Cloud Migration: 5 Questions to Ask Before You Start

The Cloud Isn't Automatic

"Move to the cloud" has become a default recommendation for almost any IT challenge. But cloud migration without proper planning often creates more problems than it solves.

Before you start, ask these five critical questions.

1. What Are You Actually Trying to Achieve?

The cloud offers many benefits, but not all of them apply to every situation:

- Scalability: Do you need to rapidly scale up or down?

Cost Reduction: Will cloud actually cost less? (Often it doesn't)

Accessibility: Do remote workers need better access?

Disaster Recovery: Is improved backup/recovery the goal?

Compliance: Are there regulatory requirements driving this?

If you can't articulate specific business outcomes, pause and clarify.

2. What Should NOT Move to the Cloud?

Not everything belongs in the cloud:

- Latency-Sensitive Applications: Real-time systems may suffer

Data with Residency Requirements: Some regulations prohibit cloud storage

Legacy Systems: Older applications may not be cloud-compatible

High-Bandwidth Internal Traffic: Moving data can get expensive

A hybrid approach is often the right answer.

3. What's Your True Total Cost?

Cloud pricing is complex. Account for:

- Compute instances (by the hour/second)

Storage (including egress fees)

Network traffic (data transfer costs add up)

Management tools and monitoring

Training and transition costs

Potential need for cloud specialists

Run a realistic 3-year cost projection before committing.

4. How Will You Handle Security Differently?

Cloud security is a shared responsibility model:

Provider Responsibility:

Physical security

Hardware maintenance

Network infrastructure

Your Responsibility:

Access controls

Data encryption

Application security

Compliance adherence

Your current security practices will need significant adaptation.

5. What's Your Exit Strategy?

Vendor lock-in is real. Consider:

- Data portability between providers

Application dependencies on proprietary services

Contract terms and data export procedures

Costs of migrating away if needed

The best time to plan your exit is before you enter.

The Smart Approach

Successful cloud migrations:

1. Start with a thorough assessment 2. Run a pilot with non-critical systems 3. Develop cloud-specific security policies 4. Train staff on new operational procedures 5. Monitor costs obsessively in the first year 6. Maintain hybrid capabilities for flexibility

The cloud can be transformative—but only with proper planning.