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When computer networks started being built in any given company or educational institution, separate networks were built for separate functions. And that may have been fine before remote work and learning became necessary.
While there were once good reasons for companies or universities to maintain multiple network tenants, many of those justifications have fallen away as technical and operational factors have evolved. IT teams have now moved to the cloud, and they’re consolidating cloud environments for a number of reasons
Reduced complexity. Organizations are gaining operational efficiency by eliminating redundant processes, overlapping resources, and administrative overhead. They’re also negotiating better terms and discounts with their cloud provider based on usage volumes.
Integration and interoperability. A consolidated cloud environment supports a vibrant work or educational community where people can more easily communicate and share resources, writings, and ideas. Employees, Students, faculty, and researchers are attracted to institutions that offer modern resources and access without barriers.
Governance, security, and compliance. IT teams are moving towards unified security policies, controls, and threat monitoring as well as IT governance with consistent policies. This helps the institution adhere to regulatory requirements and ensure data sovereignty.
The shift towards consolidating cloud tenants reflects a strategic approach to harnessing the benefits of cloud computing while removing the complexities of working across multiple environments.
Streamlining Cloud Consolidation
Every business or school is unique in character and mission. Each will also be at a different place in their cloud strategy. In order to reap the benefits of consolidated cloud tenants, organizations are taking a strategic approach:
Assessment and planning. Evaluate the current state of cloud usage across the institution in order to develop or refine your consolidation strategy. Identify which tenants, accounts, subscriptions, and resources will be involved in order to clarify the goals, timelines, and the scope of the project. Careful assessment and planning will help you determine which cloud providers match your needs.
Migration and integration. MigrationWiz can handle nearly all of the workloads you need to migrate, between a wide range of sources and destinations. If your team is new to data migration, BitTitan offers tutorials, documentation, and support that will turn them into pros in no time.
Security and governance. In a consolidated environment, you can implement unified security policies and access controls by managing permissions centrally. Cybersecurity best practices recommend setting roles with the fewest permissions necessary in order to reduce vulnerabilities. Centralized security limits the number of highly privileged global administrator positions, giving you more control.
Training and support. In the interest of consistency, it’s often necessary for some users to change to a new platform. This idea is not always greeted with enthusiasm. Your transition plan should include communications before, during, and after the transition to explain why the change is happening and the benefits. Be sure to provide training that will help affected employees or students, get the most out of the new platform. BitTitan can provide advice and case studies for this step.
Monitoring and management. Set up monitoring tools and management processes to oversee your consolidated cloud resources. This includes monitoring performance, usage patterns, and costs so you can continue to optimize the environment and identify issues promptly.
At least one thing businesses and universities have learned during these “exciting” times is that change will be constant. Just as IT teams had to react immediately to remote working or learning, there will continue to be surprises on the horizon. Careful planning will help create an environment that’s flexible enough for whatever the future holds.
With MigrationWiz in your toolkit, and BitTitan as a technology partner, continuous optimization of your cloud environment will help you meet the needs of all your employees or students. Contact us today so we can match you with the right expert for your organization. For colleges and universities- we’ll connect you with a higher education expert. They’ll show you how MigrationWiz will support your cloud strategy, and introduce you to our special EDU pricing.
