Fuse is a Microsoft Partner, based in Northampton. We help organisations of all sizes to maximise IT efficiencies through the use of Microsoft cloud computing solutions.
Staff - The Biggest Internal Challenge to Businesses Migrating to the Cloud
If you're running an established business heavily reliant on IT that's over a decade old, you're probably looking at the pros and cons of moving your systems onto the cloud right now.
Renting hardware, utilities, and digital storage space from a third-party specialist can be a great way to modernise your tech. Cloud-enabled software can save money, hassle, and time by centralising everything for you. Cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure are highly adaptable, integrating into standalone programs seamlessly to provide remote storage, operational alerts and dashboard metrics to users on a need-to-know basis.
However, there is often one big obstacle to getting older IT infrastructure up-to-date and on to the cloud - your employees.
Why can Employees be Such a Serious Barrier to Cloud Upgrades?
Love them or tolerate them; any IT-empowered workforce used to using 'offline', static programs to work can create issues when you're trying to get them used to the cloud. These headaches are particularly pronounced if you're running an SME - a small to medium business employing 250 people or less.
Why, though? Here are three of the most important core reasons.
Migration Downtime
If you're still using locally installed tech to handle requests from a lot of computers accessing data, you're probably still relying on a data centre, and local (LAN and WLAN) network switches, rather than remote servers and a fibre broadband connection.
While porting your files, operating systems, and applications to a new cloud storage system doesn't usually cause major problems, you'll need to take some systems offline while getting the new technology in place. This implementation period, if not properly managed, can mean confusion, lost productivity, and employee frustration if you're running an active business.
Cloud Training and Education
If your employees haven't used cloud platforms before, you'll need to invest time and money familiarising them with new software and online platforms. A complete IT skills overhaul can cost time, money, and morale. A cloud upgrade can also include security and data protection training. Your staff need to understand the risks of shared logins, phishing, file permissions, and the legal criteria around metadata and confidential record use.
Sunk Costs
Your IT infrastructure and staff training represent years of investment. Ideally, you'll want to keep benefiting from your existing employee skills with data, hardware, and software packages for as long as possible. Putting together a 'transition' IT plan that makes use of your existing strengths alongside new tech can help you to make the most of your familiar legacy hardware and software.
Cloud Computing Support from Fuse Collaboration
Need dedicated, professional support for getting your team onto the cloud? Great remote IT help and managed cloud services from Fuse Collaboration can make the process smoother, easier and faster for you. We specialise in updating and optimising IT services to modern standards, enabling remote access, data sharing, and pooled, collaborative digital working spaces maintained across vast distances. Get in touch today to find out.
Image source: Pixabay
