Why Smart Companies Go Hybrid When Moving to the Cloud

According to an ancient Chinese proverb, a journey to the cloud begins with a single step. So why does it seem so hard for some companies to get started?

 
Larger enterprises may find it more difficult to move to the cloud. With a massive on-premise hardware and software footprint, finding the right strategy can seem more complicated than a chess endgame.

What’s the key to a successful cloud migration? Understanding that the right move is simply getting started. Countless digital transformation projects have gone belly up because those in charge were too overwhelmed to properly execute them.

It’s easy to feel left behind as you struggle to keep up in the “race to the cloud.” Yet despite all the hype, 57 percent of workloads in 2018 still used on-premises hardware. Even when the cloud becomes the majority, there will still be very good reasons for companies to run workloads on-premises.

Moving to the Cloud for Oracle Customers

First, realize that you don’t need to (and probably shouldn’t) migrate everything at once. Instead, you can carefully retool your IT environment and recreate it in the cloud piece by piece.

The good news (if you’re an Oracle user, that is): Oracle already has cloud and on-premises versions of the same software that are nearly feature-equivalent. For example, Oracle Enterprise Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (EPBCS) is a cloud version of the Oracle Hyperion Planning on-premises software.

Indeed, EPBCS is an excellent place to get started with the cloud for Oracle customers. The software includes built-in features that are intended specifically for new cloud users, such as consolidation translation. There’s no need for you to worry about applying the right rules, and you can add customizations as necessary after you’ve covered all the basics.

Once you’ve taken your first step into the cloud, you’re officially running a hybrid IT environment. Oracle’s Financial Data Quality Management, Enterprise Edition (FDMEE) is a data integration solution that can be used to communicate between applications in hybrid environments. The transition is even easier if you already use Oracle Hyperion Financial Management (HFM), in which case you’ll already have multiple integrations with your financial systems on-premises.

Best Practices for Cloud Migrations

Going hybrid is only one of the best practices that smart companies use when moving to the cloud. For the best chance at a good ROI on your cloud project, follow the advice below.

1. Focus on the end goals

Cloud migrations are a marathon, not a sprint. When the going gets tough, remember the reasons why you’re doing this: lower costs, better agility and scalability, etc.

2. Recreate applications in the cloud

Take this time to rebuild stale aspects of the existing system. Over time, as companies evolve, metadata, setup, etc become stale or irrelevant.  Make the most of your move, and build a roadmap for changes to metadata and setup for the current migration as it relates to existing and future applications to be migrated.

3. Don’t forget to test

During the migration phase, you’ll need sufficient time and resources for testing and reassessment. Validation testing, security testing, integration testing, and performance testing should all be part of your plans.

Final Thoughts

“The cloud” isn’t a binary yes/no switch; it’s a spectrum on which you can move back and forth as your company needs require. Interested in learning more about the journey between on-premises and the cloud? Download our new white paper “It’s Not All or Nothing: Exploring Hybrid EPM Environments.”