How to get started with rapid cloud adoption (Guest blog from BJSS)

Author: Tim Hancock, Head of Cloud and Managed Services, BJSS

In today’s volatile climate, the traditional approach to cloud adoption is simply not sustainable and operational efficiency is increasingly becoming the number one priority for many organisations. 

Investing in digital transformation, and more specifically cloud adoption, even during economic hardship, can make your business futureproof and even lead to increased profit. Organisations across all sectors have had to think differently about their operational processes and understand more about how cloud and digital technologies can enable efficiencies at a time when uncertainty is the only constant. 

However, stakeholders in any business want to spend less time on operational activities and more time on the business tasks that truly add value. With the demand for cloud skills constantly increasing, businesses are having to find new ways to achieve their digital transformation goals and accelerate their time to value. 

This disruption will likely continue for an indefinite period of time. One way some organisations are speeding up cloud adoption is by consuming modern automated cloud tools and services. 

Addressing the need for rapid cloud adoption 

To help organisations move to the cloud more easily and answer those questions, we developed BJSS Enterprise Cloud, a comprehensive cloud landing zone accelerator. It’s a framework that provides the foundations, processes and tools needed to get your cloud services up and running in a shorter time, while still remaining secure. 

Moving beyond lift and shift to truly modernise  

It is important to note that while the cloud is instrumental for digital transformation, migrating to it can be complex and challenging. A poorly-executed cloud migration can result in data loss or corruption, downtime, security vulnerabilities, cost overruns, and compromised application performance. Fortunately, the migration journey has been well-documented, and numerous tools and processes are available to assist with the migration of easier-to-move applications.  

Typically, a standard lift and shift approach is initially employed to enter the realm of cloud technology. However, this approach often fails to reap the full benefits of the cloud, as it often replicates challenges from legacy systems, and introduces new complexities in the cloud environment.  

To begin the migration process, it is essential to develop a clear plan, establish an operating model, select the appropriate cloud platform, and build the necessary cloud foundations. Next, it is crucial to identify the right applications to migrate first based on their value, complexity, and compatibility with the cloud environment. You do not have to move everything simultaneously; starting with one system or application allows you to gain valuable insights from the experience.  

While modernisation presents more challenges, it is often highly rewarding. This process involves rebuilding or refactoring applications from scratch, optimising them specifically for the cloud. Modernisation includes transforming or replacing legacy systems - outdated, inefficient technologies - with modern infrastructure and technologies that reduce IT costs and complexity, improve agility and collaboration, and enable future innovation. Migration and modernisation activities can exist perfectly well together as part of a transformation journey and the following case study highlights this. 

The benefits of modernisation  

• Leveraging cloud-native features and services to enhance capabilities and productivity  

• Reducing operational overhead and maintenance costs using managed services and automation tools 

• Improving agility and innovation by embracing and DevOps culture and continuous delivery practices 

• Enhancing resilience and reliability with high availability, backup, and disaster recovery solutions. 

• Scaling resources according to demand and paying only for what is used. 

Learn more about how modernisation fits into your overall cloud adoption journey and how to position your project for success with an effective Discovery phase. Download BJSS’s eBook that will help your business navigate the pitfalls that come during this crucial process, and provide the confidence to take the first step on your cloud journey. 

Authors

Tim Hancock

Head of Cloud and Managed Services, BJSS