In this lively debate you will hear from Calligo’s Practice Leads as they discuss their key takeaways from 2023 and their data predictions for 2024 and beyond.

Topics discussed include:

The post Data Transformation Predictions for 2024 – Calligo Data Leaders Roundtable appeared first on Calligo.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of IT infrastructure, businesses are constantly faced with the critical decision of choosing between on-premises and cloud solutions. The allure of cloud computing, with its promises of scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency, often leads organizations to assess the financial implications of their choices meticulously. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the complexities of assessing on-premises vs. cloud costs, exploring hidden expenses, the concept of shared responsibility, and the role of a trusted partner like Calligo in navigating this intricate terrain.

Comparing On-Premises and Cloud Costs

On-Premises Costs:

1. Capital Expenditure:

On-premises solutions often entail significant upfront costs for hardware, software licenses, and infrastructure setup. This capital expenditure can strain budgets and limit financial flexibility.

2. Maintenance and Upgrades:

Regular maintenance, updates, and hardware upgrades contribute to ongoing operational costs for on-premises solutions. Predicting and managing these costs can be challenging over the long term.

3. Staffing and Training:

Employing skilled personnel for system administration, maintenance, and troubleshooting adds to the on-premises cost equation. Training employees to manage evolving technologies further increases operational expenses.

Cloud Costs:

1. Pay-as-You-Go Model:

Cloud services operate on a pay-as-you-go model, allowing businesses to pay only for the resources they use. This flexibility can be advantageous for managing costs efficiently, especially during periods of fluctuating demand.

2. Operational Expenditure:

Cloud solutions transform IT costs from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, providing businesses with more predictable and manageable ongoing expenses.

3. Scalability and Efficiency:

Cloud scalability enables organizations to adapt quickly to changing workloads, optimizing costs by automatically adjusting resource allocation.

Hidden Costs in the Cloud:

While the cloud offers a transparent pay-as-you-go model, hidden costs may emerge without careful consideration:

1. Data Transfer and Bandwidth:

Cloud providers may charge for data transfer between regions and the internet, making it essential to factor in bandwidth costs.

2. Storage Costs:

The cost of storing data in the cloud can accumulate, especially with large datasets. Assess storage needs and choose cost-effective storage options.

3. Egress Charges:

Cloud providers may impose fees for data leaving their network. Understanding egress charges is crucial, especially for data-intensive applications.

Shared Responsibility Model:

As organizations transition to the cloud, it’s essential to understand the shared responsibility model:

1. Cloud Provider Responsibilities

Cloud providers manage the security and compliance of the cloud infrastructure, including data center security, hardware maintenance, and network infrastructure.

2. Customer Responsibilities:

Customers are responsible for securing their data within the cloud, managing access controls, implementing encryption, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

Responsibility Transfer to the Cloud Provider:

With the cloud, certain responsibilities are transferred to the provider:

1. Security and Compliance:

Cloud providers invest in robust security measures and adhere to compliance standards, alleviating some security concerns for customers.

2. Hardware Maintenance:

The burden of hardware maintenance, updates, and upgrades shifts to the cloud provider, reducing the operational workload for customers.

Areas of Responsibility Retained by the Customer:

Despite the advantages of responsibility transfer, customers retain crucial responsibilities:

1. Data Security:

Ensuring the security of data within the cloud, including encryption, access controls, and compliance, remains the customer’s responsibility.

2. Application Security:

Customers are responsible for securing applications deployed in the cloud, addressing vulnerabilities, and implementing best practices for secure coding.

Leveraging Calligo for Informed Decision-Making:

Calligo, as a leading player in cloud services, plays a pivotal role in helping organizations assess on-premises vs. cloud costs:

1. Comprehensive Cost Analysis:

Calligo conducts a thorough analysis of on-premises and potential cloud costs, considering factors like data transfer, storage, and potential hidden expenses. This ensures organizations make informed financial decisions.

2. Expertise in Compliance and Security:

Calligo’s expertise in compliance and security positions them as a valuable partner. They assist in navigating shared responsibility, ensuring that customers meet compliance standards while benefiting from the security measures provided by the cloud.

3. Tailored Solutions:

Calligo recognizes that each organization is unique. By offering tailored solutions, they ensure that the migration strategy aligns with business objectives, optimizing costs while addressing specific needs and challenges.

4. Managed Services for Ongoing Optimization:

Beyond migration, Calligo provides managed services for ongoing optimization. This includes continuous monitoring, updates, and adjustments to ensure that cloud resources are utilized efficiently, maximizing cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Assessing on-premises vs. cloud costs is a multifaceted endeavor that goes beyond comparing price tags. It requires a deep understanding of the shared responsibility model, consideration of hidden costs, and strategic decision-making. With the expertise of Calligo, organizations can embark on their cloud journey confidently, navigating the complexities of cost analysis, compliance, and security to unlock the full potential of the cloud while optimizing financial investments. Embrace the future of IT infrastructure with a trusted partner by your side, ensuring that every step taken is a step toward efficiency, scalability, and success.

For more comprehensive insights into cloud strategy, visit https://www.calligo.io

View Our Cloud Case Studies

Mayhew

Read more

Eviivo

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Impero

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The Medical Specialist Group (MSG) UK

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1 of

The post What is Cloud as a Service? Exploring Definitions, Current Trends, and Future Horizons appeared first on Calligo.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of IT infrastructure, businesses are constantly faced with the critical decision of choosing between on-premises and cloud solutions. The allure of cloud computing, with its promises of scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency, often leads organizations to assess the financial implications of their choices meticulously. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the complexities of assessing on-premises vs. cloud costs, exploring hidden expenses, the concept of shared responsibility, and the role of a trusted partner like Calligo in navigating this intricate terrain.

Comparing On-Premises and Cloud Costs

On-Premises Costs:

1. Capital Expenditure:

On-premises solutions often entail significant upfront costs for hardware, software licenses, and infrastructure setup. This capital expenditure can strain budgets and limit financial flexibility.

2. Maintenance and Upgrades:

Regular maintenance, updates, and hardware upgrades contribute to ongoing operational costs for on-premises solutions. Predicting and managing these costs can be challenging over the long term.

3. Staffing and Training:

Employing skilled personnel for system administration, maintenance, and troubleshooting adds to the on-premises cost equation. Training employees to manage evolving technologies further increases operational expenses.

Cloud Costs:

1. Pay-as-You-Go Model:

Cloud services operate on a pay-as-you-go model, allowing businesses to pay only for the resources they use. This flexibility can be advantageous for managing costs efficiently, especially during periods of fluctuating demand.

2. Operational Expenditure:

Cloud solutions transform IT costs from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, providing businesses with more predictable and manageable ongoing expenses.

3. Scalability and Efficiency:

Cloud scalability enables organizations to adapt quickly to changing workloads, optimizing costs by automatically adjusting resource allocation.

Hidden Costs in the Cloud:

While the cloud offers a transparent pay-as-you-go model, hidden costs may emerge without careful consideration:

1. Data Transfer and Bandwidth:

Cloud providers may charge for data transfer between regions and the internet, making it essential to factor in bandwidth costs.

2. Storage Costs:

The cost of storing data in the cloud can accumulate, especially with large datasets. Assess storage needs and choose cost-effective storage options.

3. Egress Charges:

Cloud providers may impose fees for data leaving their network. Understanding egress charges is crucial, especially for data-intensive applications.

Shared Responsibility Model:

As organizations transition to the cloud, it’s essential to understand the shared responsibility model:

1. Cloud Provider Responsibilities

Cloud providers manage the security and compliance of the cloud infrastructure, including data center security, hardware maintenance, and network infrastructure.

2. Customer Responsibilities:

Customers are responsible for securing their data within the cloud, managing access controls, implementing encryption, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

Responsibility Transfer to the Cloud Provider:

With the cloud, certain responsibilities are transferred to the provider:

1. Security and Compliance:

Cloud providers invest in robust security measures and adhere to compliance standards, alleviating some security concerns for customers.

2. Hardware Maintenance:

The burden of hardware maintenance, updates, and upgrades shifts to the cloud provider, reducing the operational workload for customers.

Areas of Responsibility Retained by the Customer:

Despite the advantages of responsibility transfer, customers retain crucial responsibilities:

1. Data Security:

Ensuring the security of data within the cloud, including encryption, access controls, and compliance, remains the customer’s responsibility.

2. Application Security:

Customers are responsible for securing applications deployed in the cloud, addressing vulnerabilities, and implementing best practices for secure coding.

Leveraging Calligo for Informed Decision-Making:

Calligo, as a leading player in cloud services, plays a pivotal role in helping organizations assess on-premises vs. cloud costs:

1. Comprehensive Cost Analysis:

Calligo conducts a thorough analysis of on-premises and potential cloud costs, considering factors like data transfer, storage, and potential hidden expenses. This ensures organizations make informed financial decisions.

2. Expertise in Compliance and Security:

Calligo’s expertise in compliance and security positions them as a valuable partner. They assist in navigating shared responsibility, ensuring that customers meet compliance standards while benefiting from the security measures provided by the cloud.

3. Tailored Solutions:

Calligo recognizes that each organization is unique. By offering tailored solutions, they ensure that the migration strategy aligns with business objectives, optimizing costs while addressing specific needs and challenges.

4. Managed Services for Ongoing Optimization:

Beyond migration, Calligo provides managed services for ongoing optimization. This includes continuous monitoring, updates, and adjustments to ensure that cloud resources are utilized efficiently, maximizing cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Assessing on-premises vs. cloud costs is a multifaceted endeavor that goes beyond comparing price tags. It requires a deep understanding of the shared responsibility model, consideration of hidden costs, and strategic decision-making. With the expertise of Calligo, organizations can embark on their cloud journey confidently, navigating the complexities of cost analysis, compliance, and security to unlock the full potential of the cloud while optimizing financial investments. Embrace the future of IT infrastructure with a trusted partner by your side, ensuring that every step taken is a step toward efficiency, scalability, and success.

For more comprehensive insights into cloud strategy, visit https://www.calligo.io

View Our Cloud Case Studies

Mayhew

Read more

Eviivo

Read more

Impero

Read more

The Medical Specialist Group (MSG) UK

Read more

1 of

The post Navigating the Cloud Cost Landscape: Assessing On-Premises vs. Cloud Costs with Calligo appeared first on Calligo.

In the era of digital transformation, businesses are increasingly turning to innovative solutions to streamline operations, enhance flexibility, and gain a competitive edge. One of the most transformative technologies driving this change is Cloud as a Service (CaaS). In this blog post, we’ll delve into what CaaS means, explore its benefits, discuss key considerations for selecting a cloud vendor, and highlight how Calligo, a leading player in the cloud services domain, can guide organizations considering cloud migration.

Understanding Cloud as a Service (CaaS)

Cloud as a Service, often referred to as CaaS, represents a paradigm shift in how organizations approach their IT infrastructure. It is a comprehensive model that provides businesses with access to a wide range of cloud computing resources and services on a pay-as-you-go basis. CaaS encompasses various service models, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). This approach allows businesses to scale resources up or down based on demand, eliminating the need for large upfront investments in physical hardware and providing a more flexible and dynamic IT environment.

Benefits of Cloud as a Service

1. Scalability and Flexibility:

CaaS allows organizations to scale their computing resources based on fluctuating workloads. This scalability ensures that businesses can adapt to changing demands without the constraints of traditional on-premises infrastructure.

2. Cost Efficiency:

By adopting a pay-as-you-go model, businesses can optimize costs by only paying for the resources they use. This eliminates the need for significant upfront investments and allows for better budget management.

3. Accessibility and Collaboration:

Cloud services facilitate seamless collaboration among teams, regardless of geographical locations. This accessibility enhances communication, productivity, and the overall efficiency of an organization.

4. Innovation and Agility:

CaaS empowers organizations to innovate rapidly by providing quick access to cutting-edge technologies. This agility allows businesses to stay ahead of the competition and adapt to market changes more efficiently.

5. Data Security and Compliance:

Reputable CaaS providers prioritize robust security measures and compliance standards. This ensures that businesses can store and process data in the cloud while meeting industry-specific regulatory requirements.

Selecting the Right Cloud Vendor: What Businesses Should Look For

Choosing the right cloud vendor is a critical decision that can significantly impact the success of a cloud migration initiative. Here are key considerations for businesses when selecting a cloud vendor:

1. Security Measures:

Evaluate the security protocols and measures implemented by the cloud vendor to ensure the protection of sensitive data. Look for industry certifications and compliance standards.

2. Service Offerings:

Assess the range of services offered by the cloud vendor. Consider whether they provide a comprehensive suite of services, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, to meet diverse business needs.

3. Scalability and Performance:

Ensure that the cloud vendor can scale resources efficiently to accommodate changing workloads. Performance metrics and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) should be clear and aligned with business requirements.

4. Data Residency and Compliance:

For businesses with specific data residency requirements, confirm that the cloud vendor can adhere to these regulations. Verify their expertise in navigating compliance standards relevant to the industry.

5. Customer Support and Partnership Approach:

Consider the level of customer support provided by the cloud vendor. A collaborative and partnership-oriented approach is crucial for a successful and ongoing relationship.

How Calligo Can Help Organizations Considering Cloud Migration

Calligo, a renowned player in the cloud services landscape, stands out as a reliable partner for organizations embarking on the cloud migration journey. Here’s how Calligo can add value:

1. Tailored Cloud Solutions:

Calligo takes a consultative approach, working closely with organizations to understand their unique requirements. This ensures the implementation of tailored cloud solutions that align with specific business goals and challenges.

2. Comprehensive Compliance Expertise:

Calligo has deep expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes. This is particularly crucial for industries with stringent compliance requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and government. Calligo ensures that organizations can migrate to the cloud while meeting regulatory standards.

3. Hybrid Cloud Integration:

Recognizing that a hybrid cloud approach may be optimal for some organizations, Calligo specializes in seamlessly integrating on-premises infrastructure with cloud services. This flexibility allows businesses to harness the benefits of the cloud while maintaining control over critical aspects of their IT environment.

4. Data Residency Options:

Calligo provides a range of data residency options to accommodate diverse geographical and jurisdictional considerations. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with global operations that need to comply with varying data sovereignty requirements.

5. Continuous Innovation and Optimization:

The dynamic nature of cloud environments requires continuous innovation. Calligo is committed to staying at the forefront of cloud technology advancements, ensuring that organizations benefit from the latest features and optimizations to drive efficiency and innovation.

Conclusion

Cloud as a Service is a transformative force reshaping the way organizations manage their IT infrastructure. Choosing the right cloud vendor is a crucial step in unlocking the full potential of CaaS. With its commitment to tailored solutions, compliance expertise, hybrid cloud integration, data residency options, and continuous innovation, Calligo emerges as a strategic partner for organizations considering cloud migration.

Embrace the future of business operations with confidence, leveraging the power of Cloud as a Service and the expertise of Calligo to drive innovation, scalability, and success in the digital age.

For more on how Calligo can help drive your cloud strategy visit https://www.calligo.io

View Our Cloud Case Studies

Mayhew

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Eviivo

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Impero

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The Medical Specialist Group (MSG) UK

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1 of

The post Demystifying Cloud as a Service: Navigating Benefits and Choosing the Right Vendor appeared first on Calligo.

Introduction

Cloud computing has reshaped how organizations approach IT infrastructure and software delivery. Amidst various cloud service models, Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS) emerge as pivotal players. In this guide, we’ll unravel the distinctions, advantages, and drawbacks of each, accompanied by real-world case studies and recent survey insights. Additionally, we’ll introduce Calligo, a managed cloud solutions provider, enhancing the cloud landscape.

Understanding SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS

Let’s begin by defining SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS and exploring their core characteristics.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS delivers software applications over the internet, hosted and managed by third-party providers. This user-friendly model eliminates extensive installation and maintenance, offering accessibility, subscription-based pricing, vendor management, and multi-tenancy. Examples include Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Google Workspace.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing organizations to rent IT infrastructure components. Key features include virtualized infrastructure, self-service provisioning, pay-as-you-go billing, and network control. Examples encompass Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers a cloud service model providing a development and deployment platform for applications. Notable characteristics include tools for application development, simplified deployment, automatic scaling, and a collaborative environment. Examples consist of Heroku, Google App Engine, and Microsoft Azure App Service.

Comparing SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS

Now that we’ve established a clear understanding of these cloud service models, let’s compare them across various dimensions.

Deployment and Management

• SaaS: Fully managed by the service provider, ideal for businesses aiming to avoid IT overhead.
• IaaS: Users manage virtualized infrastructure components, providing more control but requiring hands-on management.
• PaaS: Abstracts infrastructure management, suitable for streamlining development and deployment processes.

Cost Structure

• SaaS: Subscription-based, offering predictable costs for budgeting.
• IaaS: Pay-as-you-go, providing flexibility but requiring effective resource management.
• PaaS: Varied pricing models, beneficial for optimizing development and deployment costs.

Customization

• SaaS: Limited customization, with configuration options within the application.
• IaaS: High degree of customization, suitable for businesses with specific requirements.
• PaaS: Balanced customization, offering flexibility with a pre-configured development environment.

Scalability

• SaaS: Provider-managed scalability, accommodating changing needs through subscription adjustments.
• IaaS: Granular scalability, allowing users to adjust resources based on requirements.
• PaaS: Automatic scaling capabilities, handling variable workloads and traffic spikes without manual intervention.

Use Cases

• SaaS: Ideal for applications requiring access from various locations and devices, including email, CRM, and office productivity tools.
• IaaS: Versatile and suitable for a wide range of use cases, from hosting websites and applications to data storage.
• PaaS: Tailored for software development and deployment, commonly used for building web and mobile applications.

Security

• SaaS: Providers secure infrastructure and data, users implement best practices for access and data security.
• IaaS: Shared responsibility, with users securing virtual machines and applications while providers secure underlying infrastructure.
• PaaS: Emphasizes application-level security, with providers managing much of the security infrastructure.

Development and Collaboration

• SaaS: Designed for end-users with collaboration features but may not be ideal for software development.
• IaaS: Offers flexibility for development and collaboration but lacks specific development tools and environments.
• PaaS: Tailored for software development, providing collaboration features for development teams.

Choosing the Right Cloud Service Model

Selecting the most suitable cloud service model—SaaS, IaaS, or PaaS—depends on your organization’s specific needs, goals, and resources. Consider factors such as workload requirements, IT expertise, budget, scalability, data security and compliance, development needs, and collaboration.

Conclusion: Making Informed Cloud Decisions

SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS offer versatile options, each with unique strengths and limitations. Your choice should align with your organization’s needs and resources. The support of a managed cloud solutions provider like Calligo can enhance your cloud experience, ensuring a secure and tailored environment. As cloud computing evolves, staying informed and leveraging the right cloud services will be essential for driving innovation and efficiency in operations. Armed with knowledge and tools, you’re well-equipped to make informed cloud decisions benefiting your organization now and in the future.

For more on how Calligo can help drive your cloud strategy visit https://www.calligo.io

View Our Cloud Case Studies

Mayhew

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Eviivo

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Impero

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The Medical Specialist Group (MSG) UK

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1 of

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The message I want businesses to hear is that cloud and data are not separate. IT only exists to service the needs of a business’ data. Securing cloud services – and therefore your data – is a business-critical issue.

Read on to understand:

1. The limitations of AV
2. The dangers of remote networks
3. The cost of getting security wrong

1. Blind faith in AV

Businesses are too often putting their faith in antivirus (AV) software. This is unintentional blind faith, in my opinion. The problem with AV software alone is that it does not go far enough to protect businesses data assets; it only detects known threats and is not reliable against new variants. We speak to a lot of businesses that assume their security box is ticked, thanks to AV software alone.

But what about zero-day attacks that make up most data breaches these days? A zero-day vulnerability is a computer security vulnerability unknown by anti-virus software creators; they’ve had ‘0’ days to work on a security patch or an update to fix the issue. Zero-day attacks leverage innovative multi-layered approaches – like BitLocker encryption – that haven’t been seen before; anomalies that business software can’t easily detect and protect against without human intervention.

The need to have human and AI based security operations centers (SOC) is increasing, but the cost to implement internally is high and the skills are in short supply. This can cause complications when trying to get pay-outs from cyber security insurers – because businesses haven’t invested in a higher level of threat protection.

Against this backdrop, AV is like wearing chain mail with a gaping hole in the front.

2. Leaving doors open in our remote working world

Unsurprisingly, zero-day vulnerability is greater in our remote working world. Weaker control systems, attacks on remote working infrastructure, sensitive data accessed through unsecured Wi-Fi networks, expanded attack surfaces, the use of personal devices…The list goes on. SaaS in one corner, Office 365 and Dynamic CRM in the other. Servers, software and data – here, there and everywhere. Not to mention outdated legacy operating systems.

Businesses have previously relied on remote access virtual private networks (VPN) for users – but this creates a tunnel between devices and company networks that’s hard to secure adequately. It also means a laptop or personal device can easily become a conduit. A virus or malware can scan for open communication channels – and find its way easily into a corporate environment. If your business IT environment has modern applications, your security must also be modernised. And fast.

This is where Zero Trust Network Access can come into play to secure access to internal applications for remote users. ZTNA gives remote users connectivity to private apps without placing them on external network tunnels or exposing the apps directly to the internet.

It’s about changing the architecture to be as secure as possible for the modern way we work.

3. The financial – and reputational – costs

Under British data protection laws, for example, a company could also face a fine of up to 4% of its global turnover if it is found to have failed to have met its data protection duties by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). This is not new news. But despite the serious risk this poses to a business, many organisations still have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude.

Zero-day attacks – or any type of data breach – can be hugely costly for a company. We know, because we we’ve had big business customers who’ve been in this predicament (not on our watch, I hasten to add!). Add into the mix GDPR – and uninformed reliance on AV and cyber insurance and a lack of control over remote networks has landed many in trouble with the regulators. Hefty fines – and reputational damage.

Businesses that value their data need to value security, first and foremost. And that starts in the cloud.

The post Security SOS: It’s dangerous to view cloud and data separately appeared first on Calligo.

Journeys like this need guidebooks, written by people who have travelled the route hundreds of times before, just as Calligo has.

Calligo has created two guidebooks – one for each half of the journey – and a map, that together will help you identify the obstacles to overcome and the common wrong turns.

1st Half: Exploring the business case, planning your trip and setting off on the expedition
 

What does the first half of the cloud migration journey entail? 

Defining your strategy
 

        Measurable Business Objectives

A successful cloud migration needs to have clear and defined business objectives planned from the very start. There are three different types of objectives to consider: technical, strategic and end-user. All three need to be considered equally, ensuring you have balanced project outcomes that will benefit every corner of the business.

        Public, Private or Hybrid Cloud?

Deciding which approach will be most beneficial to your business early on is crucial. Much of the success of the project depends on the suitability of the model you choose, so this is undoubtedly the area that requires the most careful consideration – and the hardest to reverse out of if you get it wrong.

        Application Analysis

For any cloud migration, conduct a thorough assessment of all applications, tools and processes to determine their suitability for the cloud. It’s also important to be flexible when analysing your current applications; not everything will be suitable for the cloud, and some legacy applications can be replaced with newer cloud-based tools.

Vendor Selection
Once you have decided on your strategy, you now have to make the most important decision – the most suitable vendor to help you deliver on them. There are two areas to consider here: the technology and the service.

        Technical preferences

These include questions like the vendors’ data centre locations and whether they meet your practical and data residency needs, or whether they have the security and governance frameworks in place to satisfy your own policies, plus a roadmap of development that will keep up with your needs.

       Service preferences

What type of service are you looking for in a vendor? Do you need the support of a dedicated account manager or team, or is a personal service not necessary? What metrics are you looking for? Are the contracts and SLA assurances sufficient for your business and customers? And what additional useful services are in the portfolio that could help you not just store your data, but also help your teams extract insights from it, maintain its compliance or optimise the delivery of your data?

Compliance frameworks

What compliance frameworks can your potential vendor prove adherence to, and which are important to you? For example, ISO 27001, ISO 9001 and SOC 2 are all reasonably typical, but what is their stance on ISO 27018, the first international code of practice for the protection of persona data?

And how can they support your data residency and sovereignty needs? Are you nervous about the CLOUD Act or FISAs and will this vendor be vulnerable to such government data access requests?

2nd Half: How to perform the migration itself

Here are just some of the key aspects of any migration project.

        The 6Rs of Cloud Migration

The six potential courses of action for each application when migrating to the cloud, including Rehosting, Rearchitecting or Retiring. You can find out more about the 6Rs of cloud migration, here.

        Interoperability and Portability

Interoperability is vital to ensure as it enables cloud services to understand each other’s APIs and data formats in order to co-operate. It’s often frustrating due to a lack of standards, but it is regardless the key to much of the ROI of a cloud migration.

        Portability

The ability to move your cloud environment from one cloud provider to another, often in response to price increases or outgrowing the current vendor. Fail to ensure this, and you will create your legacy of tomorrow.

        Supplier management

A cloud migration inevitably involves the input of numerous suppliers. The main cloud platform provider is, of course, the key one, but you may also have new and pre-existing software vendors, MSPs and connectivity providers to consider – all of whom may have their own demands on the timeline.

        Hidden costs

Just because the shift to the cloud removes the burdensome CAPEX investments, it does not mean the OPEX spend requires any less scrutiny. The benefit of OPEX models is that businesses only pay for what they use. What many forget is that the other side of this coin is that without constant oversight, there is a real danger of paying for surplus resources.

Interested in migrating to the cloud?

Our team of experts will guide you through the most appropriate deployment of cloud technology for your business. We’ll design a bespoke cloud strategy for your organization, ensuring your security and accessibility needs are met plus any data privacy obligations. The team will also select the most suitable platform and ensure a quick and smooth loud migration.

The post The Two Halves of Cloud Migration appeared first on Calligo.

The 6Rs of Cloud Migration

As part of the strategy, it’s essential to review all applications and identify which migration option best suits each one. This is known as the Six Rs (6Rs) of cloud migration – the six potential courses of action for each application.

1 Rehost

This is the classic “lift and shift” approach of redeploying an application within the cloud. It is how many applications are approached as it often delivers ROI faster, but it only works if the application is suitable for cloud hosting in the first place.

2 Refactor aka Rearchitect

This is where the application is reimagined to add features, improve availability or performance or make it more scalable – all of which might be largely impossible on-premise.

This is often more time-consuming and expensive, but if the business objectives require it, it can also be the most beneficial.

 
3 Revise aka Re-platform

This is a middle ground between Rehost and Refactor. The application is moved to the cloud, then altered and modernized so it meets commercial objectives better, leaving the core nature of the application unchanged.

4 Replace aka Repurchase

This is where your in-house applications are replaced with SaaS tools with similar – often greater – functionality.

This option creates the least technical demands but does limit your ability to customize, and ongoing use and deep reliance will create vendor lock-in.

The 6Rs are based on Gartner’s original 5Rs of Cloud Migration, published in 2011, which also included “Rebuild”.

This is when the original application is dropped and a new application is developed from scratch on the new cloud environment. This gives businesses total freedom to build exactly what they need. However, the cost to maintain and hire the right skill set is often too high for most businesses.

Due to its rarity as a practical option, AWS therefore later rejected this option and replaced it with the two below – Retire and Retain.

5 Retire

Often, during the planning process, it becomes clear that there are applications that are no longer useful and can be retired. .This creates huge savings in both cost and resource to add to the migration business case.

6 Retain
The final option is to keep the application where it is. You may feel that some applications are best delivered from on-premise and do not need to be, or even cannot be, replaced for alternative versions.
 
Interested in migrating to the cloud?

Our team of experts will guide you through the most appropriate deployment of cloud technology for your business. We’ll design a bespoke cloud strategy for your organization, ensuring your security and accessibility needs are met plus any data privacy obligations. The team will also select the most suitable platform and ensure a quick and smooth loud migration.

The post The 6Rs of Cloud Migration Explained appeared first on Calligo.

Planning for a business’s future can be an exciting time for business owners and office managers alike—what could be more inspiring than the possibility of growth, widespread positive impact, and success?

Unfortunately, there’s a darker side to planning for the future, too. While imagining and planning for the perfect scenarios above is important, the reality is that disaster can and does happen. Without preparing for both the good times and the bad times, a business and its offices can’t succeed.

That’s where business continuity planning comes in.

What Is Business Continuity Planning?

When unexpected disaster strikes, business owners and managers must have a safety plan in place to ensure that their business operations can continue after major events like natural disasters, cyberattacks, or other accidental damages to a company, its physical location, and its infrastructure.

Business continuity planning is the development and practice of a plan which businesses can implement in the event of a serious setback caused by one of the disasters above. These plans include aspects of both prevention and recovery, with the primary goal being to maintain business operations while protecting personnel, data, and assets.

Why Do You Need a Business Continuity Plan?

One could say that the benefits of having a BCP are endless, but they’re more than just benefits—they’re proof that a BCP plan is absolutely necessary.

So, what is this proof of a BCP’s importance?

Organisations with business continuity plans:

Inspire reliability, trust, and confidence in their clients

Build a good reputation (and preserve it during dire circumstances)

Instil the idea of resilience and strength throughout the company’s operations

Are up to the industry standard

Can thrive in any situation

Nobody ever wants their business continuity plan to have to be activated, because it means something disastrous has happened. But they’re a necessity in modern business and having confidence in your continuity planning is achievable.

What is the difference between data backups and a business continuity plan?

Simply having your data backed up and secure is a good start – but it is only a start. Planning for a catastrophic systems failure or a cyber attack, means knowing that:

You can restore data safely and rapidly

Your team will be able to get back using both software and hardware with confidence, soon after a systems failure

Customer service will be maintained

You won’t lose time, money or customer confidence
Take the following as an example. In January 2017, Cockrell Hill Police Department (Texas, US) came under ransomware attack. A single infected server led to the loss of eight years of evidence including video recordings. So far, so bad.

Then, their back-up procedure activated very soon after the ransomware attack replacing their backed up files with a backup of files that had been encrypted by the ransomware and were therefore inaccessible.

Their previously uncorrupted data backup was wiped out by the very system they’d been relying on to preserve it.

Cockrell Hill had a business back up, but they needed a business continuity plan.

Creating an effective business continuity plan

In designing a business continuity plan, it’s important to ask the following questions:

Are the backed-up files easily accessible?

Is the backup device safe, secure and accessible?

Can our operating systems be reinstalled from the backups or just the filesystem?

How long will reinstallation of our operating systems take?

How long will critical file restoration take?

And how long for complete data restoration?

How much time will pass before the business is able to be running at full capacity again?

And how much time must we allow to catch up on anything we had to postpone during the catastrophe?

A Quick Guide to Business Continuity Planning

1. Pick your BCP team.

Get organised from the beginning and start the process of business continuity planning by choosing which members of the company will work together to develop and maintain a plan. Delegate responsibly, and diversify the team in order to gather insight from multiple business branches.

However, ensure that the primary person responsible for organising and maintaining the BCP is someone high on the pyramid. In other words, a senior official like a business owner or an office manager should take point on leading the planning efforts.

Once a team has been established, take action to ensure that all company employees and contributors are aware of the team members and their responsibilities. This creates accountability while keeping the entire office in the loop.

2. Perform a business impact analysis (BIA).

Before mobilising your BCP team to begin outlining a plan, take some time to begin by performing a business impact analysis. A BIA includes gathering data about the worst-case scenario. In other words, a BIA will yield detailed information about possible company losses (both monetary and intangible) and the negative effects caused by major disruptions.

The BCP team can use the company’s mission statement and information about the company’s legal obligations to rank the minimal, critical services required of the business and then determine which of these services would be unable to function after a variety of emergency scenarios.

3. Outline plans for critical operations.

With the results of the BIA in mind, the team’s next task is to outline practical, actionable procedures to follow in the event of an emergency so that business functionality is maintained.

This process will include assessment of any current procedures in place, then filling in necessary gaps using information from the BIA. This might include readiness procedures to prepare for natural disasters or the process of archiving and backing up databases to recover from a cyberattack.

4. Train and educate staff.

Once a BCP has been developed and reviewed by the planning team, make the rest of the organisation aware by hosting training sessions, designing exercises to make the plan tangible to employees, and reviewing the procedure in detail. Ensure that all employees understand why a BCP is necessary as well as how to implement this BCP in an emergency.

Importantly, help each employee to understand the individual role they can play in the implementation of the BCP. Let them know what’s at stake and how their participation will propel the business forward in a time of crisis.

5. Review and update your plan.

A business may have one of the most thorough and effective BCPs out there, but this means little if the plan is not reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Include as a part of the plan regular checkpoints throughout the year during which members of the BCP team evaluate the plan and implement company-wide initiatives such as practice drills.

This step has become particularly important in recent years as technology evolves and malicious cyberattacks have risen in number.

Remember, threats are changing all the time, and the BCP must be updated and familiar to the entirety of the business in order to be effective.

Effective business continuity planning saves time, money and reputation

Rebuilding your system requires so much more than simply restoring data – there’s the time required to review what went wrong and make sure you’re not leaving yourself open to risk again. You have to account for the time and energy required to inform your team and your customers and rebuild their confidence after an event like this, whether it’s fire, flood our outside attack.

All in all, having a robust plan will save you not just time and money, but reputation too. In fact, it could save your entire business, because according to a study by accounting firm Touche Ross 90% of businesses without a disaster recovery plan will fail following a disaster. Considering 30% of businesses don’t have a plan in place, this figure is startling.

The post Create a business continuity plan that works in 2020 appeared first on Calligo.

Topics range from the virtues and drawbacks of private, public or hybrid, to the complexity of migration, or cloud’s suitability for certain industries, businesses or use cases. Not to mention the excitement over more futuristic topics such as the quantum computing race.

With so many opinions on what businesses should be doing and using, or how, why and when, whose views should we be listening to and why?

After some extensive research, and asking some of our own experts’ whose commentary they trusted, we have built this list of Calligo’s top influencers and thought leaders in cloud and why we believe everyone should be aware of them.

Take a look at the list, and each of the influencer’s content, and follow them for what we consider to be some of the best updates and insights in the industry.

1. Ian Moyse Ian Moyse is the creator and author of the blog Cloud Matters and discusses all things cloud-related, from the strategy, to the use cases such as IoT and even the surrounding issues such as GDPR.. He is also a Governance Board Member at the Cloud Industry Forum, and is a non-exec with the Cranford Group, a cloud and devops recruitment agency.

2. David Linthicum David is the Chief Cloud Strategy Officer, Deloitte Consulting LLP and through his work on building innovative technologies and delivering strategies, he has published more than 13 books and 5,000 articles. He is considered a visionary in cloud computing within the industry, currently hosts the GigaOm Voices in Cloud podcast (where he recently interviewed Ian Moyse above!) and has been named the number one cloud influencer by Apollo Research.

3. Scott Guthrie Scott is the Executive Vice President of the Microsoft Cloud and AI Group, responsible for the Microsoft Azure team, looking after Microsoft’s cloud, server, database, business apps, security, management and development tools businesses. As well as blogging for the Official Microsoft Blog, he also regularly shares updates to his followers on cloud, Microsoft Azure and other innovative technologies.

4. Lydia Leong As VP Distinguished Analyst at Gartner, Lydia was one of the first analysts to focus on cloud technology and is always at the frontline covering the latest developments. She’s the creator and author of CloudPundit, a well-regarded blog which comments on internet infrastructure, cloud computing and data centres. Lydia covers topics from cloud managed service providers, content delivery networks, hosting. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and has a keen interest in Platform as a Service (PaaS).

5. Duncan Epping Duncan is the creator and author of Yellow Bricks, a blog about virtualization and building a flexible, secure cloud. Also the Chief Technologist at the Office of CTO of the Storage & Availability Business Unit at VMware.

6. Thomas Maurer A Senior Cloud Advocate for Microsoft, Thomas works within the Azure engineering team to collect feedback and share knowledge on Microsoft Azure, Azure Stack and other technologies, enabling him to find ways the that the platform can be improved. Thomas has won numerous industry awards and also speaks on behalf of Microsoft on the benefits, uses and technicalities of Azure. His blog also covers many of these topics, plus additional industry-wide commentary and insights: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/.

7. Lauren Nelson Lauren is a Principal Analyst at Forrester Research and is the lead for IaaS cloud solutions, including internal private, hosted private and public IaaS. Her latest research can be found here. She also shares her expertise and opinions on cloud strategy, cloud adoption trends and the environmental implications of cloud computing, along with insights from advising hundreds of enterprises on their cloud adoption strategies.

8. Alex Hilton With over 25 years’ of experience within IT and cloud, Alex is truly an advocate for cloud computing, believing any company of any size can benefit from the technology, enabling them to become more collaborative and innovative. He is the Chief Executive Officer for the Cloud Industry Forum and regularly shares carefully-selected informative articles that champion cloud, with topics as diverse as cost efficiency, ethical data use, cloud skills, data privacy, industry use cases and security.

9. George Anadiotis With a wealth of knowledge on cloud computing infrastructure as well as its use, such as big data, analytics, privacy and software engineering, George has a well-rounded view on cloud. He is a freelance journalist, featuring regularly as a contributor to ZDNet on big data and as a GigaOm network member.

The post 9 cloud influencers you need to watch and why appeared first on Calligo.