At our Azure Migration Webinar, we provided an introduction to the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure. We will look at what your organisation needs to consider before, during and after migrating to the Azure cloud including Ownership, Cost Controls, Governance, and Security
For many companies, swift transitions into the cloud in recent years have resulted in inefficient expenditure, increased security risks and less controlled working environments. Many companies have lost oversight of exactly what they are deploying within the cloud. In some cases, an unmanaged transition has also made collaboration more difficult.
These issues can all be avoided by using a structured approach when migrating to the cloud. A planned, managed approach will allow your organisation to manage costs, to decide on which workloads and processes should be moved to the cloud, and to significantly increase data security. Auxilion provides expert support for Azure Migration based on Microsoft’s framework.
Regaining Control
IT departments need full control of their cloud environments to reduce unnecessary expenditure, improve security, and create environments that facilitate effective collaboration. Companies need to be able to monitor, predict and control how their cloud processes function. They also need to ensure that they have a comprehensive overview of what they are deploying within their cloud environment and that these environments are fully secure.
For organisations that have yet to transition to the cloud, Microsoft Azure provides an ideal environment for the transition. For those already in the cloud facing any of the issues discussed above, Azure will allow you to regain full control of your IT environment.
Effective Collaboration
Companies now tend to work with many developers, often both in-house and third party. They may be based in a wide variety of locations. This means that Agile and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) must be organised to function together effectively.
It is part of an IT department’s responsibility to ensure that technologies and methodologies are deployed carefully, through clear processes. Safety and security must always be fundamental priorities. In the last few years, however, many IT professionals began asking whether they were preventing developers from innovating, creating new methods and efficiencies, and increasing profitability.
IT departments are sometimes reluctant to let companies alter their systems because of the possibility of failure or security risk. Developers are increasingly migrating things into the cloud without the traditional controls from IT departments. Partially in response to this trend, many IT departments are migrating to Azure.
Controlling new IT environments presents significant challenges, including imposing traditional systems and protocols onto new, agile ways of working. Functions must be automated and controlled to allow developers and IT departments to collaborate effectively. It’s also essential to maintain impeccable data security standards during and after these transitions.
Data export controls and comprehensive security remain key priorities in new working environments. Companies employing third party developers around the world need to ensure that security requirements and data protection standards are consistently met while still allowing for innovation and new solutions. IT departments need to make space for developers to create and innovate without increasing security risks or expenditures beyond acceptable levels. Azure provides an excellent solution to this dilemma.
Tradition Meets Innovation
Azure allows IT departments and developers to collaborate effectively within the same environment. It helps the traditional IT team speak the language that developers use and gives them insight into the kind of problems they face. At the same time, it allows developers a clear view of the security and compliance requirements and the budgetary constraints faced by IT departments.
IT departments are the traditional gatekeepers of technology. Azure allows IT teams and developers to work together using the same tools and methodologies. It also allows them to streamline systems and functions. IT teams can identify areas where technologies or functions are no longer necessary and where consolidations can be made. They can identify areas that are increasing costs unnecessarily. An Azure environment also allows for improved resource organisation and clearer ownership of specific functions and processes.
Monitoring, Reporting & Expenditure
Azure allows IT departments to monitor and report on an IT environment from a traditional IT perspective using modern tools. Often, departments will buy Data Centre as a CAPEX expense, paying for it up front and writing it off over several years. Azure allows companies to move to an OPEX model, where operational expenditure can be monitored and adjusted monthly depending on usage. This allows companies to maintain a consistent overview of expenditure and to predict and adjust it ahead of time. Azure enables IT departments to create reports using native toolsets while sharing information among teams and automating the creation of spreadsheets and other forms of data.
Azure also allows for a comprehensive overview of everything that is operating within an organisation’s IT environment. Departments can assess which technologies and processes remain necessary. If machines aren’t operating, are they still needed? If they are operating, can they be switched off or consolidated into other functions? Many companies have substantial resources within their systems that are not being used for anything or are being severely underused. They may also have multiple technologies fulfilling the same purpose. Azure allows for a comprehensive assessment of an IT environment, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
Managing a Successful Transition
In some cases, companies will decide to move into the cloud thinking that it’s a straightforward process that they can manage themselves. Or their developers may move into the cloud independently and the IT department will have to adapt, working to get control over a new environment in terms of security and expenditure. It can also quickly become difficult to follow exactly what is being deployed within the cloud and whether it is being deployed efficiently without a comprehensive overview. A planned, managed migration helps to get a handle on the process and allows all departments to work together effectively.
Auxilion Azure Migration Support
Auxilion provides a Migration Service for clients preparing to move into Azure. We can provide an Enterprise Scale Landing Zone or can carry out an assessment of a pre-existing Landing Zone. Microsoft provide a comprehensive framework for cloud adoption through Azure. They detail the specific steps necessary to complete a secure and successful migration.
Companies first need to develop a strategy and train staff. They must also deploy an Enterprise Scale Landing Zone. Auxilion provides the delivery service, which is modular and creates and migrates resources into a customer’s Azure environment. Auxilion then manages the environment, using modern toolsets and processes. Clients receive subscription organisation, clear and comprehensive policies, security, role-based access control, and clear minimum standards as provided by Microsoft. They also receive a user-friendly, collaborative working environment and increased control over expenditure.
Microsoft advise that organisations need this kind of comprehensive and agile system in order to migrate successfully to Azure. Auxilion can deploy such a system for you. We’ve provided this service for many clients, across many verticals. We have our system prepared and can adapt it to the needs of each customer.
The reason we provide this service is to help clients solve the problems discussed above. Many companies have rushed headlong into the cloud without adequate preparation. This has created problems around security, expenditure, collaboration and system overview. Auxilion’s support guarantees a more secure, controlled and standardised system which is easy to adopt for traditional IT departments and developers alike. Azure functions like a traditional data centre within the cloud, with increased agility, security, and efficiency. The IT department can easily monitor and manage it. Developers can create and innovate in a secure way without exposing their organisation to security or compliance risks.
Cloud-Readiness Assessment
Auxilion will provide a comprehensive assessment of your organisation’s cloud readiness. Whether you’re considering migrating to the cloud or you already have an environment, we’ll tell you exactly what you need to establish a secure, cost-effective and efficient system. Some organisations face unpredictable bills each month as a result of their cloud infrastructure and usage. Others are unsure of exactly what they have deployed within their cloud environment or are concerned about security vulnerabilities. Auxilion will carry out an assessment and make the changes required to alleviate problems around security, collaboration, finances, and governance and compliance.
Our Azure migration support is based entirely on Microsoft standards and procedures. We can support clients who are already in Azure or who want to begin their migration. Our assessment and support can help to improve your organisation’s security, functionality and expenditure within a pre-existing Azure environment or can help you to establish a new one. Auxilion will put the Landing Zone in place and support your migration. Auxilion can also provide recommendations to reduce expenditure. There are many options we can explore to reduce costs without compromising on security or functionality.
