Moving to the Cloud? Two Do’s and Two Don’t to Consider

Moving all or part of your business processes to a cloud based solution is a big decision and there are many things to think about before, during, and after the shift.  However, if you have chosen a trusted cloud application vendor and a solid implementation team, you are well on your way to a smooth and successful transition.  One of our favorite cloud experts, David Linthicum, recently shared an article on the InfoWorld website in which he discussed four points to consider when making a move to the cloud – two do’s and two don’ts.  Today we would like to share Linthicum’s ideas with you in hopes to make your transition to a cloud platform a positive experience.

Do consider the changes to the application architecture that should be made to take better advantage of the cloud platforms. In many instances, this means the application should undergo a change in architecture before moving to the cloud. Such changes might include the decoupling of data to allow for better distribution intracloud or intercloud. Consider moving to a services-oriented approach, which works and plays well with the abstraction of cloud services through APIs.

Do consider altering the application to use native cloud features. This means changing the application so that it's optimized for the use of native cloud services, such as direct access to elastic storage, management interfaces, and autoprovisioning. There are many tools on the market that provide a quick "lift and shift" of applications during the move from traditional platforms to the cloud. Although the shifted applications may indeed run, they typically don't take full advantage of the native cloud features, making them costlier to operate and less efficient.

Don't follow the hype. Follow your own requirements. Although many public and private clouds may feel like the right place to put your application and data, you need to do your own requirements planning and proof-of-concept testing before you select the right path to the cloud. In many cases, your solution will be more complex than you originally thought, with multiple cloud providers and technologies in the mix.

Don't forget about performance, security, and governance. This point seems to come up again and again when people are discussing a move to the cloud, but these concepts should be systemic to everything you do in the migration planning and implementation process.

If you are considering moving your business operations to a cloud platform, here at the Vested Group we feel like NetSuite is the best way to go.  NetSuite offers one cloud solution for your entire business.  NetSuite is used by  more than 16,000 organizations worldwide, and delivers accounting/Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Ecommerce—in a single, integrated business management software solution.

Some key benefits of NetSuite include:

• Real-time business intelligence that's personalized for every employee
• Accelerates business processes, from order management to procurement
• Integrated suite eliminates manual processes and reduces errors
• 360° view of customers across sales, marketing, service and finance
• Reduces IT costs by 50%+, while delivering automated upgrades
• Easy to access from anywhere with just a web browser or mobile device.

If you would like to learn more about NetSuite or how The Vested Group can make your transition to a cloud platform a successful upgrade to your business operations, please contact The Vested Group today.  We have offices in Dallas, TX and Tampa, FL ready to serve all of your cloud computing needs!