Why It May Be Time to Migrate from On-Premises Legacy Systems to the Cloud

Before jumping to any conclusion, let us first understand what on-premises legacy systems are.

What are On-premises legacy systems?

On-premises legacy systems are hardware and software that are both installed as well as run locally inside the organization’s infrastructure only. Generally, these systems aren’t modern, let’s say these are old and outdated ones, which have already been used for such a long period. These have been passed on for so many years which is also one reason why these systems are called legacy systems. 

The On-premise legacy system, as the name implies, suggests that both hardware and software are located and are run in the organization’s fracture only. No third-party software or cloud technology is being used to use this business management system. The practice of using on-premises legacy systems is widely famous in those industries, where the requirement of strict security of data and information is required. The aim is that no data or information is leaked which might hamper the business of the organization or compromise national security. 

But on-premises legacy systems do possess several challenges. First and foremost is that these systems are generally very expensive to maintain. This is because it requires a lot of updates and maintenance regularly to keep up with its daily functions. Secondly, these systems are not very flexible, which makes it very hard for a new system to integrate with them. Sharing data and collaborating across different departments becomes extremely hard. Last but not the least, these systems are prone to cyber-attacks and are physically more vulnerable. 

Moreover, these challenges aren’t stopping many organizations to keep relying on this on-premise legacy system. This is because these organizations find the system more familiar and stable, and aren’t willing to switch any time soon. But, with the advancement in technology, it has become extremely important for businesses to start considering their migration from on-premise legacy systems to new-cloud-based systems. 

What is a Cloud-based system? 

A cloud-based system generally known as cloud computing is a kind of computing model. In this model, data, as well as information, are both stored as well as accessed over the internet, rather than installing them on computers and servers within a business’s premises. The data, in cloud computing, is stored in different remote servers which are maintained by a cloud service provider. The user can access the data and information utilizing either a web browser or specialized software. 

The reason to use cloud computing is that the data infrastructure of the business is maintained by a cloud service provider. This gives the organization the ability to check, store, process, change and access the data and information from any part of the world if they only have an internet connection. Many business management tools such as Oracle NetSuite, NetSuite CRMs, etc are providing users with cloud support that has made it easier for businesses to carry on their day-to-day activities. There are many reasons why it’s time to switch from on-premise legacy systems to the cloud:

Flexibility and Scalability: As on-premise legacy systems are quite rigid and don’t easily allow any changes in their system. Also, the addition of any new system is quite a headache. They are built in such a way that access to these systems can only be from physical presence. But cloud computing provides the organization with the utmost ease, scalability and flexibility. The user can both add or remove the data and information as per his/her requirement, making it easy to adapt according to the always-changing business environment. Not only this, but cloud computing also allows the user to gain access to data from any place in the world with an internet connection. This helps in sharing data and collaboration with different departments easily. 

Cost Savings: As said prior, on-premises legacy systems require heavy and expensive maintenance to be fully functional. This is one of the main reasons that organizations are switching to cloud computing. In cloud computing, the organization isn’t required to spend their money on expensive software and hardware. This helps in eliminating the burden of heavy finances. Also, the users can only pay for those resources that are required by them. This helps in reducing the cost of unwanted resources, which the organization might have no use for. However, the resources can be added or subtracted as per the needs of the business. 

Security: The most important part of the business is data, and the security of that data is extremely important. Keeping this in mind, cloud service providers provide the business with heavily secured servers. Also, the service providers pay tons of money to have maximum safety from data breaches or other cyber-attack threats. Mostly, the security provided by cloud providers is far better than on-premise systems. The reason is that cloud providers have the expertise to stay updated on new threats and security breaches that might hamper the business’s data. 

Innovation and Agility: With technological advancement, the business environment is also on a path of rapid change. But the on-premise systems are rigid and are used by organisations for such a long time, that the innovations haven’t reached their doors. But, cloud computing stays on top with the introduction or changes in the latest technology. Also, the cloud providers keep on bringing new and innovative features constantly, making it easy for organizations to have the first movers’ advantage and easily adapt to the changing business environment.

Reliability and Availability: Though on-premise systems might be used by organizations for a long period of time, those systems don’t provide any guarantee that the organization’s data will be secure. But, in contrast, many cloud service providers provide the orzanisation with confidence by giving an uptime guarantee that the data and information will be safe and can be accessed whenever they need.  

Therefore, migration to cloud computing from on-premise legacy systems can provide the business with a number of benefits. These include security, flexibility, saving of cost, agility and innovations. Considering these, many organizations are switching to cloud computing so that they stay ahead of the market and build an infrastructure which is ever-ready for all kinds of technological development in the upcoming future.