With so many companies making the move to the cloud, you may be wondering whether your business is ready to take the first step into a cloud-based future. 

Firms are unlocking the benefits of increased efficiency, lower operating costs, and improved scalability. That’s why 75% of IT decision-makers believe that nearly all workflows will be cloud-based within the next five years.

To succeed in today's business world, transitioning to the cloud is a must. Taking that first step and migrating your workflows can be difficult, but the benefits certainly outweigh the costs.

That’s why in this article, we’re going to go over everything you need to know to be prepared for making a move to the cloud.

Why are businesses moving to the cloud?

Move from CAPEX to OPEX

Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operating Expenditure (OPEX) are terms that are used throughout the business world and are very relevant considerations to make when looking into a cloud-based future for your business: 

• Capital Expenditure (CAPEX): CAPEX is the term used to describe expenses for physical or fixed assets for your business. This can range from large assets such as building ownership to small assets such as owning a printer. In regards to cloud computing vs on-prem computing, this would be referring to the physical hardware purchased as part of the on-prem infrastructure.

• Operational Expenditure (OPEX): OPEX is the term used to describe operating expenditure, which refers to any expenditure for a service or finite, replenishable product. This can range from physical resources such as office supplies and printer cartridges to service costs like rent and energy. When referring to cloud computing, this is the fee paid to a cloud provider for their services.

Making the move from CAPEX to OPEX has many potential benefits for your business in the long run, for example:

• Technology is constantly changing. To keep up with the latest technological requirements, you’d constantly need to change and replace hardware which can be costly for your business when using a CAPEX solution. A cloud provider would instead be responsible for making sure their systems are up to date with the latest technologies.

• A business that uses a CAPEX solution will have dependencies on other manufacturers and vendors without having the freedom to easily migrate to another system in the worst case, as an OPEX solution would allow. 

• Ultimately, a CAPEX-reliant organization will struggle to scale as efficiently when compared to a business using OPEX to fund its IT systems.

Improve agility

An on-premises solution is much less agile, as implementing new updates and changes to the server infrastructure will result in operational downtime and system-wide disruption. 

A cloud-based solution, however, is much more agile and can easily be adjusted and updated without having to worry about downtime or disruption throughout your institution.

Scale easily

On-prem systems are difficult to scale as they require physical changes to upgrade hardware. You’ll also need to refresh physical systems as your workflows become more demanding over time. A growing business will often require more computing power, which means more added components — and more money!

A cloud-based system is far easier to scale, as the cloud provider will be able to adjust your cloud resources to more effectively meet your current level of demand. You can also scale down your resources during lighter periods, ensuring you’re optimising your IT spend. 

Avoid hardware depreciation 

On-premises systems will eventually become obsolete and need to be replaced with newer technologies. This is an inevitability with physical hardware and can cause many costs in the future in both acquiring new hardware and the disruption and costs caused by installation.

Cloud-based systems are being constantly upgraded with the newest technological innovations, meaning that your systems will always be up to date without having to worry about replacing your infrastructure. 

What options are available?

Azure Virtual Machines 

Azure Virtual Machines are a great way of running Windows and Linux virtual machines from the cloud, as they allow your business to easily take advantage of a cloud-based system throughout your whole organisation.

Instead of having to run an on-prem virtual machine installation, Azure makes the whole process simple — with the added benefit of the Microsoft ecosystem.

Azure SQL

Azure SQL is the best way to transition your databases to the cloud. Working in tandem with their VM solutions, Azure’s SQL solution is a great way to ensure that your SQL portfolio is in sync across your whole organization.

In contrast with an archaic on-prem infrastructure, Azure SQL works flawlessly with modern cloud-based applications and is much more flexible.

Azure App Service

Azure App Service lets you quickly and easily create enterprise-ready web and mobile applications, and lets you deploy them on a reliable cloud infrastructure. 

With its ability to allow you to work on many languages such as .NET, Java, Python, Node.JS, and .NET CORE, Azure App Service is a truly flexible way to enable your productivity and allow you to innovate.

Is your business ready?

Is your business ready to make the move to the cloud? The resounding answer for many businesses is yes. 

The benefits of a cloud-based solution will vastly help elevate any organisation to the next level, and your business will be able to thrive for years to come without having to worry about the obsolescence or reliability of on-premises infrastructure. 

Need some help with your cloud transition?

Moving over to the cloud is the best way to make your business more flexible and scalable, and truly take advantage of the power of a cloud-based infrastructure. 

Any business that wants to stay a cut above the rest will benefit immensely from cloud computing, as the power that tools such as Azure provide a business is irreplaceable. 

If you’re looking for help to make the move over, look no further! Our team is here to help you along the way and enable your business to truly prosper with the cloud. Get in touch with us today and see how we can help.

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