Given that Microsoft’s public Cloud service Office365 is based on known and trusted technologies, migration promises a host of benefits. However, planning is still essential say system development specialists.
Dawid van Heerden, CEO of Ukuvuma Solutions, reminds the market that the only constant in project management is 9,8 seconds “when the ball is being dropped”.
Migration to the Cloud is an investment into a more collaborative environment and a more expedient way of acquiring and using IT. It strengthens the server environment and empowers the user with the ability to control issues such as licensing and security with more ease.
“The Office365 brand offers more control in the hands of the user and equips businesses with the agility required to handle today’s network and communication demands,” says van Heerden. “However, while these benefits are generally understood by the market, there are still a number of misperceptions about Cloud Computing, service and adoption.”
Among the most common perceptions are that the Cloud productivity suite is only available online, email and website domain names have to be changed, it represents a dramatic change for users, it requires expensive and often volatile bandwidth to run.
“Additionally, some of the more immediate misperceptions associated with the Cloud is that it is an extra expense, it is similar to hosting exchange and that third party integration is not possible. The truth is that proper planning makes migration a lot easier to handle and the benefits quicker to realise,” van Heerden adds.
According to Ukuvuma Solutions planning should involve the entire project team, architecture, a full deployment scope, Active Directory integration & provisioning, a comprehensive migration strategy and hardware requirements.
Planning strategies are rounded off with change management & communication, desktop readiness, content analysis for SharePoint migration, as well as complete training (involving admin, helpdesk and users).
Prior to execution of the plan requires an environment clean-up, network and firewall preparation, desktop readiness, consideration of policies, standards procedures and guidelines, as well as data compliance and user life cycle process.
“Preparation is an intensive but highly necessary stage of the migration. Once this has been taken care of, we can then proceed with the next phase or execution. After migration, group functions and resources, updating documentation and communication, as well as reporting and decommission,” van Heerden continues.
Ukuvuma Solutions emphasises the importance of post-migration ‘after care’ and mention aspects such as onsite support, floor walking and helpdesk functionality.
The Company believes a comprehensive, well thought out plan prior to migration to Office365 and SharePoint adds substantial initial and long-term value.
