It’s a great question. With the PAUSE hopefully fully ending soon, this has been a popular question our office customers have been asking.
Got a physical server? Can you you move it to the cloud? Let’s first explore why you’d want to do this.
The pros of going to the cloud:
1. Instant backup. Instant disaster recovery.
Your files are already on the cloud. They’re backed up. If your office is no longer tomorrow, your files are safe on the cloud. What if the pandemic or another disaster forced your office’s power to be shut down? Would you have access to your server files?
2. Remote staff. No problem.
Your office can work anywhere. They’ll be able to access online files from their homes or a different office. This is the glory of a cloud storing your files. You’re not pinned down to any physical location.
What may prevent you from going to the cloud?
1. Is your Internet speed up to the task?
Your Internet should be on the fast side. Entry level Internet speed should not apply here. You’ll be continually accessing the Internet to get your to our company files. If you’re going to still be in the office, you’ll need to check your Internet connection and spike it up to a fast speed. You’ll be saving already on server expenses so you’ll have some budget left to take care of your throughput speed.
2. Check your important apps. Can they go to the cloud?
Chances are, yes, they can. QuickBooks, email, user permissions, databases, and other accounting-based or industry-apps usually can go to the cloud. How do you get them there? Do they need to be upgraded? Are they going to be compatible going forward with your computers. All good questions you’ll need to have answers before making the move. Most importantly, if your mission-critical software cannot go to the cloud, then your plan here may be dead in its tracks and you may have to pivot to another IT solution.
Overall, the cloud is a great migration to go to. You’ll guard against G-d forbid another pandemic or disaster if you have to work remotely. Plus, it’s an instant backup and you can sleep well at night.
As per the setup, if you have the time, maybe you can set it up if you’re tech savvy. Sure, we do these all the time and are happy to help out if you need help migrating your server to the cloud.
Stay safe, keep your files safe, and stay strong!