Businesses across many industries are adopting cloud computing solutions for their applications and systems, regardless of their size. Does it apply also for an RTO? It certainly does and should be considered as a valid candidate when defining the IT Strategy or embracing a new system implementation or upgrade project.
The term cloud computing is very broad and it is used to refer to any IT service or infrastructure outside your premises. There are multiple vendors in this area with different approaches, technologies and strategies that must be considered in detail before selecting the best option for your organization.
What is the vendor really offering? Where is it located? How easy is to move out if things don't work well? Do they (service provider) have access to your data? How financially stable is the vendor? This is just a small sample of the questions that must be addressed before committing to a cloud solution. Your organization's data is an important asset and your core business processes likely depend on software and applications. It is important to work with a trusted supplier that ensures you keep control over IT.
Among the benefits of moving to the cloud is that your data infrastructure becomes an operational expense (OPEX) instead of a capital expense (CAPEX) with both financial and fiscal impacts. From the technology side, you could have access to services and tools that could give tangible benefits and competitive advantages to your organization, which would be otherwise too expensive for medium and small business.
There are drawbacks and risks too that you should consider. One of the major factors impacting overall performance when you move to the cloud is your network speed, especially if you are using a standard consumer grade Internet connection. For most applications, a regular cable or ADSL connection will suffice.
Should you just move everything to the cloud? Not necessarily, or at least not all at once. You could start with a low risk project and learn along the way.
At Apex Academic Technologies we have experience in data centre architecture and cloud migration, understanding the needs and challenges of medium and small business.
