As businesses accelerate through the digital transformation revolution, the shift from on-premises infrastructure to the array of cloud-based solutions has become a top priority. Over the past five years, this trend has gained significant momentum, with organisations increasingly embracing the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency that cloud technologies offer.
Compared to traditional ‘on prem’ data centres, cloud computing technologies provide simplicity, global reach, and long-term cost savings by eliminating maintenance expenses and enabling organisations to scale resources up and down to match actual demand.
If your organisation is nearing the end of its current data centre contract—or is now considering a full migration to cloud-based models such as IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or SaaS (Software as a Service)—this guide will help you plan your next steps effectively.
Where to Begin
The first step in any data centre exit strategy is to understand what’s actually inside your current data centre. While this may seem obvious, many organisations discover significant gaps in their knowledge, especially when contracts span 10 to 15 years.
At Impellam Project Services, we’ve seen this challenge time and time again. Organisations who have relied on a 3rd party managing their data centre, decide to move their data centre only to realise they lack critical foundational information about their infrastructure, applications, and dependencies. Without this clarity, decision-making can stall, and migration projects risk delays, complications, extra cost or even failure.
How We Can Help
To tackle this challenge, organisations need accurate and comprehensive data on their existing infrastructure. There are three common approaches to achieve this:
- Requesting Information from Your Current Provider
While your existing data centre provider may be able to supply some of this information, relying solely on them can create delays and potential political conflicts of interest. - Conducting Internal Discovery
Using internal resources to map out your data centre can work in theory, but in practice, most organisations face significant resource constraints, especially in today’s fast-paced environment. - Partnering with Specialist Teams
The most effective approach is to bring in independent experts who specialise in data centre exit strategies. A dedicated external team can work quickly and seamlessly alongside your internal stakeholders, providing unbiased insights and delivering the essential foundation for a smooth transition.
At Impellam Project Services, we have a proven track record of deploying expert teams, under an SOW (Statement of Work) to help organisations navigate their data centre exit journey.
Here are some of the key SOW deliverables we’ve provided to our clients: -
- A comprehensive inventory of all servers, applications, and services, including dependencies.
- An enterprise-wide decision tree to guide application migration decisions.
- Defined application groupings for systems that need to migrate together.
- A high-level migration roadmap with a clear timeline for transitioning applications.
- An updated cloud strategy with hosting recommendations tailored to business needs.
The Benefits of Moving to the Cloud
The benefits of migrating to the cloud are well-documented. Businesses that successfully transition can expect: -
- Improved agility to respond to market changes and scale operations.
- Significant cost savings by eliminating infrastructure maintenance expenses.
- Enhanced global reach and reliability with cloud providers offering state-of-the-art solutions.
- Streamlined operations with automated processes and advanced tools.
However, the process of exiting a data centre and moving to the cloud can be complex, especially without the right strategy in place. In today’s fast-moving technology landscape, businesses must make critical decisions quickly and accurately to avoid falling behind competitors.
Why Choose Impellam Project Services?
At Impellam Project Services, we understand the challenges of data centre migration and provide end-to-end solutions to help businesses navigate this complex process. Our teams provide unbiased, independent recommendations based on your unique needs. We’ve worked across industries to deliver successful data centre exits and our specialists integrate seamlessly with your teams and stakeholders.
Let’s Start the Conversation
Are you ready to take the first step toward a seamless data centre exit? Whether you’re looking for advice, case studies, or help developing your discovery plan, we’re here to guide you. Contact Impellam Project Services today to discuss your needs and start planning your data centre exit strategy.