single dashboard . Cloud Migration also ensures flexibility and better collaboration for your employees, as they won’t need to be at a specific location to design, update or fix infrastructure.
Once established, Cloud Migration lowers the risk of server downtime and enables organisations in all sectors to rapidly deploy their apps and online services to better engage customers and employees, drive Return On Investment (ROI) and increase profitability. With our migration services, technology consultancy and planning, the Cloud will allow your enterprise to keep up with continuous change and capitalise on the digital economy.
Cloud-based companies spend significantly less on their IT operations. By helping you move away from on-premises systems, we remove the physical maintenance and security costs . A study by Accenture discovered that Cloud-based enterprises save most of their energy costs after migrating. Did you know that you can achieve cost savings of as high as 30% by reducing the need for hardware support?
Cloud Migration Project Plan
When embarking on your Cloud Migration journey, first, you need a clear vision of your long-term aims. Consider why you want to move to the Cloud and when you can realistically expect to see ROI. How much server disruption, if any, would be tolerable for your organisation? Cloud Migration Project Plan For the initial exploratory discovery phase, it is prudent to consult with Digital Transformation specialists who know the process inside out and are experienced in migrating significant and disparate data to the Cloud.
Our specialists do this in a way that aligns with your organisation’s goals and needs. Of course, it is important to have a clear understanding of your legacy applications and system architecture beforehand, though of course, if you don’t have that, we can do that bit for you! Stakeholder alignment and unanimous leadership buy-in are also vital, since Cloud Migration is not sustainable without a collaborative culture that welcomes and embraces change. Everyone must be united behind the needs of your organisation.
What are the advantages of Having a Digital Partner for your cloud migration
According to TechTarget, 30% of businesses say they have deployed an Air Gapping solution, while a further 22% say they are in the process of planning or testing such a solution. Another 27% have expressed interest in investing in Air Gapping.
Strategising Your Migration - The Two Step Process
To migrate your systems successfully, it is essential that you have a clear understanding of your legacy systems. This means knowing which components and capabilities are essential, how your services interact and operate with them in the real world, and how different end user behaviour and devices can impact service flows. By investigating your legacy systems thoroughly, you will be able to identify any potential technical issues that could disrupt your migration, allowing you to determine which systems and components should be migrated first. With a solid grasp of your legacy systems, you can confidently plan and execute a successful migration.
01 Strategy Options
The key is to perform a thorough assessment of all systems before beginning the migration process.
Cloud Migration can be complex and not all systems are well-suited for transition. In some cases, it may be more prudent to keep a system on-premises, where it can continue to function as-is. Similarly, there may be workloads that are no longer needed and can be retired altogether.
The key is to perform a thorough assessment of all systems before beginning the migration process.
By taking the time to understand all dependencies and potential risks, you can ensure a successful transition.
Known as ‘rehosting’ by Gartner and AWS, Lift and Shift is the quickest and simplest way to migrate to the cloud. ‘Rehosting’ refers to the process of replicating existing infrastructure onto an Infrastructure-as-a Service (IaaS) hosting platform. The main advantage of this approach is that it is relatively simple and straightforward. Additionally, Lift and Shift is usually the only viable option when there is an impending need for a hardware refresh.
However, the main drawback of this approach is that it can be costly and may not address existing problems in the new Cloud environment.
Nevertheless, ‘rehosting’ remains a popular option for many companies migrating to the cloud.
Many companies have found that rebuilding their existing applications from scratch is not the most effective way to address the organisational challenges they face. Instead, they have turned to replace their existing applications with a combination of out of the box solutions and bespoke applications to enable a best of breed solution . This approach has many benefits, including the fact that it significantly reduces the amount of time and effort required to migrate to a new system.
Additionally, it eliminates the need to deal with the complexities of developing and deploying all new applications. Perhaps most importantly, it allows companies to take advantage of the latest technological advances without having to start from scratch.
As a result, replacing existing applications has become a popular solution for many organisations.
Replacing an on-premise application with a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution can offer many benefits, including reduced maintenance costs and increased flexibility.
However, such a migration can also be complex and time consuming, particularly if the data is extensive or needs to be migrated from one system to another.
To ensure a smooth transition, it is important to carefully assess the requirements and options for migrating data before beginning the process.
Some SaaS providers offer tools to help with this assessment, but in other cases, it may be necessary to hire consultants or other experts to assist with the migration. Regardless of the approach taken, it is crucial to plan carefully and allow sufficient time
for the transition to avoid disruptions to business operations. You would also miss out on the benefits that the cloud offers in terms of scalability, cost efficiency and speed.
Refactoring is the process of tweaking and optimising your applications for the Cloud. In this case, a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model is employed. The core architecture of the applications remains unchanged, but adjustments are made to enable the better use of cloud-based tools. As a result, organisations can realise the full potential of the Cloud, and reap the benefits of increased agility and scalability.
02 CRM Migration to the cloud - Case Study
At Neo Technology, we leverage Cloud migration to deliver world-class deployment.
Our client, Notting Hill Genesis housing association, had been using a legacy on-premises version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
They wanted to maintain their Microsoft Dynamics programme, but their version of Dynamics CRM was soon to be discontinued as a Microsoft product. To have the latest features and functionality available as part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 online, NHG needed an experienced digital partner capable of delivering seamless data migration with minimal fuss at a cost-effective price.
As their chosen Cloud transformation and migration consultants, we provided Cloud expertise and agile management of the process, leading the development on the Microsoft Azure platform to leverage the Microsoft stack. This enabled the rapid deployment of NHG’s banking services along with seamless integration of the other digital and data platforms. The result was a scalable, secure and efficient CRM platform that met all of NHG’s needs and allowed them to continue using Microsoft Dynamics 365 into the future. NHG also benefited significantly from the Microsoft Power Platform.
Through consultancy and planning, we successfully strategised and deployed a smooth Dynamics CRM migration plan that mitigated risks during the transition and avoided business interruption.
We also provided the organisation with an enhanced user experience, i m p roved security protocols, streamlined development integration, and systematic information sharing among teams, enabling them to use Cloud technology to help organisations unlock their full potential. By partnering with Neo, Notting Hill Genesis achieved a seamless, secure migration of high-volume CRM data with minimal, planned service disruption for critical customer-facing systems. We delivered a platform that was fit for the digital future, capable of delivering advanced online customer service.
At Neo Technology, we deliver world-class Cloud hosting and application implementation services. We utilise the latest AWS and Microsoft Azure technologies to provide our clients with comprehensive solutions that cover the initial set-up, followed by 24/7 maintenance, support and continuous improvement. Our hybrid global teams will always be there to ensure that your applications run smoothly at all times. With our approach, you can be confident that your Cloud-based applications will be managed effectively and efficiently. Please get in touch to learn more about how Neo Technology can solve your business problems with technology.