Top Tips for Moving to Cloud Computers

Cloud computing is becoming ever more popular for security, technological and financial reasons. Cloud storage is used to remotely store, back up and maintain business data. With cloud computing, the service is delivered by a provider over the internet. If you have made the decision to switch to cloud computing, like so many others, check out our top tips for a smooth transition…

Please carefully evaluate your current IT infrastructure and which areas can be improved by implementing cloud technology, without making previous IT related expenditure a waste. Which data is required daily? Which can be archived? What level of management do you require over documents?

It is hugely important to establish whether the applications in use are cloud ready. Some are designed with cloud technology in mind, others may need tweaking.

Don’t just look at your current needs, but think of your likely future needs too. Cloud services are very flexible, but you need to have an idea of the capacity you’ll require and have space for upgrades and patches. Cloud storage can be more accurately scaled with a plan in place. Plus, it allows you to easily plan ahead with your budget.

Options on the market:

Private cloud:

Private cloud services are protected by the company’s dedicated firewall and this option is most suitable for users who need greater control over their data and have customisation requirements.

Public cloud:

Public cloud storage services are provided on a multi-tenant basis, which is why this option uses the term “public.” Public cloud services are most suitable for archived information or unstructured data.

Hybrid cloud:

Hybrid cloud services are delivered via a combination of the public and private options, with at least one element of each. A company’s archived data can be stored on the public cloud, for example, while their active data can be stored on the private cloud.

The cloud providers often offer less expensive solutions than on site ones because they benefit from their scale and pass on savings to their clients.

Security is paramount, so whichever cloud provider and options you choose, you need to ensure that the security of all data, in house and client based, is secure and encrypted.

Cloud technology can be used for outsourcing business tasks and here, again, the security and access levels need to be at the required level so no confidentiality agreements are broken.

If data is misplaced due to an error, a misconfiguration or malicious activity, how will your cloud provider support and protect you, your client and your data? Make sure your provider has stringent protection and data recovery measures in place.

For a number of reasons, only those people who should have access to data on the cloud should be able to see it. Make sure that your provider has the legal requirements and accreditations regarding data protection and storage.

Ensure there are allowances for access limits to certain areas of information like shared files or management statistics. You should have the ability to enforce denials as required. User admin should be straightforward and hassle-free.

A full audit trail so that access, uploads, modifications to the applications, documents or folders plus any other activity like archiving or deletion on the cloud should be provided and viewable easily.

Effective use of cloud computing will save money and time over the long term. If you have decided to switch to cloud computing, make sure that you choose a reputable provider and consider all of our top tips for moving to cloud computers.

For help moving to cloud computers in Redditch and the surrounding areas, contact Midland Networks today.