Rushed to the cloud?

Potential flaws and failings in long-term public cloud strategies place unrealistic demands on those implementing and managing migration projects.

  • Wednesday, 17th July 2024 Posted 1 year ago in by Phil Alsop

New independent research from Six Degrees has revealed that 40% of UK mid-market IT decision-makers felt rushed while undertaking public cloud migration projects. That rises to 41% of IT Directors, 43% of Cloud Architects, 45% of CIOs, 47% of Heads of IT, and 80% of Heads of Infrastructure.

“If an organisation’s case for public cloud migration is based primarily on savings benefits, then those in charge are in for a shock. The application modernisation necessary to realise savings from public cloud migration projects is usually much harder to achieve and takes far longer than originally anticipated. As a result, there’s likely to be pressure to move this phase along as quickly as possible—often causing problems and incurring more costs in the long term. This explains why so many IT decision-makers told us they felt rushed,” comments Vince DeLuca, Chief Executive Officer at Six Degrees.

Despite this advice, data from Six Degrees’ UK SME Cloud Intelligence Report 2024 suggests that a significant amount of cloud services adoption strategies are still driven primarily by a desire for cost savings. Indeed, a quarter of IT decision-makers said their primary reason was to reduce operational costs. Furthermore, many other reasons cited by respondents for cloud services adoption are also closely linked to cost savings. These include flexibility (32%), reduced capital investment (28%), and reduced reliance on on-premises infrastructure (24%).

Six Degrees’ research also reveals that eight out of 10 UK SMEs have experienced unexpected costs or budget overruns relating to cloud usage. This almost universal propensity to overspend demonstrates the requirement for a clear cloud adoption strategy from the outset. It also highlights a need amongst SMEs for ongoing cloud management, governance, and FinOps integration as their cloud migration journeys evolve. In turn, this underscores why it’s crucial for SMEs to partner with an MSP on their cloud migration journey and get trusted advice and expert counsel at each stage.

But it’s not all doom and gloom; our research data indicates that some respondents are migrating to public cloud to access innovative technology and adopt new applications that require a hosted environment. These are mature and rational cloud adoption drivers with realistic outcomes—and will significantly improve business efficiency, customer experience, and staff productivity. Furthermore, the report offers hope that IT decision-makers are beginning to measure the success of their cloud transformation projects based on increased productivity, security, positive user experience and automation—as well as reduced application downtime.

Vince concludes: “Our findings underscore why it’s unrealistic to expect immediate cost savings from public cloud adoption—and the unnecessary stress this can create for those involved. However, when orchestrated appropriately with considered outcomes, cloud transformation projects will deliver tangible benefits, reduce technical debt, manage risk, and deliver greater efficiency—all of which will also play a key role in driving down business costs. The message is clear: set realistic goals and outcomes from the outset and play the long game to maximise public cloud adoption benefits.” 

EU Data Act spurs SMEs to rethink cloud strategies

Posted 1 day ago by Aaron Sandhu
The EU Data Act is pushing SMEs and MSPs towards a multi-cloud, multi-vendor approach to mitigate vendor lock-in while fostering business agility.
Nebula Global Services joins the ranks of the UK's fastest-growing businesses, marking a milestone in sustainable technology innovation.
11:11 Systems unveils research revealing IT leaders' overconfidence amidst cyber threats, with Europe facing intense complexities and urgent need for...

Assurix pioneers real-time trustmark for MSPs

Posted 1 week ago by Aaron Sandhu
Assurix unveils a groundbreaking trustmark, offering live proof for MSPs to fortify proposals and minimise insurance challenges.
Cisco's upcoming 360 Partner Programme signals a transformative shift for partners, introducing a streamlined, value-driven approach.
A true competitive advantage is what separates thriving companies from those struggling to keep pace in today’s demanding marketplace. The...
Over 300 MSP leaders gather for a day of critical strategy, technical innovation and growth‑oriented panels; “M&A” and “MSP Growth” panels...

Arrow Electronics triumphs at ChannelWatch Awards 2025

Posted 4 weeks ago by Aaron Sandhu
Arrow Electronics secures four prestigious recognitions, cementing its leadership in the IT distribution sector.