In the rapidly changing digital landscape, cloud migration has become an important strategy for organisations of all sizes, including charities.
As charitable organisations try to achieve more with often limited budgets, using cloud migration can help significantly improve a charity’s efficiency, security and cost-effectiveness.
In this blog post, we’ll cover what cloud migration is, highlight its benefits to charities, and provide tips for a successful transition.
What is cloud migration?
Cloud migration involves moving your organisation’s data, applications and IT processes from onsite premises to the cloud. The “cloud” refers to servers that are accessed over the internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers.
For charities, this means shifting from traditional in-house IT infrastructure to cloud-based solutions provided by companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud.
Benefits of cloud migration for charities
Lower costs
One of the biggest reasons for charities to migrate to the cloud is the potential for cost savings. Maintaining physical servers is expensive due to hardware costs, energy consumption, and the need for IT staff.
In comparison, many cloud services typically operate on a pay-as-you-go model, allowing charities to pay only for the resources they use and scale their operations according to their needs.
Better security
Cloud providers have stringent security measures in place that are typically beyond the budget of most charities. Advanced firewalls, encryption and regular security updates mean there’s far less risk of your charity falling victim to hackers and other online threats.
Migrating to the cloud, you can ensure your data is protected against breaches and loss, which is crucial for maintaining donor trust and complying with data protection regulations such as GDPR.
Improved IT access
Cloud-based solutions will allow your team of staff and volunteers to access data and applications from anywhere – they just need an internet connection to do so.
When your team works remotely, or in multiple locations, this is a huge benefit. It allows better collaboration, as anyone can share and update documents in real time, ensuring your team is always on the same page.
How to ensure a successful cloud migration
Understand your current setup
Before migrating, you need to understand your current IT setup. Identify which applications you use most and assess their compatibility with cloud environments. This will help you determine the scope of your migration project and choose the best cloud provider for your charity.
Choose the right provider
Not all cloud services are the same. Therefore, you need to research and compare different providers to find the one that best suits your needs. Consider pricing, security features and customer support. Some providers may even offer discounts or grants to non-profits.
Develop a migration plan
A clear migration plan is needed to minimise disruption. Your plan should include a timeline, budget and clear process for moving each part of your IT infrastructure. It’s often a good idea to start with less critical applications to test that everything’s working properly before migrating essential systems.
Train your team
In any team, you’re likely to encounter people who look at you blankly when you talk about cloud migration. Therefore, it’s essential you provide staff and volunteers with training so they’re comfortable using cloud tools effectively. This will help them understand the new system and help your charity maximise the benefits.
Monitor usage
Once the migration is complete and set up, you still need to keep an eye on performance, security and costs to ensure everything runs smoothly. Make sure to use any analytic and reporting tools offered by your provider to optimise your usage.
Discover cloud migration for your charity today
Cloud migration will allow your charity to enjoy greater efficiency, security and accessibility.
Whilst a switch might seem daunting at first, by embracing the cloud, you’ll be able to streamline operations, safeguard sensitive data and empower your team to collaborate more effectively. In other words, cloud migration is the ideal solution to help your charity better achieve your goals.
Contact the VS Group team today to learn more and discuss the best cloud migration options for your charity.
