The benefits of moving to the cloud are well known by now, but so are stories of lengthy or troublesome migrations and implementations. Luckily, there are ways to reap the benefits of the cloud quickly. We’ve explored this in depth and we’re ready to share how we’re making it possible.
But first, a note of clarification. Cloud computing has become a broad topic. What we’re focusing on here is how to deploy cloud-based solutions that truly empower your organization to do more – not just moving some data from an on-premise server to a cloud-based one.
With that clarified, let’s dive in.
What is cloud migration?
Cloud migration is the process of moving your digital operations to a cloud service, typically from an on-premises setup to a remotely hosted one. This gives your organization many new capabilities, including the ability to access your applications from anywhere, improved synchronization of data, and more opportunities to automate workflows.
What’s the best way to migrate applications to the cloud?
When migrating, there are five approaches you can take. Due to the term “cloud migration,” most people simply imagine moving their existing applications from one place to another. However, you can also think of cloud migration as moving your organization to the cloud, switching to a new, built-for-cloud platform.
Between these two methods, there are different “middle ground” options. These are the main approaches to cloud migration, ordered with increasing level of time and resources required (from fastest to slowest):
- Replace — this simply means retiring your existing application and replacing it with a new cloud-native application. If you choose to build the replacement yourself, this becomes much slower, but cloud platforms like 3Di Engage can be rapidly deployed and customized with ease, making this the fastest option. Using technology built for the cloud also ensures you can take full advantage of cloud technology.
- Rehost (aka “lift and shift”) — moving applications to the cloud as-is. This makes for an easy transition as everything will work similarly as before, but it doesn't update the existing infrastructure, so it isn’t as beneficial as other methods. You may also run into issues if certain processes aren’t compatible with cloud software (this is where the extra time can come in when compared to replacing).
- Replatform — moving applications to the cloud with some changes (such as rearchitecting databases for the cloud, or containerizing applications). These changes help your applications get more use of the cloud technology.
- Refactor — a bit more involved than replatforming, refactoring involves making changes to an application’s source code to take better advantage of cloud technology. Refactoring requires technical expertise that many organizations hire consultants for.
- Rebuild — self-explanatory, this approach involves rewriting the application from scratch, while still taking advantage of some existing architecture.
There are 3 things you will need to manage a successful cloud migration: the right tools to move data, a systematic plan to make it happen cleanly, and the cloud experience necessary to be prepared for issues you may encounter.
Accelerating cloud migration: faster, better, and more affordable
For over 20 years, 3Di has been creating and working with enterprise-grade software — and we’ve rolled what we learned into a cloud-based software platform designed to make migrating to the cloud a simple and highly rewarding process. The 3Di Engage cloud platform was built to serve as a solid foundation for new cloud systems. On top of this foundation, our solution accelerators serve as building blocks with pre-built modules that handle dozens of cross-industry needs, such as:
- Data collection
- Inspection and management
- Customer/patient intake
- Billing
- Case management
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Supply chain management
- Customer self-service
- Field service automation
For each customer, we use our industry experience to assemble the appropriate set of modules and customize them for a wide variety of use cases
This unique approach to cloud software helps us create the best of both worlds: powerful software without lengthy timelines or high costs.
Rapid deployment
From medtech and manufacturing to housing and real estate, the modules in 3Di Engage can be quickly customized and rapidly deployed to match your use case. Whether you’re managing a thousand apartments, trying to organize patient intake processes, or streamlining your supply chain, 3Di gives you the tools you need, at speed.
On average it takes about 2 months to get started with 3Di Engage, with more complex systems taking up to 6 months, and simpler projects taking as little as 2 weeks to launch.
Robust custom solutions and a “done for you” approach
We like to say 3Di Engage is “more like an Uber and less like renting or buying a car.” You don’t have to worry about all the hassle that comes with taking responsibility for your software. We handle all the responsibilities of software ownership, so you don’t have to. Support for maintenance, operations, and new solution requests are included in your subscription.
3Di Engage is easy to use, easy to customize, and empowers your organization with automation, adaptive workflow management for complex processes, and a simplified, central location to oversee each workflow, customer, and data point as needed.
Worried about overhauling your existing applications, like accounting software? With our flexible integration setup, 3Di Engage can integrate with every application you use. And if you have an uncommon application you want to connect, we’ll build the integration for you.
More Affordable
Aside from the major cost savings you get from not building software from scratch, 3Di has taken several steps to make the 3Di Engage cloud platform more accessible.
Most notably, we provide non-seat licensing (as opposed to a per-user pricing model). This gives you predictable costs and a high ROI, because costs don’t rise with increased usage or larger team sizes.
What’s the most effective method for your own cloud deployment?
Cloud migration can drastically increase your organizational efficiency, reducing your workload with automation, and providing you with actionable insights into the data you handle.
Different organizations have different needs, so you may be able to get by with a simple method like rehosting or replatforming. However, if your organization has insufficient cloud experience, these methods can cause more problems than they solve, and you miss out on the benefits that cause people to migrate to the cloud in the first place.
That’s why most organizations will find it makes more sense to go through a cloud migration consultant like 3Di, so you can get the migration right the first time and experience the full benefits of cloud software.
Accelerate your cloud migration today with 3Di.
