More and more companies are turning to cloud computing to increase their efficiency. This is for the improved integration between business development and operations. This is the reason 59% of large companies have made the switch. Of the companies that use the cloud, 52% plan to update their cloud services within the next year. The federal government has plans to move its information technology services to the cloud. They expect this to save taxpayers 30% in infrastructure expenses. If you are looking to move your company’s operations to the cloud, preparing a cloud migration blueprint is essential to making it a success.

1. Make a plan and follow it. Often companies try to do everything at once or skip some steps and that leads them to problems. Work with cloud consultants to develop a thorough cloud migration blueprint and follow it to the letter. The more you work on strategy and goal setting before you begin the migration. This will limit the likelihood that you will lose data.
2. Do not skip compliance and governance. At least 80% of companies develop plans for proper governance of their cloud usage. Cloud consulting companies can work with your business to ensure you are using the cloud to maximize its usefulness and minimize any security risks. They can also make sure your staff understand how to best use the cloud to integrate the different parts of your business. Any cloud migration blueprint should include a plan for a cloud security assessment. The increased access to your data by different parts of your business can also open you up to security risks that can be mitigated with the proper planning.
3. Pay attention to performance. All too often companies find the bugs in their system when it goes live. As you are working through your cloud migration blueprint, test everything. This way you will be able to find any problems with the migration as you are in the process of implementing it rather than when your staff have to do actual business on the cloud. Test as often as necessary.

The cloud is revolutionizing the way companies do business. There is no “one size fits all” solution for cloud computing. Even the kind of cloud a company uses differs from company to company. About 60% of businesses go with the public cloud and 57% use a private cloud. Another 19% get their cloud brokerage services to create a hybrid situation between public and private. Your company’s security, compliance and operational needs may be very different from another company that does the same kind of business.

Once you have made the decision to move your operations to the cloud, it is important to talk to cloud service broker companies about developing a cloud migration blueprint that works for your business and will meet your specific needs.