Web application migration and how to avoid ensuing issues

Migration. This nine letter word can and does cause a world of hurt for even the most technologically savvy.

Taking the migration leap into the cloud or across from another provider, can have many benefits that include improved efficiencies, tighter security measures, lower operational costs and increased uptime to name a few. This would certainly explain why 76% of companies were planning a major data migration project within the next two years, according to a survey by ITWeb.

Despite more and more businesses choosing to make the migration leap, the process itself isn’t without its own unique set of complexities and challenges. According to research conducted by Bloor Research, migration projects that include services, consulting as well as data and software migration, currently costs industry in excess of $5bn per annum. Bloor Research studies also indicate that more than 60% of these data migration projects have delayed, exceeded budgetary requirements or even worse, been cancelled.

With billions of dollars being spent every year on data migration for more than more than half of migration projects experiencing issues, it does make one wonder WHY this is happening? One of the major reasons migration projects fail is because there is a unique skill-set, planning, level of experience and knowledge required to correctly employ the techniques and fundamental disciplines of migration projects. If not undertaken and completed correctly, this can have a catastrophic sequence of events for business.

Kroll Ontrack completed a global study in 2016 that outlined 32% of organisations have lost data while migrating between devices or upgrading systems. This study also uncovered that while 57% of respondents had a backup solution, 75% were unable to restore all of their lost data, with more than 23% (one-in-five) unable to recover any data at all. As if that isn’t bad enough, throw potential data sovereignty (jurisdiction) laws into the mix, inability to be able to reach your cloud provider for assistance.

Well, let’s not even go there.

First and foremost, having a cloud provider that is experienced, knowledgeable and deeply experienced with complex website and web application migrations is a must.

Secondly, working with an Australian based cloud provider (along with an Australian based engineering team) is paramount to being able to avoid two out of three of the problems listed above (data sovereignty/jurisdiction laws into the mix and the inability to be able to reach your hosting provider for assistance). In the event that something does occur, being able to make direct contact with your host will ensure that it is dealt with swiftly and without the ongoing stress of having to make continuous phone calls, even at odd hours of the night when you should be sleeping.

Last but not least, you want to partner with a cloud provider that will provide you with a customer experience that is second to none. There is nothing worse than experiencing an issue and then having to be subjected to a poor customer experience. Look for a cloud provider that offers a friendly and warming customer service team who will treat you like a person and not just a number.