I was at dinner when I got a particular question that struck me as odd.
It was with a group of entrepreneurs, and one of them was talking about consulting with an external firm to shift their data to the cloud when another spoke up. “Why do you need consultants? Don’t you have an internal IT department that can handle all that stuff?” The question struck me as odd because I thought it would be fairly obvious why consulting specialists who understood cloud technology would be a better choice, even with an internal IT department.
“I mean,” this person continued to blunder on. “It’s called the cloud, right? If it’s anything like Google Drive, you can just upload all your information.” That’s when I decided to step in.
“No,” I explained, “Cloud technology is not simple, and Google Drive shouldn’t be used as some sort of barometer for how the cloud works, and you definitely need to consult someone who understands the cloud platform you plan on using,”
Then, I got the question that bothered me. “Why?”
I bit back the snarky comment I had in mind, and instead, decided to explain why you should outsource cloud migration services.
Reasons to outsource your cloud migration services
It’s more cost-efficient in the long run
When you outsource cloud migration services, you are saving a lot of money in the long run. I know, many people are put off by the upfront costs of hiring a consultant, it seems like an unnecessary expense, especially, if you have an internal team, right? However, in the long run, you end up saving a lot of money because cloud specialists know the technology inside and out.
Cloud specialists save a lot of money in the long run because they understand the technology and can provide advice on the best way to use a cloud platform. By contrast, if you have an internal team that doesn’t know the cloud platform, it’s going to be a case of ‘the blind leading the blind’ – a lot of mistakes will be made, costly errors that will delay the completion of the project.
I am not trying to say that internal teams can’t get it right, but if they are not familiar with the cloud platform, then it’s going to be a steep learning curve that will drive up cloud migration costs.
Outsourcing with specialists can avoid all that hassle. It might cost a penny in the short run, but in the long run, you are going to save a lot of time, money and energy. Your best bet is to work with specialists who can collaborate with your internal team. They can establish the proper workflows and document the technical knowledge, before handing off everything, when the time is right.
Advice on what to do and how to do it
A five-minute online search will reveal several cloud platforms, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on their requirements, businesses will choose one platform or work with several. When you outsource cloud migration services, you are not just outsourcing the technical work. You are actually outsourcing the strategic aspect of it as well.
Specialists can plan out the migration process in a way that maximises efficiency and minimises errors. Furthermore, properly planning out the migration process allows you to get a better understanding of the time and cost of the migration.
Migrating to the cloud is a rather complex process, and if not done correctly, could end up compromising your data, rather than keeping it safe. When you outsource cloud migration, specialists can help you decide on the best way to migrate the information. This includes identifying the best datasets to start migrating and the pace you should be doing it at.
Outsourcing cloud migration services
Cloud technology is a fantastic asset and is a must-have for any company looking to make the most of data. However, cloud technology is its own complex ecosystem, and if you don’t have the technical knowledge to navigate it, then you should consult someone who does. When you outsource cloud migration services to someone who understands your cloud platform, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and headache in the long run.
When I explained these reasons at the function, I’d like to hope that almost every entrepreneur sitting at the table was moved to outsource their cloud migration services.
