Cloud Journey: Don’t be hasty – time is of the essence!

The media is full of it now: artificial intelligence, chatbots, blockchain, AR, VR, IoT, metaverse, automation, intelligent process control, platform economy. Everything produces more and more information; more information means more data, and this is growing exponentially into the immeasurable. Boundless digitization encompasses all of life, and the volumes of data that will be produced in the future place enormous demands on security, availability and performance when it comes to processing and storage.

Cloud adoption is undisputed, but how are companies tackling it in a goal-oriented way?

What is most important in your journey to the cloud?

Firstly, being aware of your current data situation. What data do we have? Where is it stored? What do we need? Where are the dependencies and interfaces? What applications do we run? What systems do they run on? Who uses them? Who has access? What are the external connections like? What about security and protection, redundancy and backup, etc.? And what regulatory requirements do we have to comply with?

Secondly, being aware of IT goals and, by extension, corporate goals and the IT and corporate strategy. Where do we want to go? What do we want to achieve? What does our future look like? How do we want to develop? Which IT services do we want to provide ourselves and which ones do we want to purchase as a service?

Thirdly, determining the criteria for data sovereignty, and from this the criteria for data protection, data security, and data assurance. This then forms the basis for deciding on the location and type of cloud: private, public, or hybrid. The importance of data sovereignty is becoming increasingly significant with the rise of digitalization and “cloudification”. Handling sensitive data is key to ensuring governance with far-reaching impact.

Fourthly, evaluating and selecting the data center with access to all relevant clouds, cloud providers, and platform operators. Here, it is no longer just about technological expertise, but about choosing a location where everyone is present. Short distances certainly pay off when it comes to data, but are also key to collaboration, which is most important. It is about having trust in your future partners. Who you choose to accompany you on your journey to the cloud is absolutely crucial. Transparency and sustainability requirements, ESG performance, and the question of location are also becoming increasingly important. Where is the data stored and where are the servers located: in Switzerland or somewhere else in the world? 

Step-by-step into the future

Once everything has been defined, the journey to the cloud can begin. CIOs believe it is very important to do this in close cooperation with a “tour guide” from the chosen provider, with “traveler” and “tour guide” continuously working together as a team. CIOs benefit from holistic support that covers several disciplines. Green offers a comprehensive ecosystem in which the leading partners provide consulting, migration, housing, platform construction, platform operation, and networking services on the cloud journey with individually defined project teams. 

Exciting path, rewarding destinations

The journey to the cloud is challenging and time-consuming, but scalability, flexibility, and access to resources and technology are crucial for businesses. Cloud computing is technology with a future: the customized infrastructures always remain up-to-date, scalability and expandability offer maximum flexibility and – contrary to many concerns – also provide greater security thanks to redundancies, dedicated services, and protective measures. Advanced connectivity solutions enable practically unlimited networking. Outsourcing also eases the problem of finding IT specialists for operation and maintenance. 

There is another significant advantage to cloud computing: you do not need to know today what power and how much of it will be needed tomorrow. You may grow or shrink, but neither will be an issue, because the cloud can always be adapted to the future.

Conclusion 

Companies, institutions, and organizations of all sizes and from all backgrounds can get the best support for a secure, successful  journey to the cloud: “All you need is Green.”