“For any organization that’s moving to the cloud, there’s a number of different technologies and a number of different providers that all need to be made to work together,” Ikram said. Having a service provider that works across the organization is critical for making the cloud journey consistent and cohesive.

SEE: Research: Cloud vs. data center adoption rates, usage, and migration plans (Tech Pro Research)

When choosing a cloud service integrator/provider, Ikram stressed three essential criteria:

  1. Credible cloud migration experience and the relevant credentials
  2. Ability to provide the right people for your company’s specific cloud migration project
  3. Ability to be a partner both in the cloud migration and the business case for the migration

Ikram also recommended companies not take a piecemeal approach to their cloud migration. When organizations transition to the cloud on their own, they often try to do it in very small steps, Ikram said. “Cloud is one of those things where if you really believe in the business case, you need to move quickly,” he said. “Going slowly in baby steps does not give you the value you need.”

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