How IT Service Providers in Kansas City Can Upgrade Your Servers
Organizations depend on their technology to service their clientele and remain agile in a constantly changing business world. Every company strives to be faster and more efficient than their competition. As technology continues to evolve, many companies are making the strategic decision to transition their operations to the cloud using managed IT services.
According to a study conducted by the International Data Group, approximately 69% of businesses are already using the cloud. Further, their study reveals that 18% of businesses have definitive plans to convert to the cloud in the near future.
So, what exactly is the cloud? What are the benefits of partnering with IT service providers in Kansas City to make the conversion?
After breaking down the steps involved with cloud conversion, we’ll explore the many benefits business owners can look forward to with cloud computing. We’ll also provide information on how to secure IT service management for all your cloud computing needs.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing has been around for roughly two decades, but only recently has it caught on in mainstream popularity among business owners and individual users. Before the cloud, most organizations used physical servers for all their computing needs. The challenge is that physical servers are expensive to own and maintain. Additionally, physical servers lack scalability, which means businesses are limited to their server’s capacity.
Cloud computing, on the other hand, is an on-demand solution that delivers storage, databases, and computing power using pay-as-you-go pricing from a cloud service provider. It’s suitable for organizations of all sizes and features a wide array of applications, including:
- Customer-facing web applications
- Big data analytics
- Software testing and development
- Virtual desktops
- Email services
- Disaster recovery
- Data backup
Converting to the Cloud Using Managed IT Services
The process of converting to the cloud depends on the organization, their current server setup, their cloud computing needs, which applications are migrating versus discontinuing, and the IT service management they use. Keeping that in mind, the following steps succinctly break down the cloud conversion process.
- Clearly define the goals of the migration, including what software to include, which applications no longer provide value, and which cloud-based applications deliver more value.
- Establish cloud-based key performance indicators (KPIs) to clearly define success. Examples include hours of availability to end users, maintenance costs, scalability, operational load, and access speed.
- Choose your cloud service provider. If you’re working with managed IT services, they can help you weigh your organization’s options in terms of pricing and scope of service.
- Select your automation tools to help ease the conversion process and reduce security risks. Once again, managed IT service providers near you can help explain which automation tools work best for your migration.
- Choose your migration strategy. Managed IT services in Kansas City will assist you in determining which migration strategy is ideal for your organization. Some popular options include rehosting, replatforming, and refactoring. The right strategy is dependent on the organization’s current applications, which ones are in use, and if they can be converted over.
- Prepare a complete backup plan. Problems can occur when transitioning over to the cloud, which is why it’s important to have a backup in place. Working with your IT service provider in Kansas City, they will take care of the backup process for your organization to ensure nothing is lost during the transition.
How Does Cloud Migration Benefit Your Organization?
Traditionally, most organizations keep all their data and applications on secure servers located on their premises or off-site. Of course, just like with any piece of technology, IT service management includes maintaining servers to keep them in good working order. This entails running hardware checks, installing security patches, conducting software updates, and more.
Not keeping up with these tasks puts your organization at risk of server issues. Additionally, some physical servers have cybersecurity vulnerabilities and open access points that can be exploited by malicious actors. And if that weren’t bad enough, servers can potentially go offline during extreme weather events and natural disasters.
Cloud migration moves the company’s data, business applications, and other digital resources to a secure cloud server. Some of the main benefits of cloud migration include:
- More scalability than physical servers, affording organizations more flexibility in their computing and storage needs.
- Savings on the costs associated with hardware, software, and on-site IT server maintenance. Plus, organizations only pay for the cloud resources they use, making it a more cost-effective option.
- Improved reliability and performance, especially during high-traffic periods.
- Increased security and ease of use. For example, cloud security patches are installed automatically rather than manually by managed IT services.
- More resiliency against things like natural disasters and emergency IT scenarios.
- More advanced than traditional servers.
- The ability to monitor everything relevant to their cloud server on a single screen.
Kick Off Your Cloud Conversion with Kansas City Managed IT Services
Cloud migration is a process that yields numerous benefits for organizations seeking to enhance their operations and reduce their overall IT expenses. It also provides a competitive advantage over other organizations who have yet to convert.
By carefully navigating each step of the migration process, companies can unlock the full potential of the cloud. The key is securing managed IT services near you that specialize in corporate cloud migration services, such as Kansas City Managed IT.
As one of the most reliable and experienced IT service providers in Kansas City, our team can assist you with all your cloud conversion needs, including the migration strategy portion. After converting to the cloud, your organization can depend on Kansas City Managed IT to keep your cybersecurity efforts up to date and provide 24/7 customer service when you need support.
The best way to get started is by contacting us for a cloud conversion consultation. You can contact us at (816) 688-3720 or email us using the contact form on our website.