While the cloud was once nothing more than a fantastical science fiction concept, today is it an essential business tool. For businesses that choose to migrate to the cloud, it has the power to streamline operations, enable greater adaptability, and boost collaboration capabilities.

However, for the unfamiliar, the exciting future the cloud brings can seem daunting. In their eyes, cloud migration is costly, risky, and without tangible benefits. This is backed by research that shows business leaders are resisting migrating to the cloud due to beliefs that the cost is too high and that their decision making power will be limited. This belief comes from a lack of awareness around the reality of the cloud and the way it can be used to drive businesses forward.

In truth, the cloud is a tool for improvement. For example, Microsoft Azure can help manage, grow, and streamline your organisation via thousands of useful applications, while providing a cost-effective and stress free onboarding that makes migration simple.

Still not sure? Consider these common cloud migration misunderstandings that may be holding you back

Misunderstanding: cloud migration is more expensive than maintaining your current systems

While there will be some initial up-front costs, Azure allows you to reduce your operating costs long-term.

This is due to:

• Automatic updates to the latest software and patches
• Greater visibility of spending via cost management and analysis tools
• Set spending thresholds
• Process improvement thanks to automatic tools
•  Identified opportunities to optimise workload and costs

With these features and Azure’s Microsoft Cost Management at your disposal, you could save up to 34% in your first year.

It also costs much less to operate Microsoft Azure on an ongoing basis than it would to maintain your legacy systems and physical IT infrastructure. With the increased processing power today’s technology demands, the cloud can manage this easily. However, legacy systems struggle to keep up with the needs of new technology, requiring you to spend more on things like CPU and memory to perform simple tasks.

Misunderstanding: cloud migration exposes your business to cyber attack

With Microsoft investing $1 billion into cyber security every year, you can trust that Microsoft Azure is one of the most secure cloud platforms out there. It is supported by a team of over 3,500 global cyber security experts and is well-equipped to keep you safe online. Enjoy peace of mind with built-in disaster recovery and backup capabilities that reduce the likelihood of downtime and data loss.

You can also take advantage of 99.95% availability, 24/7 support, and consistent health monitoring from Azure’s vast data centre network in over 60 locations around the planet.

Misunderstanding: it takes too much training and restructuring to migrate to the
cloud

There will always be some learning and onboarding involved when you implement a new system, but Microsoft Azure doesn’t require extensive, expert-level IT knowledge to operate. Designed to be user friendly, your business could easily flourish.

Through Microsoft Learning and accredited partners, FUJIFILM CodeBlue Australia can provide you with access to a library of self-guided recorded resources, subsidised Azure technical training, and step-by-step guidance from Microsoft Azure engineers.

Misunderstanding: migrating to the cloud is too complex and creates too much
downtime

Despite what many think, migrating to the cloud can be simple. When you migrate to Microsoft Azure, you don’t need to shut down your entire system to deploy it even though it will take a primary role in your operations. There may be brief moments of downtime, but these will be reduced thanks to careful planning and detailed assessment.

The assessment will be particularly useful. It can offer a real-time review of your business data and help you uncover a clear roadmap for Azure migration. It accounts for important considerations like your strategies, costs, capacity, and workload.

Typically delivered within 72 hours of your assessment, FUJIFILM CodeBlue Australia can turn these findings into a detailed report that will be critical in determining your migration strategy and timeline. Maybe you have a lot of data to process so need to adopt a phased approach, or maybe your cloud migration will take very little time with very little impact on your operations.