Gone are the days of paperwork, as workloads are gradually shifting to the digital realm. Over 83% of enterprise workloads may be migrating to the cloud by 2020, according to a recent study by monitoring solutions provider LogicMonitor. Cloud computing allows for the delivery of computing power, applications, and storage – all from the internet.
It’s more affordable than running IT services in-house, according to Amazon Web Service. This is because you don’t have to purchase and maintain IT equipment to get all the computing power and storage you need. Plus, cloud computing costs are flexible. You only pay for the resources you use.
If you’re looking to migrate your business processes to the cloud, you can start with the following.
Start with Your Productivity Tools
One of the cheapest ways to start your migration is by using cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools. Google offers its full productivity suite (Docs, Sheets, and Slides) for free. They already have collaboration tools built in too, as multiple users can edit and comment on a single document in real-time. Since everything is stored in the cloud, you can access your important files anywhere and with virtually any device.
If you want a professional email address, archive services, and cloud-based website and application development tools, however, you’ll need to upgrade to its G Suite platform. And if you’re used to the Microsoft Office environment, the company also offers Office 365, which has similar collaboration and advanced IT tools.
Upgrade Your Bandwidth
When you’re investing in resources that rely entirely on the internet, you need a faster and more reliable connection to access them as fast as possible. Remember that some of your processes may need to be implemented in real time. If you have a spotty connection, it may be time to get an upgrade or change internet service providers.
Don’t Be Afraid of Online Storage
It’s valid to be concerned about possible data breach when your files are uploaded on the internet. However, cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, Microsoft’s OneDrive, and even Dropbox are quite secure.
According to an article about cloud storage security from Scientific American, the data you upload gets encrypted when it’s stored on the cloud. This means that the information gets scrambled into gibberish code, according to anti-virus software provider McAfee. Only authorized accounts have the key to turn that code into useable files again. Modern encryption methods are pretty hard to crack, as hackers have to guess billions upon billions of code combinations to get it right.
Prepare for the Big Move
Some cloud computing platforms like ServiceNow offer to migrate your IT, HR, employee, and customer workflows on the cloud. However, moving isn’t easy unless you have an in-house team of developers to create apps tailored to your business. You may need a ServiceNow implementation specialist to make sure that your business’ transition is smooth and that you get applications that fulfill the workflow needs of your whole organization.
Moving your workflows to the cloud may seem daunting if you’re used to manual methods. However, times are changing, and businesses are getting better and faster results using digital applications for most of their processes. So, leave paper in the past, or you’ll get left behind.
