Running Into Cloud Migration Challenges? Here’s How To Overcome Them

Chief Technology Advisor at Evolutyz Corp, a leading next-generation IT products, platforms, and services company.

Cloud computing is no longer new ground for organizations, but surveys show that there’s still room for growth in the way these solutions are used. IDG’s 2020 Cloud Computing Survey found that even though 55% of organizations are using two or more public clouds, a whopping 79% are struggling to achieve synergy across their multiple platforms.

However, this dysfunction isn't a permanent feature of multicloud architecture; it’s just a brief detour. Overcoming the most common cloud migration challenges puts your business one step closer to better performance, speed and collaboration.

1. Your Cloud Architecture Lacks A Game Plan

One of the biggest challenges with cloud architecture is the lack of interoperability. Not all public cloud vendors have compatible systems or formats, creating rifts in collaboration. Since cloud implementation has historically been a more ad hoc process, multicloud architecture has grown in unplanned ways. If the components of first-wave cloud implementations were mapped out like cities, they’d have hodgepodge framework and infrequent throughways of places like Boston or Dubai.

With the adoption of multicloud architecture, more organizations are finding that they need to approach any digital transformation from an intentional and strategic standpoint. The best way to get there is to answer these questions:

• Do your cloud solutions align with your business goals? Your cloud computing platforms should never be detached from what matters most: your key business goals. Define and address specific challenges and the benefits of each cloud vendor. The more specific you are, the more likely you’ll pick solutions that empower you to reach your priorities.

• How will you measure the success of your cloud migration? More than just alignment, it’s essential to be able to measure the success of your implementation. Pinpointing the right KPIs from the start will help to identify any opportunities to tweak your strategy and yield better results from any system migrations into your multicloud architecture.

• Which solutions align with different technical or business requirements? This is a twofold concept. First, take a look at the current state of your multicloud patterns, determining which platforms satisfy which requirements. When possible, avoid cloud solutions that overlap with your own. Second, run a gap analysis to determine what areas of your organizational requirements need attention from cloud capabilities. The resulting work will help to prevent you from wasting time, money or the impact of your next cloud solution.

• What is the current state of your systems? The ability to map out your current system is the first step when reining in cloud complexity. Though you are likely aware of most of the big cloud solutions under your umbrella, departments or individuals can make rogue implementations that fly under the official radar. A current system assessment can help to reveal if there are small-scale tools that would thrive at an enterprise level — or if there are potential security threats you need to plug up.

2. Your Budget Is Unchecked

Cloud spending is spiraling out of control. Some executives estimate that over 30% of cloud spending is wasted. With the financial constraints of the current market, your organization needs to make every penny count. Rather than ignoring much-needed cloud implementations (especially as a more significant percentage of the workforce is still remote), there’s more justification for strong proof of concept. Remember — you don’t have to build the Burj Khalifa or even the Willis Tower in a day.

With tight budgets, it’s essential to think of what cloud implementation will be cost-effective and will contribute to business ROI. That means that the most appealing cloud solutions in the current climate are going to have a direct correlation with your revenue generation. That way, you can implement a quick and inexpensive solution that is easier to justify with CFOs.

Plus, if you align this implementation with your overall cloud strategy, it’ll be easier to replicate the steps and this particular success story down the road.

3. Your Security Worsened

Gartner set the record straight on public cloud security within the last year. It evaluated the majority of security breaches making headlines and found that, in most cases, a trend of “misconfigured database” or “negligent third-party vendor” were significant root causes. In essence, the cloud services themselves are typically not the security issue — the more significant threat comes from users or even inexperienced administrators.

Whether you are overseeing the cloud migration yourself or working with a partner, you need to follow cloud security best practices from start to finish. Here’s what every good cloud steward needs to ask:

• Who needs access to your cloud solution? In organizations with low data governance, there’s a tendency for privilege creep to persist, providing unauthorized users with the access they shouldn’t have. Privilege creep can cause a chain reaction, allowing hackers to use one set of compromised credentials to sweep a broader range of cloud architecture. Reviewing and revising user privileges for on-premises systems and current cloud platforms can help to mitigate potential risks to your overall cloud environment.

• Are users’ sessions unsecured? Over recent years and in 2020, remote work has increased by 44%. As a result, more employees are embracing BYOD or using work-approved devices on unsecured networks. This gifts hackers with a much easier task of hijacking user sessions. Your organization can downsize countless potential threats of this type by implementing a zero-trust security framework. When your cloud network never automatically authorizes users or devices (even those that have been historically safe) and requires multifactor authentication, it’s far more difficult for hackers to abuse the system. When you establish this level of protection from your migration onward, hackers will struggle to co-opt your cloud platforms.

Preparing For The Challenges of Cloud Migration

Though you can’t anticipate every challenge that could arise as you implement new cloud tools, working with the right partner can help you surmount most hurdles. A cloud solutions partner can keep track of a wide range of different vendors, leveraging experience from repeat implementations to ensure your migration projects go off without a hitch.

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?