Can I Get Rid Of All My Servers?

Companies are flocking to the cloud more than ever for benefits such as slashed IT costs, increased efficiency, and flexibility.

What To Consider When Migrating to the Cloud

Key Points:

  • Companies are flocking to the cloud more than ever for benefits such as slashed IT costs, increased efficiency, and flexibility.
  • However, many businesses face the question of whether to get rid of all the existing on-site servers after the cloud migration.
  • While getting rid of the physical server is the ultimate goal, your business structure determines if you should adopt 100% cloud computing or retain some physical servers.
  • Examine the type of CRM programs you’re running, the type of database you have, and the type of files you handle before considering 100% cloud solutions.
  • You must also have good internet because some industries like manufacturing require a 100% uptime and can’t afford internet going out.

Shifting to cloud computing has been one of the most significant trends of the past few years because of its promising benefits like slashed IT costs, increased efficiency, and improved flexibility.

However, many businesses battle with the question: Can my organization eliminate all servers after migrating to the cloud?

Many people believe that once they’ve adopted cloud solutions, they might not need on-site servers anymore. Businesses correctly believe getting rid of the servers will save them lots of money.

While eliminating reliance on servers is the ultimate goal, cloud solutions don’t mean all businesses will no longer need on-site servers.

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Cloud Migration is Critical, But Some Circumstances Necessitate the Need for A Physical Server

Cloud computing, cloud storage, cloud backups — nearly all cloud solutions are driving technology that redefines how businesses work and operate. No question, they eliminate many IT headaches and boost productivity and reliability.

However, cloud solutions don’t necessarily make everything better for all businesses. Many organizations get the idea in their head and follow the mainstream because everyone else is using it.

Before you make any changes, you need to get deeper and examine your company structure and check whether the solution will make a greater impact. Take, for instance, the manufacturing industry. Cloud servers will never completely eliminate the need for on-site servers and storage. While cloud solutions might have their place and save a manufacturing company some money, its infrastructure might not allow the 100% elimination of on-site servers.

Manufacturing business needs 100% operation uptime and won’t be ready to give up their control to a cloud server. The truth is that new servers cost thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, depending on your company’s requirement, but you might need them on-site, depending on your infrastructure.

When To Choose Cloud Solution and When to Use On-Site Server

Whether your business adopts a cloud-only or an on-site server depends on several factors, such as:

Feature Change on Cloud-Based Programs

When moving to the cloud, consider whether you can offload the items on your on-site server to the cloud. Take stock of the programs you’re running and if you have cloud-native applications to which you can move your on-site system.

For instance, QuickBooks has a heavy on-site presence with QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Enterprise. However, QuickBooks is pushing their QuickBooks online. You can migrate your systems into the cloud from QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Enterprise into the QuickBooks online program.

The shift to the cloud doesn’t mean the QuickBooks on the cloud will have similar features to the on-site version. Some features might be slightly different. Your business has the task of examining feature changes on its programs when you move to the cloud.

The Cloud Storage Question

Examine what changes will happen to your storage when you shift to the cloud. You need to check where your files are, if you’ll need a running database, and confirm if your database must run locally. Then, you can establish if moving your database to the cloud will result in performance and stability issues.

Internet Reliability

Your internet speed is crucial when adopting cloud solutions because cloud computing relies completely on the internet. For instance, if you’re in the manufacturing industry, you can’t afford an internet that will go out after you’ve adopted 100% cloud solutions. If the chances of your internet failing are high because of your location or the service provider, you can’t afford to remove your on-site system.

Attempting to migrate with an unstable internet connection poses several risks, including leaving the security of your data and your operations to the efficiency and reliability of your internet service provider.

Costs Involved

Many people associate the cloud with fewer expenses. While some cloud use cases are less expensive, others cost more than on-prem servers.

For instance, hosting email in Microsoft 365 cloud is exponentially high on your return on investment compared to hosting your SQL databases in the Microsoft Azure system.

You need to understand where you need to leverage cloud versus on-site servers. If you want to move your SQL databases into the cloud, or you’re okay with incurring the additional cost for infrastructure, it’ll all come down to your return on investment and how you calculate it.

The Key To Moving Into the Cloud

The biggest key to moving into the cloud is planning. Take your time, plan everything, and don’t rush things. Working with a trusted IT partner is essential to figure out how best to migrate your systems into the cloud.

Not every factor can come down to cost. You need to have a return on investment that includes factors such as efficiency, productivity, reliability, and scalability. If you aren’t getting that return in the cloud, you aren’t ready to ditch your entire on-site servers.

Mainstreet IT Solutions Will Answer All Cloud-Relates Questions Your Business Struggles With

While there are many success stories of cloud migration, there are equal failed attempts — only for a business to move everything back locally. The success of your cloud migration depends on how carefully you examine everything before proceeding.

Your business doesn’t have to make the mistake of failed cloud migration because it takes up infinitely more time, energy, and money. Contact us for IT resources to help you with cloud solutions.

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