5 Methods To Save Money on the Cloud for your Business

Cloud is everything nowadays even in the data storage world. We’re all connected to the internet. According to Flexera’s State of the Cloud 2022 report, over two-thirds of all small and medium-sized business workloads are currently hosted on cloud infrastructure. However, as we shift more and more of our information technology – lock, stock, and two smoking servers — to the cloud, it’s important to understand what you’re getting yourself into.

There are far too many people who do not. In Flexera’s survey of over 750 enterprises, it was shown that about a third of the companies ended up squandering money. With almost half of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) spending more than $1.2 million on the cloud, this is big money. To add insult to injury, cloud computing initiatives often come in at a cost that is 13 per cent more than anticipated.

Despite this, the primary motive for most of us to migrate to the cloud is to save money. In the right circumstances, it is simply more cost-effective to run services in the cloud than it is to run them on your own hardware in your own data centres or server rooms. Once again, when something is “done right,” I emphasise the word “correctly.”

Unfortunately, there are just too many ways to make a mistake. Here are some of the most egregious blunders you should avoid at all costs.

What is Cloud in brief?

It is possible to store data and files in a remote place that may be accessed through the internet or a private cloud network connection. Data that you send to a third-party cloud service provider is no longer your responsibility. Hosting, security, management, and maintenance of servers and associated infrastructure are all handled by the service provider, who also guarantees that you have access to the data at all times. This is Cloud storing the data on the web server.

1) Before you make a move, consider your options

It’s truly that simple – I mean, really. Before you jump, have a look around. Nonetheless, according to a poll conducted by THINKstrategies and INetU a few years ago on cloud migration, 70% of respondents agreed that they had to revise their cloud architecture before implementation.

Yet there’s more to it than that! Moreover half of those who made plans had to revise them within the first six months. In all, 43 percent of cloud initiatives failed or stagnated, and nearly half required more funding during the critical first few months of operation.

Those figures appear to be about accurate to me. All too frequently, someone in the executive suite believes that the cloud is a magical force that will transform everything into something bright and lovely. That is not how this system operates. Moving or expanding to the cloud will only be successful if you first complete your homework and then deploy.

2) It’s all or nothing in this situation

It has also come to my attention that far too many businesses believe that if they decide to migrate to the cloud, they must move everything. As in, “we’re going to migrate everything and the kitchen sink server,” as in, “we’re going to move everything and the kitchen sink server.”

Simply said, don’t do that. You won’t be able to forklift all of your infrastructure and services all at the same time. It’s just not going to work.

Please take your time. Take into consideration all of the issues, and then begin the process of migrating your IT stack to the cloud slowly and methodically.

Also Read: Top 8 Benefits to Choose Enterprise Cloud Solutions

3) Concentrate solely on saving money.

Yes, using the cloud can actually save you money. However, don’t assume that simply because you’re transitioning from a conventional IT capital expenditure (CAPEX) model to a cloud’s operating costs (OPEX) model, additional cash will appear on your balance sheet. It doesn’t work like that.

Different business models are being used. What the cloud, in theory, provides you with is greater flexibility. It’s possible that you’ll save money, which you might highlight in your annual report. However, if you don’t proceed with caution, using the cloud might end up costing you as much as — or perhaps more than — maintaining your own data centres.

4) All clouds are formed equal, regardless of their size

They are not, in fact. Clouds are quite diverse in terms of their capabilities, pricing, and intended uses.

You may find that Microsoft Azure is more suitable for your needs than Amazon Web Services, but there may also be other factors at play (AWS). Each cloud possesses a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Your company’s requirements for the cloud are likely to differ from those of the company next door, so make sure you match your requirements to the capabilities of each cloud provider.

Also Read: Tips to Backup Data in Cloud – Elaborate Some Benefits

5) Find a route that works for you and follow it to the end.

Finally, even after you’ve completed your first cloud project migration, make sure you’ve taken the time to reflect on your experiences and learn from your mistakes. It has occurred to me that far too many firms migrate one project using one strategy, then another migration using a different method, and so on. Your cloud architecture has been changed so many times that your shiny new 21st-century IT infrastructure has become a jumbled mess before your eyes, and you have no idea how it happened.

It is not the intention to reproduce an IT disaster in the cloud. Once you’ve discovered a method that works well for your organisation, stick with it. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel every time.

Conclusion:

There is one thing all five of these errors have in common: they demonstrate that individuals are not completing their homework.

Examine what others have done in the past and what you desire as a result of making the shift before proceeding with your cloud migration. Then, and only then, should you make the switch?