Should Your Database Be Moving to the Cloud?

Cloud deployments are increasing across all industries, but you may be reluctant to broach the subject of moving to the cloud when it comes to your database. You may be in a highly regulated industry, such as healthcare or finance, or you may be using another on-site system that may not integrate well with a cloud database. If you happen to be in the middle of a digital transformation initiative, or if you’re currently launching a new startup, the shift of database management systems to the cloud is good news. You won’t have to make a big capital investment to access the latest and best features offered in database management, and it will be scalable as you grow.

The Big Database Providers Are Moving: It’s worth noting that four out of the five major database companies are shifting their attention to the cloud. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that your on-premises database system is immediately losing support, there are some implications that could be important for your future competitiveness in your own industry. While you’re unlikely to lose support, your version of your database management system won’t be the one that receives the innovations and new features. Some of them might eventually trickle down to the on-premises version of the solution, but it may take time. Likewise, if there’s a bug in the cloud-based version, you can expect that it will receive priority attention, while a legacy version may not have the same air of immediacy around solving a problem.

Keeping Pace With Competitors: Included in your deliberation of whether you’ll be moving to the cloud should be an awareness of what your competitors are doing. Embracing the cloud is no longer considered a novelty or a cutting-edge strategy; it’s a necessity. In some industries, those enterprises that fail to incorporate the technology to keep pace with customers’ preferences will quickly lose market share to those that are making things easier and more convenient for customers. Customers are all too aware that when they run into an inconvenience of any kind, there are other companies ready to make their buying experience quick and easy.

Calculating Costs: It’s also important to consider the cost of moving to the cloud. A clear understanding of the cost of accessing cold data and how data storage and access will be invoiced can help you make a more informed decision about your cloud transition. Ensuring you’re able to meet compliance regulations at a reasonable cost is also an important part of moving to the cloud.

A Silver Lining: While it may seem as if you’re racing against a ticking clock, if your systems suddenly go dark and you’re forced to wander out into the cloud, the reality isn’t quite so dramatic. The shift of database management solutions to the cloud will be gradual, and your enterprise will be able to set some parameters to determine which conditions will make it preferable for you to access your solution in the cloud, rather than continuing with your on-site systems.

If you’re weighing the impact of moving to the cloud for enterprise database management, contact us at AMD Technology. We can help you determine the impact of a cloud transition, as well as what it will cost you if you stay on site.