Moving from on-premises servers to the Cloud can feel daunting. After all, your business has spent a great deal of effort creating a server ecosystem that fits your needs. But is it too much effort? Is maintaining your servers getting in the way of your actual business objectives?
Our previous blogs covered why moving to the Azure Cloud keeps you in control of your data, allows access to industry-leading cybersecurity technology, and supports your technology stack. Today we'll be tackling two of the most prevalent objections we hear to moving to the Cloud:
- The need for an internet connection
- Monthly fees
Let's look together at these common fears and how to rethink them.
What happens if our internet connection goes out?
For many businesses, internet connectivity is a significant concern. However, it's helpful to weigh the risks against several other possible outages that occur with on-premises servers, such as:
- Server crashes
- Power outages
- Backup failures
- Natural disasters
Any of these risks could put your system out of commission with few options to get it back. Compare these risks with Azure.
- To mitigate risks related to individual server crashes, Azure quickly moves your data to new equipment when necessary.
- Microsoft facilities have backups on top of backups for electricity continuity.
- Backups happen automatically and seamlessly on Azure. Any errors are addressed quickly.
- Because Azure has geographically diverse locations, other data centers can cover those affected by localized natural disasters.
We've seen internet connection rates and reliability increase exponentially over the past few years. There is clear positive momentum, and new mobile technologies are making fewer and fewer areas of the map "inaccessible." In contrast, the risk factors above aren't going anywhere.
Aren't the monthly fees an added cost?
Technically, yes, your monthly fees for Azure would be a new line item in your budget if you are on-premises, but it's crucial to weigh the actual dollar amount against the costs you avoid by moving to the Cloud.
Not only do on-premises servers have a significant upfront cost to purchase and install the equipment, but many phantom costs add up, including:
- Labor cost to update servers and apply ongoing security patches
- The physical space needed for your servers
- The costs to cool them
- Your backup solution
- All the personnel you need to maintain and support your network and hardware
When you look at the costs as a whole and compare the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) between your on-premises solution and Azure, we think you'll see significant savings. Don't believe us? Check out the TCO calculator to see how much you could save in your specific circumstances with Azure.
Is it time to get out of the IT business?
We've been hearing it from more and more customers each week: it's time to get me out of the IT business and back into my business. How do I do it?
One crucial step is moving to the Cloud, but there are several objections stakeholders and users raise to making the shift, as we've seen above. Just like the two concerns above, though, there are solid answers to each point.
You can find them in our free eBook Have Your Servers Got You Stuck in the IT Business? Get your copy to find out how Azure can:
- Save you money
- Increase your security and data control
- Keep your software going—now accessible anywhere!
There's even more to discover about Microsoft Azure. Learn more and find out how it can benefit your business on our product page.
