Soon we’ll be in 2021 and believe it or not, some businesses still won’t be on the cloud. It’s estimated that 12% of UK businesses are not yet utilising cloud software. And the majority of businesses on the cloud are predicted to maintain hybrid IT estates for some time to come.
The pandemic has forced a massive spike in the uptake of cloud services over the last 12 months. In 2021, those last remaining businesses may not have much choice if they want to retain a well-connected and robust workforce.
So, what’s stopping 12% of UK businesses from moving over to the cloud and the vast majority of UK businesses keeping most or part of their business on-premises? This post explores the three misconceptions that are likely to be holding UK IT managers back.
Moving to the Cloud Is Complicated and Hugely Disruptive
No one is saying that migrating a business to the cloud is a seamless and hassle-free process, that would be a lie. However, people would argue that it’s never been easier to move to the cloud as it is right now. The most prominent players in the cloud game, including AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure all have fantastic dedicated teams to help companies migrate. They also provide a wealth of guides, resources and even a live chat system to help your IT team migrate the business as smoothly as possible.
Microsoft 365 are particularly well-known for their helpful migration teams and excellent guidance. Their teams can help your IT department with anything from firewall configurations to exploring migration possibilities. Every business will need a slightly different path to migrate to the cloud successfully and cloud providers can accommodate even the trickiest businesses.
Cloud providers can include any online tool, guide and troubleshooting to help guide your business to a successful migration.
Control over Company Data and Privacy Security Will Be Lost
One of the most significant reservations for many businesses moving to the cloud is the fear that control over security will be lost. This is a more than reasonable fear considering the worrying rising numbers of cybercrimes being reported.
However, there’s no evidence to suggest that the cloud is any less safe than storing data locally. Your company data may be safer in the cloud than on-premises. The reason being that cloud providers have had to invest heavily in advanced security to help sell their services to the business world.
The cloud also benefits from advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI), which makes security smarter and more scalable. AI can deal with smarter cyber threats and can continuously learn how to become more secure as time goes on.
Not only is being on the cloud safer for your company data and privacy, but it will also take a huge amount of work away from IT departments as the cloud automatically updates, saving IT staff time and costs.
Finally, if that’s not enough to convince you, the majority of security leaders have said that the security of data on the cloud is generally the same or safer than on-premise. The cloud is quicker to alert you to threats, whereas on-premises security might not even realise it has been hacked.
The Cloud Results in Constant Updates and Is Disruptive to Business
It’s not perfect, but you can expect the cloud to cause a lot fewer headaches than traditional on-premises systems. Most major cloud providers have been developed specifically not to interfere with your business-critical apps by working with software developers in advance. By giving them early access to the cloud and providing them with the tools needed, they can make integration as seamless as possible with minimal disruptions.
The compatibility of business apps with the cloud is always improving, without the need for your IT department to get involved. Updates are automatically installed, making life for IT staff easier. Are there too many updates? There may be more updates than with on-premises systems but the time and energy saved more than makes up for it.
As we move into 2021, the need for the cloud is likely to become increasingly important. There’s unlikely to be a return to “normal” following the pandemic and business will need to adapt. The cloud will allow for a hybrid company where employees can work both in the office and remotely in a seamless but effective manner within a virtual environment.
