Cloud computing has become one of the established terms within the IT industry. The public cloud platforms offered by global leaders such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft are gaining momentum in modernising and future-proofing IT infrastructures with services and solutions.
The migration of your on-premises IT environment to the public cloud is the focal point of your cloud transformation. Prior to this step, your existing environment undergoes a thorough examination: what infrastructures and licences are in place, how can they be effectively translated into a cloud architecture, and what cost factors are associated with such a move?
It's understandable that for such a project, you would not only want an experienced public cloud partner, but ideally a manufacturer-certified and highly acclaimed one by your side. For this reason, Amazon Web Services has developed the AWS Certification Program for partner companies. In addition to partner statuses like Advanced or Premier Consulting Partner, competency areas (Competencies) can also be certified. This certification involves an extensive testing process that evaluates previously completed customer projects as well as the team and company structure. If the audit by an independent consulting firm is successful, the competency is awarded.
At the end of May 2021, we were awarded the third "Migration" Competency by the AWS Verification Team after "DevOps" and "Industrial Software". This means the entire migration process you go through, from consulting to joint planning and architecture creation to the actual migration and ongoing operation of your cloud environment has been reviewed in detail, approved by an independent third party, and officially awarded by AWS.
Do you even need a certified migration partner?
Basically, any public cloud service provider that is named as a partner by AWS can help you with your cloud transformation. When choosing the right cloud partner, you can also look at the portfolio, completed projects in the form of references and the team set-up. Official vendor awards give you additional insight into the level of knowledge and expertise of the potential service provider.
The real advantage that a certified AWS partner with excellent Migration Competency can give you for a migration project is access to special funding programs, the so-called AWS Migration Acceleration Program from Amazon Web Services. If planning for a Proof-of-Concept project is initiated after consulting, special funds can be allocated for this purpose, waiving up to 80% of the actual costs. Proof-of-concepts (PoCs) are a fundamental first step in a migration project to check feasibility and ease of implementation and to evaluate the internal setup of your IT team.
Your next steps to cloud migration
The direction is clear: you want to migrate your IT infrastructure to the AWS cloud in a Proof-of-Concept, in parts, or as a complete system. But where to start, and who should be involved? Our public cloud experts have outlined a process for migration projects like this, divided into several steps, each involving the necessary individuals.
Additionally, one step delves extensively into cost considerations, specifically analysing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This involves a detailed examination of your current on-premises environment's annual operating costs and long-term investments for a three to five-year period. Following that, the same costs for your environment in Amazon Web Services' public cloud are determined. Ultimately, this provides you with an initial basis for deciding whether cloud migration is financially viable for you.
Your successful cloud migration depends on proper planning and preparation, as well as competent support and execution by a Public Cloud Partner, ideally certified with AWS Migration Competency.
Feel free to reach out to our experts using the contact form below and engage in an informal discussion about your potential cloud migration. We are here to answer your questions!
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