On-Prem vs. Cloud: Why There's No 'Right' Answer

Leaving communications systems on-premises or moving them to the cloud is perhaps the most difficult IT-related question organizations face today. In some cases, staying on-premises may save time and money related to a large migration project undertaking. In other cases the cloud might provide new features, efficiencies, reliability and long-term cost savings. 

So what is the 'right' answer? The fact is, no matter what any vendor or service provider tells you, making the 'right' decision always comes down to making a sensible choice for your specific business needs. With that in mind, here are some of the most important considerations that should go into your decision: 

What Will It Really Cost?

Depending on your organizational readiness, buy-in and the adoption model you choose, moving to the cloud could be a big money saver—or could actually increase your costs substantially. It is important, for example, to understand the pricing structure for a cloud communications platform before you make a change. You also need to understand the costs associated (if they exist) with adding new features over time. You may look at these factors and decide the cloud is a no-brainer, but it's important to do your homework ahead of time. In many cases, enlisting the help of a trusted IT services provider can help you do the necessary calculations. 

How Ready Are The Employees?

A lot of the time when cloud migrations don't go as planned it's because there is no clear adoption strategy in place. Migrating to a cloud solution may be the right decision from IT operations and cost standpoint, but if the employees don't know how to use the new technology, none of that matters. One of the ways organizations avoid this issue is to team with a technology partner that can help with adoption and support, rather than leaving you to fend for yourself once the technology is deployed. (Learn more)  

What Are The Soft Benefits?

It's easy to get caught up looking at fancy features, hardware costs and lower maintenance fees as the primary drivers for a cloud migration. Undoubtedly, in some cases, maybe these benefits are enough. But in some cases, they may not be. So it's important to consider some of the less obvious, softer benefits of the cloud to decide whether a move is really worth it. For instance, increased scalability and more time for internal IT to focus on innovation are potential advantages of moving off-premises. Regardless of the decision you make, it's critical to take all the factors into account before you do. And of course, to make the decision that fits your organization's needs!

Thinking about moving to the cloud, but not sure if it's the right decision for you? We're here to help! Reach out today and let us help you get maximum value out of your technology solutions.

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