It’s a common scenario in enterprise computing: Companies first are drawn to private cloud because of ensured data ownership, but soon begin to realize that in terms of business transformation, the real benefit lies in adopting the public cloud. So now a switch is to be made. Despite appearances, this is not an easy job; rather than mere transfer of data taking place between two servers, the migration involves rethinking everything from data management to security to service architectures.
So what can companies do to make sure the transfer is clean and painless? Here are some ideas:
- Upgrade IT skills: The IT department will need to upgrade their skills in becoming proficient at working with public cloud. This is because supervision and performance are far more critical in the public cloud, and need to be handled carefully for best performance.
- Regulatory compliance: With a private cloud you are free to do pretty much anything, but a public cloud calls for complying with government regulations. That would mean revisiting your policies related to making data potentially public, as well as discussing with the vendor about possible pitfalls.
- Getting help: Public cloud is tough to manage, which means that organizations may find themselves on a bit of lost ground. Partnering with the right vendor for ongoing maintenance is important, but working so closely with another technology partner may be a new experience for many businesses.
It’s all about process – understanding the processes you currently employ, and moving over to the ones dictated by industry best-practices.
