The year 2022 is becoming one of the roaring years for IT spending. Businesses depend on technology now more than ever, which increases the demand for IT service providers. With these growing necessities, the rise of cloud migration is accelerating due to a new business and social dynamic.
IT spending increased by 4.0% since 2021 and is projected to increase another 5.5% in 2023. This surge is due to many reasons, including inflation, supply chain challenges, and shifting from traditional IT to more advanced technology. Also, COVID-19 played a significant role in accelerating the cloud shift for businesses, making it more essential to know how to move your business to the cloud. Gartner found that 51% of IT spending will be spent on the “cloud shift” rather than traditional technologies by 2025. This shift includes four categories adapting to cloud migration: application software, infrastructure software, business process services, and system infrastructure markets.
What is cloud migration?
Cloud migration is the process of moving local data, information, systems, and applications to a cloud environment. The need for technology is growing for businesses, so it’s vital to back up and secure your business data. If your business still stores client data and private information in hardware, it might be time to consider cloud migration. When researching the move to the cloud, you’ll find these benefits of cloud migration:
1. Backed up data
If your business isn’t ready to transition to the cloud, a good place to start is with backed-up data. The integration to back data to the cloud is a simple, and many credible applications support the process. For example, Google Workspace and Office 365 are both cloud productivity tools that will backup your data if allowed. In the case of a system outage, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you didn’t lose your work or, even worse, years of company data.
The cloud is flexible when it comes to supporting your business. However, some companies have difficult hurdles to overcome before migrating. For example, it is more difficult for large enterprise-scale IT businesses and companies with security and compliance risks to move to the cloud. In these cases, even a part of a company’s data can be moved tuseze the cloud. Or the cloud can be used as a secondary or tertiary backup method.
2. Streamline processes
Another benefit of moving to the cloud is the ability to streamline processes. For example, companies working in Google Workspace can access documents in real-time. There is no lag between an employee saving an updated document and another employee trying to access the new information. Not only is time saved within the company, but decreasing lag time also increases client response times. This results in more satisfied customers.
Moreover, storage spaces are collaborative. Many users may access a file for increased productivity and efficiency and can see others’ work in real-time. Cloud migration allows people, systems, and business processes to be streamlined to save your business time, money, and energy. Moving to the cloud can be a big step for many business owners, so it’s essential planning the perfect cloud strategy before moving forward.
3. Ease of applications
Businesses across the globe use these state-of-the-art cloud technologies daily. It’s no question that everyday applications like Google Workspace and Office 365 are user-friendly. They both offer file storage, collaboration and communication tools, business applications, and security and support. To break down the pros and cons of Google Workspace and Office 365, our free resource compares both cloud-based applications’ features and pricing. It offers insight into which suite will help meet your business goals. Learning the key differences between Google Workspace and Office 365 benefits your business and employees in the long run.
The cloud storage applications in both suites have become reliable and advanced within the past few years. Microsoft Office 365’s OneDrive for businesses shares the same software as the customers, so it’s easy to pass along information when needed. This also offers better collaboration. Google’s Workspace includes Google Drive storage; users have the flexibility of controlling offline access and syncing options for their computers or mobile devices.
What’s next?
The cloud has been around for longer than you’d expect, but the number of businesses tapping into the cloud has been increasing. If your company uses older technology and wants to move to the cloud for backup, streamlined processes, or collaborative tools, it’s essential to consult an IT professional first. An expert will find the best application fit to ensure your business goals are aligned to maximize productivity and IT spending. Schedule a free IT consultation to learn how your business workflow can integrate cloud migration.
