How True Cloud Modernization Helps You Take Wing

No matter where you are in your cloud migration journey, true transformation begins with an architecture that delivers cutting-edge technology, connects people, automates processes, and accelerates product development.

When the journey of a thousand miles becomes nine thousand.

First, let’s talk birds. Consider the migration journey of the Northern Wheateater. Their epic pilgrimage ferries them from the North American Arctic all the way to sub-Saharan Africa. A remarkable 9,000-mile journey for a bird that weighs less than an ounce. The trip is so time consuming, in fact, that many spend nearly half of their lives doing it.

Ever feel like your cloud migration process tracks to a similar wearisome odyssey? If so, you’re certainly not alone.

Don’t be a Northern Wheateater. Spend your time and energy wisely in your migration journey. Understand the payoffs of beginning or continuing the formidable cloud journey. The first step in building that awareness is to look at what cloud migration is, and more importantly, what it’s not.

The facts. What is cloud migration?

Cloud migration, in its over-simplified form, is the transfer of data from a local, on premises center to the public cloud. And as easy as that sounds, it’s often a time-consuming, error-prone process. Moving all your digital assets—data, workloads, applications, and IT resources to a cloud infrastructure is wrought with both known and unforeseen pitfalls. Whether lacking a cloud strategy that maps to business outcomes or misjudging the cost of cloud migration, there are many variables to realizing true cloud value.

Consequently, savvy businesses are increasingly aware that migrating assets on their own carries a fair amount of risk and are wisely hiring cloud migration consulting partners to safeguard their cloud journey and investments. These partners deliver cloud migration services and customized technology solutions that align an organization’s desired outcomes, rather than a one-size-fits all approach that businesses may undertake in house.

A recent study found that of 350 global IT decision makers, 74% reported they had moved an application back to their own infrastructure after they failed to see anticipated returns.

But even beyond the inherent risks, the thing that trips up many business leaders, is that they expect the cloud migration itself to transform their business.

Guess what. It won’t.

The cloud, while mighty and seemingly ubiquitous, is simply an infrastructure—a form factor that delivers functionality such as scale and automation. These are necessary to compete in today’s speed of innovation, sure, but useless on their own if they don’t lead to a concrete goal or planned outcome.

Think of the cloud as a central power grid. All you’re doing, is plugging in to harness that power. But to make it do what you want and make it your own, you map that power to the intentions and outcomes that matter to you. For example, if higher product output is your desired outcome, then you still need to customize your cloud applications and infrastructure to make your vision take wing.

Ultimately, the transformative value businesses seek from the cloud goes beyond migration—to modernizing the specific business operations that enable unlimited capabilities and potential.