The Cloud Office – The new normal – A guide to migrating the right way

Covid-19 has changed the way businesses operate. Some companies have been forced into closure and many others that survived the pandemic have adopted new ways of working to allow them to continue trading.

Remote working culture is one way to do this - which is only made possible by the cloud office allowing your employees to work from anywhere whilst still having access to important work information and documentation. The cloud is appealing to different employers for many reasons. We will explore some of these as we progress.

Some business owners have made a full transition to cloud computing and left their ‘on-premise IT’ behind.

On the other hand, others still need to rely on their on-premise IT infrastructure for various reasons. The need for their on-premise IT - whilst wanting to move into the future and wield the technological capabilities the cloud has to offer - has led some to develop a hybrid of the two. Some essential business functions take place within on-premise IT; these functions would not work without an internet connection.

Making the right choice for you can be difficult without recognising what your particular business needs to succeed at its maximum potential. We will now take a closer look at both options and help you make a revised decision as to what is the best way for you to migrate to the cloud.

The positives of on-premise IT

Speed

Even with the fastest internet connections, nothing beats having gigabit speed of access to IT services that your local network provides.

Access with or without an internet connection

With on-premise IT you can still gain access no matter the internet connection. Cloud IT does not function without an internet connection – meaning the scope for downtime, should you lose your connection and have no failover alternative.

The negatives of on-premise IT

Limited scalability

It can affect your company’s ability to expand, as scaling on-premise servers when you are wanting the business to grow – needing more space for data, for example – can be difficult. When using cloud-storage the company you are with can just put you onto a more flexible plan, but on-premise IT requires you to actively change the size of your operation or install brand new hardware which can be time-consuming and not feasible financially – especially in the uncertain times we all live in.

The support you receive

The burden of hardware and software support for the whole infrastructure is on your shoulders. This may well be outsourced, but the challenge is still very much yours to bear in the event your hardware fails, and you have no backup alternative in place – the downtime to source and install replacement equipment could take days.

Large capital investment

As opposed to the flexibility of monthly payments for cloud services, on-premise IT will require large up-front capital investment to implement. From servers to software licensing – you will need to budget for implementation in the thousands.

It doesn’t stop there. The lifecycle of servers and associated software is an average of 5-7 years. So, to keep current, operationally effective and secure – you will need to maintain that IT budget every few years.

The positives of the cloud

Scalability

The opposite of on-premise IT, the cloud allows you to scale your operation in any direction according to business circumstances. This can be particularly beneficial in the current climate, when a lot of firms do not know if they will even be open next week, on lockdown, or under some restricted measures, so scalability is essential.

Collaboration

Cloud computing can open your business up to unrivalled levels of collaboration. The cloud allows employees, no matter the distance, to work on the same document at the same time. It also gives you the ability to communicate from anywhere with various applications (Microsoft Teams, for example).

Back up & continuity of business

If the worst happens and a crisis of some description occurs, storing data in the cloud offers more resilience with back-up and protection options. The cloud allows you to access your data quickly, allowing your business to carry on as usual and in turn avoiding unnecessary downtime following a disaster of any kind.

Reduced cost

It is cheaper! One of the most appealing things about the cloud is the money it can save your business. There are no large capital investments required and you can expand and flex the storage, performance and features of your cloud environment with affordable changes to your monthly subscriptions.

The negatives of the cloud

Internet connection dependency

The cloud depends solely on an internet connection to function - losing your network connection may cause you to experience downtime.

Less control

It can often be said that you have less control of your data, which arguably has some truth – your servers and infrastructure are no longer in your own premises. This, however, can be mitigated by selecting the right trusted partner to provide you with a UK-based hosted service.

Control can too be directed by the implementation of strong user-based permissions. With a structure to your data, and the way permissions of access are controlled, you can still dictate and monitor how your data is accessed and used.

We at Tristar can give you that help!

Tristar provide tailored secure and UK-based cloud hosting services. Our expert consultants will tailor a platform to meet your specific requirements, whether you have a specification to meet or need some guidance on the best route to take. Contact our team today to explore what options are available to help your business become more agile.