Yes, we all know cloud is the way of the future but not everyone knows how to get there. Many companies find themselves at a crossroads, unsure of how to make the journey to the cloud. While full cloud services may be the final destination, the path that each company chooses to get there is radically different. Consider Jabu – he set off on the cloud journey on his own.

 

The legacy

Jabu graduated from university with a BCom IT Management degree and recently joined a small insurance company called Lion Insurance. The company had been operating since 2002 and had always maintained an on-premise database. Jabu suggested moving some of the ERP systems to the cloud. The MD, Ted, was reluctant. Many of his staff members had been working at the company since it started and they were comfortable relying on the servers. His IT department knew how to handle most server glitches, and Ted trusted that the servers kept his data safe.

 

On top of that, after Ted crunched the numbers, he found that the potential cost of subscription to SaaS and the associated bandwidth costs would exceed the costs of continuing to the legacy systems. He decided that, based on the size of his company, infrastructure and current needs, Lion Insurance was better off sticking with on-premise severs.

 

Taking flight

Having seen one idea after another shot down, Jabu decided to strike out on his own and start his own company. He had big plans – so big he named the company Galaxy.

 

Jabu wanted Galaxy to be as flexible as efficient as possible, but his capital was limited. He questioned what would be more cost-effective over the long run - the initial cost and overheads of setting up an on-premise server and having to update it every couple of years, or the costs of cloud services?

 

Having plotted graphs, Jabu decided that a hybrid approach balanced the needs of his ambitious new venture with cost effectiveness. He did not need to place all of his communication and data assets on the cloud just yet. It would be a while before his fledgling company could afford full cloud services, nor did he need for all of his applications to be cloud-based as of yet. He chose instead to go for a subscription-based service in which he would only pay for the services his business required.

 

Growing tall

Galaxy took off fast – growing incredibly quickly and gaining new clients by the week. Jabu noticed a worrying trend – with so many new customers, his team’s capacity to respond with agility to the increased customer needs was slipping. While Jabu had moved more applications and services to the cloud since he first opened his doors, he believed it was time to investigate full cloud computing solutions.

 

He knew full cloud integration would offer untapped speed and functionality, exactly the kind he needed to streamline his operations and keep his customers happy. So Jabu made the switch – implementation was fast and all of his applications became accessible to the entire team across a single platform. His team was enabled to automate processes, operate remotely and quickly see ROI.

 

Destination cloud

Jabu’s journey took him to a great place – Galaxy seamlessly expanded overseas thanks to his careful choice of paths regarding cloud. The destination may have been clear but the road itself wasn’t. Jabu had to map out his journey meticulously by considering his company’s current infrastructure, future growth path and current technological needs. For others like Jabu, who wish to see their companies reach for the stars, the time has come to plot their own map to success.

 

Part one of the four part Lord of the Cloud Series, for part two click here.