The cloud’s main goal is to reduce complexity
and support business growth. –IBM Systems Magazine
Seamless integration between legacy systems and new technology has always been one of the biggest IT challenges. If that’s what’s holding you back from moving to the cloud, it’s
reasonable. Is it time to bite the bullet? In order to best benefit from cloud integration with your current systems, a conservative – rather than hesitant – approach is a good idea.
Basic Considerations for Cloud Integration
“Cloud integration is important when only a portion of the traditional IT workloads are cloud-enabled,” says IBM. “…The workload should dictate a suitable delivery model because not every workload fits the cloud model.” Key integration components include:
- Business Support – governance, financial management, process integration.
- Security – policies/control, vulnerability, intrusion detection/prevention.
- Service Management – assets, change, configuration, incident, problem, and service requests
- Systems Management – application monitoring, backup/restore, application performance, disaster recovery.
Cutting-Edge Technologies
Cloud computing requires different approaches and different technologies. Your data integration is bigger and more complicated, and traditional approaches may no longer work. “The inventory system that’s still running on a mainframe in the data center needs to share data with the sales order system that’s now on AWS. In other words, your data-integration problem domain is now bigger and more complex,” says InfoWorld.
In order to make the move to the cloud, you need answers to these cloud integration questions:
- Can multiple vendors co-exist?
- How much will it cost?
- Is the cloud technology compliant with industry standards?
- What training will our IT team need?
- When will we realize ROI?
- Who will provide IT governance?
Network Performance
Less is never more in the cloud. There is a bigger demand for network performance enhancements. This is one of the ways you’ll realize ROI. Data integration used to be a “project,” complete with a project manager who set target dates and milestones through the go-live. Think of data integration to the cloud as “a full-fledged strategy,” says CIO Insight. It should focus on people and processes. “Having a dedicated team revisit integrations…is also important because of how often solutions and APIs change in the cloud.”
Minimizing Downtime
Downtime is always and will always be a risk. Having the right support is the best way to minimize cloud downtime. Here are the steps you can take to mitigate downtime risks:
Monitor and Maintain Cybersecurity
Yes, there is a talent shortage in cybersecurity. Strive to eliminate unmonitored time (holidays, illness etc.) through use of an ISSP (Integrated Security Service Provider): an completely unique offering delivered by Atrion to manage any and all Security needs 7x24x365.
Data Backup and Recovery
Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) gives you access to backups even when your primary facility is impacted.
Making Your Move
Moving to the cloud may not be painless, but you’ll be better prepared and solutions-oriented when there are no surprises. If you think you’re ready to make the move, let us ensure an easier and safer migration with a Cloud Preparedness assessment. Your IT strategy is more about business direction than ever before, and that’s what we understand. Call 908-231-7777 or contact your Atrion professionals for more information
