In today’s day and age, an organization without a cloud adoption strategy is akin to a company running its operations without using the internet. Given the numerous advantages they offer – scalability, accessibility and flexibility, reliability and redundancy, all of which foster innovation and faster time-to-market, the prospect of an organization not having embraced the cloud can seem outdated. Here are a few statistics to illustrate why:
- The cloud applications market is worth over $150 billion
- 60% of the world’s corporate data is stored in the cloud
- 90% of large enterprises have adopted a multi-cloud infrastructure
According to a survey conducted by Forrester Consulting, a predominant driver for cloud adoption is the aim to lower IT costs, deemed very important or critical by 61% of respondents. Following closely are priorities like enhancing deployment agility and speed (50%) and fortifying business continuity (42%). However, despite the several advantages, everything is not always hunky-dory, and one cannot expect all organizations to have a seamless transition into, and adoption of, the cloud. There are quite a few pitfalls which, if not managed well, can trip organizations up in their cloud adoption journey.
The Pitfalls of Cloud Adoption to Notice and Avoid
Hidden Costs
It's well-known that organizations prefer using the cloud over traditional on-prem operations because of the significant cost savings. Thanks to the pay-as-you-go model, upfront infrastructure costs are eliminated. However, there's still a need to monitor and optimize cloud spending, Cloud costs cannot be estimated from the get-go, because the starting point for all companies are different. Organizations must also consider the cloud model selected for business workloads and apps, with different features, benefits, and fees accompanying the same. In 2021, 36% of all organizations stated that it takes them days to notice a spike in cloud costs, which quickly can snowball into a budget loss worth thousands of dollars.
In addressing this challenge, organizations can adopt strategies for effective cloud financial management. For example, Cloud4C’s FinOps as a Service offers a nuanced approach and is grounded in a step-by-step assessment of unique financial objectives across all operating landscapes from a single interface. It involves an expert analysis of workloads, usage, and billing. The result is fail-proof performance tracking, benchmarking plans, and long-term governance strategies, fostering a cost-conscious culture for sustained financial optimization.
For businesses running their critical workloads on AWS, FinOps as a Service and likewise solutions could significantly impact end ROI. For AWS-specific workloads, AWS Cost Explorer is one of the tools used. It empowers organizations to visualize, analyze, and control AWS costs and usage. Features like filtering and grouping enable exploration of data on a monthly or daily basis, providing valuable insights for effective cost management. Together, these solutions offer organizations a comprehensive approach to cloud financial optimization, transcending specific cloud platforms and promoting financial resilience.
Data Transfer and Migration Challenges
The process of migrating existing data and applications to the cloud can prove to be more intricate than initially envisioned. Challenges may arise, including compatibility issues and potential downtime during the migration process. Meticulous planning and testing are vital for a smooth and disruption-minimized transition. The complexity of the migration process, with potential disruptions, is an aspect that organizations might not fully anticipate during the initial stages of cloud adoption.
Building on the above challenge, organizations will benefit from a seamless migration of their applications, data, and workloads to the cloud platform of their choice. Thanks to our unique Migration Factory path for businesses, we streamline the entire process. Your organization will benefit from 24/7 cloud migration consulting and support. Are you curious to know how we do it? Here's what we have done for a leading chain of pediatric hospitals in India!
For organizations seeking a seamless transfer to AWS, we try to leverage cloud0native tools such as AWS Application Migration Service. This service facilitates the seamless migration of applications to AWS from various source infrastructures running supported operating systems. As a trusted AWS Managed Services Partner, Cloud4C ensures a smooth migration process, allowing organizations to modernize applications with features like disaster recovery, operating system conversion, or license conversion. This collaborative approach enables businesses to maintain uninterrupted operations during application replication while benefitting from cost efficiencies through a single versatile tool that supports a wide range of applications.
Data Transfer Latency
The geographical separation between a business’ operational base and the cloud provider's data centers introduces data transfer latency. This delay in transmitting information can notably affect applications sensitive to delays. Unlike the swiftness of accessing data from local on-premises servers, retrieving data from a cloud server might incur delays, impacting real-time application performance. This aspect is frequently underestimated during cloud adoption, overshadowed by the overarching benefits of accessibility and scalability.
To tackle data transfer latency, organizations can strategically collaborate with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with a robust global presence. A key consideration is selecting an MSP with the necessary compliance certifications and competencies. Cloud4C, recognized for its global footprint and commitment to stringent compliance standards, can be a partner worth consideration. Organizations gain the flexibility to optimize data transfer speeds, ensuring a smoother transition to the cloud without compromising performance. Interested in how we do it? Here's a glimpse into Cloud4C's capabilities in deploying AWS Transfer Family.
For AWS specific workloads, we use AWS Transfer Family. It is a fully managed file transfer service designed to simplify file transfer workflows to AWS. This includes AWS Transfer for SFTP and AWS Transfer for FTP, facilitating seamless migration with the added benefits of AWS's security, scalability, and pay-as-you-go pricing. We also incorporate AWS Global Accelerator and Amazon CloudFront, utilizing a distributed architecture that reduces latency. By serving content from edge locations closer to end-users or systems accessing the files, we provide organizations with an efficient and responsive solution.
Vendor Lock-In
While the concept of vendor lock-in is commonly linked to cloud providers, its scope expands to encompass a variety of service providers—such as Managed Service Providers (MSPs), IT solutions providers, and third-party platforms. Dealing with multiple vendors, each with distinct Service Level Agreements (SLAs), introduces intricacies. Dependencies on one provider's tech or API can inadvertently ripple across others, creating a complex web of interdependencies. Shifting away from a specific service provider, whether in the cloud or other IT services, becomes a nuanced task, often involving unforeseen costs and adjustments that extend beyond initial considerations.
With application-focused, multi-cloud managed services providers, businesses can get a one-stop cloud transformation partner, in a single SLA. It’s the onus of the MSP to collaborate with all required ISVs/individual platform providers and CSPs as required by the organization and deliver a consistent, coherent experience. Cloud4C, powered by its proprietary Self Healing Operations Platform (SHOPTM), usually delivers the entire service in a single high availability SLA from core infrastructure till application login irrespective of the number and variety of operational landscapes. Thanks to this approach, our client organizations can navigate the complexities of multi-service engagements more efficiently, thanks to a simplified contractual framework that allows for more accountability and a proactive mitigation of risks associated with vendor lock-in.
Data Security
While cloud providers prioritize security, the responsibility for securing your data is shared. Configuring cloud resources correctly becomes a pivotal factor. Additionally, navigating compliance with industry regulations introduces complexity, necessitating a tailored approach to align with specific compliance requirements. This intricate balance between provider and user responsibility often doesn't receive sufficient emphasis during the initial stages of cloud adoption. The assumption that cloud providers handle all security aspects may lead organizations to overlook the need for meticulous adherence to compliance standards.
Security Operations Center (SOC) partner for instance handles the entire spectrum of monitoring and threat management seamlessly, supporting your organization in adopting cutting-edge cybersecurity frameworks, methodologies, and intelligent solutions. Cloud4C’s Cyber Defense Center experts integrates advanced threat intelligence powered by industry-leading platforms such as Microsoft, OSINT, STI&TAXI, MISP, etc. Our advanced AWS security services capabilities enable smart threat hunting, deep cybersecurity analytics, predictive alerting, and preventive maintenance through proprietary AI-driven automation solutions. This robust integration ensures a proactive security stance for your cloud environment.
For Managed Extended Detection and Response, Cloud4C brings in a good mix of AWS native security tools and third party tools (leaders in their space) Amazon Macie for example is an advanced data security service within the AWS ecosystem. It’s a cutting-edge data security service that employs the power of machine learning and pattern matching to unearth sensitive data. Its primary role is to unveil potential data security risks and takes automated actions to shield you from those identified risks. This provides a crystal-clear view of what data your organization is storing in Amazon S3. You can use Macie's built-in criteria, define your custom criteria, or cleverly combine the two.
Downtime and Reliability
Despite the assurance of high availability in cloud services, instances of service outages can still occur. Being prepared for such situations is imperative. Contingency plans, including redundancy and failover strategies, are essential to minimize the potential impact of downtime on business operations. The reality of occasional downtime is often overshadowed by the emphasis on the reliability of cloud services. Businesses may not always prioritize developing comprehensive contingency plans, assuming uninterrupted service.
While acknowledging the potential for service outages, ensuring business continuity requires proactive measures. Disaster-as-a-Service (DRaaS) solutions serve as a robust strategy, enabling organizations to safeguard their data and IT infrastructure in a separate cloud environment. This proactive approach seamlessly aligns with the importance of minimizing downtime impact.
By strategically distributing resources across multiple zones, our approach ensures continuous operations, automatically redirecting traffic to healthy zones in the event of issues, thereby fortifying your applications against potential disruptions.
When Cloud4C transformed an Ayurvedic retail client's existing infrastructure on to the AWS cloud platform, it resulted in zero friction and 99.9% uptime. We revamped their IT infrastructure, tailoring it for hyper agility and enterprise-grade security. The deployment of the AWS Multi-AZ Solution served as a crucial foundation, empowering the store to thrive in the digital-first world with enhanced sustainability.
Skill Gaps
The transition to the cloud necessitates the acquisition of new skill sets, a facet often underestimated during cloud adoption. Providing training for the organizational IT team becomes crucial to effectively manage and optimize cloud resources. This investment in skill development, while essential, can entail both time and financial commitments, aspects that might be overlooked in the excitement of embracing cloud technology.
Recognizing this concern, Cloud4C offers a comprehensive solution as a cloud managed services provider. This approach minimizes the need for additional investments in technical expertise. With a team of 2000+ cloud transformation experts, including 1100+ certified public cloud professionals covering various platforms, we assume full responsibility for end-to-end cloud transformation operations. We tailor industry-specific solutions for organizations in their digital transformation journey, drawing on two decades of managed service experience and a collaborative, integrated delivery model.
Data Sovereignty and Privacy
The decision to store data in the cloud triggers valid concerns about its physical location and management. For businesses operating in regulated industries or regions with stringent data protection laws, ensuring compliance with data sovereignty and privacy requirements becomes paramount. The intricacies of data residency and privacy laws are aspects that may not receive the necessary attention during the initial stages of cloud adoption.
Cloud MSPs help your organization stay compliant with the latest data guidelines, no matter the region. What sets Cloud4C apart is our commitment to providing not just global but geo-native solutions. With a robust presence across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and beyond, we offer localized cloud hosting and services tailored to the unique regulations of each region. Our solutions well comply with all data residency and sovereignty requirements, irrespective of the cloud, IT landscape a business runs on or is willing to onboard.
Complexity of Multi-cloud Environments
Opting for a multi-cloud strategy introduces intricate challenges in orchestrating resources across diverse cloud providers. Navigating this complexity involves additional efforts in integration and compatibility to ensure a seamless and cohesive operational environment. The potential complexities of coordinating applications and data across varied cloud platforms are often underestimated during the strategic decision-making of adopting a multi-cloud approach.
How to best combine capabilities from multiple clouds and operate on them without risk? With hybrid cloud services, a business can seamlessly integrate premium offerings from AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI, IBM, and more. Enhance it with DevOps tools, SAP ERP, and SAP S/4HANA for modernizing core assets. Implement a universal, intelligent, and fully automated platform to efficiently manage all private and public cloud resources, on-prem workloads, and end-to-end computing infrastructure. Cloud4C’s SHOPTM is a similar solution, a self-healing platform that integrates various IT operations, automating end-to-end cloud services for enterprises along with predictive threat management. This solution minimizes human intervention, offering a holistic view of IT environments through a single interface.
Read how Cloud4C helped a global publishing house, migrate their workloads to AWS disruption-free. They were facing challenges with their initial cloud partner of choice, which impacted security, productivity, and operations, leading to revenue loss. Cloud4C intervened, redesigning architecture, and managing and securing workloads. We delivered a robust solution, ensuring proactive monitoring, seamless migration to, and efficient management on AWS, achieving zero disruption to the business.
Compliance and Legal Issues
The adoption of cloud services can significantly impact legal agreements, including service-level agreements (SLAs) and contracts with third-party vendors. A thorough review of these agreements is essential to align them with your cloud strategy. Factors such as performance commitments, data protection, and liability must be carefully considered. The legal implications of cloud adoption, often not fully anticipated, become crucial elements to address during the adoption process.
Enter Cloud4C, where all your concerns about compliance and legal intricacies are resolved. We take a comprehensive approach, considering local, national, and global compliance requirements, encompassing standards such as IRAP, GDPR, HIPAA, SAMA, CSA, and GXP. Our SLAs clearly outline performance metrics and service standards, providing clarity and simplicity to client organizations.
Cloud4C deploys specialized AWS tools to enhance security measures, specifically Amazon Inspector, an automated vulnerability management service for AWS workloads. It scans AWS workloads in near real-time, identifying software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure. We integrate it with Amazon EventBridge and AWS Security Hub, to prioritize remediation and reducing the mean time to address vulnerabilities. This proactive integration ensures a robust and compliant cloud environment for your organization. Seamless landscape governance is achieved with monitoring tools such as Amazon CloudWatch and AWS CloudTrail.
Performance Variability
Cloud resources being shared among multiple users can lead to performance fluctuations. While measures like resource allocation and performance monitoring can address this, applications with stringent performance requirements require careful consideration to ensure consistent and reliable performance. The variability in performance due to resource sharing may not be thoroughly assessed during the excitement of transitioning to cloud resources, potentially impacting critical applications.
This calls for robust monitoring and optimization. Using tools such as Amazon CloudWatch, we help firms to monitor applications and APIs, respond to performance changes, optimize resource use, and provide insights into operational health. We also use other leading tools for analysis and visualization, in the form of offering dashboards, charts, graphs, and alerts for workload performance insights. Cloud4C’s AI/ML-enabled SHOPTM ensures traceability, troubleshooting, security, and compliance, adapting seamlessly to workload scalability.
To Conclude
While organizations navigate the ever-evolving realm of cloud adoption, there are several nuances that need to be mastered. As an AWS Advanced Tier Services partner, Cloud4C is your trusted companion, helping you address the subtle challenges that may crop up along the way. We are recognized for three AWS Competencies and six Partner Programs. This includes our DevOps Consulting Competency, Migration Consulting Competency, and SAP Consulting Competency. From navigating hidden costs with FinOps proficiency to ensuring data security through our SOC approach, we pave the path for a smooth cloud journey on AWS. To get started, talk to one of our experts today!
