Benefits of Migrating Your On-Premise Application to the Cloud

We have been able to move on-prem stored applications into the Cloud for many of our customers. If you're wondering what I'm referring to when I say 'application,' some examples of this are Quickbooks, Thomson Reuters and Sage, just to name a few. The process of moving them into the Cloud takes little time and we can customize the setup based on your needs of access. Most of the applications will reside in an Azure Virtual Machine (VM), which will be the main source. We simply download and install the software on the VM and then export the existing data from your on-prem server and upload it to the VM in the Cloud. Voila! 

If this is an application that you would like multiple people, or an entire staff, to access daily, then we can set up Azure Virtual Desktops (AVD) and really lock down environments so they see only what you want them to see. AVD's can really bolster your security by storing and managing your data in a secure environment while only exposing the minimum amount of resources to the end user. The user simply logs in to the AVD when they get to their office which accesses the applications on the VM, and that allows them to do everything that they need to on the AVD. No need for storing anything locally on personal machines. Moreover, the end user can access the AVD from any machine at any time without having to use VPN.

There are so many advantages in going the route of storing and accessing applications in and from the Cloud. Here are a few:

1. Minimized hardware costs - No more expensive servers or PC's to purchase. Application and its data is stored in the Cloud and all the CPU power comes from the VM, not the hardware. If a server dies, normally that could cost thousands to replace, but not if you have this solution in place.
2. No more server maintenance - Again, this can cost money, especially if you have IT staff or an MSP managing it for you. This can include running updates, setting up servers, installing applications and connecting the users.
3. Risk of data loss declines drastically - With on-prem servers storing this kind of data, the risk of that server dying out is high. Even having a backup of that server on another on-prem server does not resolve the issue or risk, as that server can go out at any time as well. The Cloud data will always be there without the high risk of hardware failure.
4. User can access from anywhere - With on-prem servers, typically user have to be on the same network to be able to access the application. When it's in the Cloud on a virtual machine, the user can access that wherever they are. With remote working becoming insanely popular within the last two year, this is a key advantage.
5. Functionality and adjustments to "servers" - With on-prem servers, it's a hassle to boost the CPU or RAM when they are not moving as fast as you'd like as that likely means a new, faster server. When you have your data and application in the Cloud, boosting vCPU and RAM is simply a click of a button and much cheaper.