Know Before You Go: Considerations in Migrating to Atlassian Cloud

According to a recent survey, Atlassian customers are choosing Cloud more than ever before. More than 90% of new customers opt for the Cloud platform over their Server deployment model, while 67% of existing customers who currently deploy Server or Data Center versions of Atlassian solutions plan to migrate to Cloud in the next year or two. The remainder of surveyed customers are still evaluating (28%), and a small percentage, just 4%, plan to stay on Server or Data Center.

Migrating to Atlassian Cloud is an important decision for companies that use the Atlassian toolset. Regardless of whether the organization is large or small, this decision is driven by a broad range of reasons. For some companies, the CIO has issued a directive outlining plans for a full transition to Cloud. For others, soon-to-expire Server or Data Center licenses simply mean the timing is right. Importantly, in the same survey referenced above, customers cite benefits such as scalability, ease of management, improved productivity, reduced administrative costs, and the ability to stay up to date with new features, among other reasons for migrating to Cloud.

How to Migrate to Atlassian Cloud in 8 Steps

While there are many benefits to migrating to Atlassian Cloud, in addition to those listed above, some companies cite concerns about the actual migration process. Transitioning legacy systems to cloud-based platforms can be time-consuming and complex. Whether you’re migrating to Atlassian Cloud next month or next year, or if you are among the 28% of companies that are still evaluating whether migration is right for your company, an experienced partner with a well-developed action plan can help to simplify the transition and ensure minimal disruptions to business as usual.

In this paper, we will:

• Help you evaluate whether migrating to Atlassian Cloud is right for your company.
• Explore the benefits of migrating to Cloud. 
• Provide a list of things to consider in preparation for a migration.
• Explain how an experienced partner can help streamline the process to limit disruption to business as usual.
• Look at Atlassian’s licensing options and explore pricing models to help you determine what will work best for your company

Why Migrate to Atlassian Cloud?

Cloud offers numerous advantages over traditional servers. Below, we take a look at a handful of the reasons Atlassian customers most frequently cite for migrating to Cloud.

• Fast Start-Up

It’s straightforward and fast to deploy Atlassian solutions into Cloud. In some cases, you can get started in minutes.

• Scalability

In a survey of Atlassian customers, the most frequently cited reason for moving to Cloud was scalability. Transitioning to Cloud provides the flexibility to scale up or down both the number of user licenses and the amount of storage space, depending on business needs.

• Easier to Manage

Managing the day-to-day functionalities of Data Center requires frequent attention and oversight. IT professionals can become inundated with managing upgrades, providing updates, and overseeing security concerns. Switching to Cloud frees up the IT team to focus on other job functions more effectively and efficiently.

• Reduced Administrative Costs

Data Center equipment and hardware take up physical space, resulting in increased square footage requirements. Furthermore, maintaining Data Center instances can prove to be a challenge, whether they’re hosted onsite, at data centers, or utilizing cloud-hosting services such as AWS. Switching to Atlassian Cloud can directly translate to both facility and physical hardware cost savings.

• Increased Productivity

Data Center also requires regular IT support and system maintenance. System administrators must handle updates, upgrades, security patches, and more. These professionals are responsible for handling frequent issues, such as fixing bugs and addressing various other issues. Transitioning to Cloud can help free up and reallocate these technical resources to other areas.

• The Latest Versions and Newest Features with No Need to Upgrade

Companies that migrate to Atlassian Cloud have the advantage of always running the latest version without the hassle of updating and patching. Further, they have straightforward access to new features and functionality as soon as they are available. While this is an important advantage now, it may become even more so as Atlassian continues to invest in Cloud.

• Security

As a global company, Atlassian must adhere to the most stringent security and data management protocols in the regions where they do business. Companies that migrate to Atlassian Cloud benefit from this extensive knowledge and experience. In addition, by migrating to Cloud, your Atlassian solutions will always be up-to-date and patched, further enhancing security.

Further, as part of the Cloud migration, organizations that want greater security can also subscribe to Atlassian Access. Access works across all Atlassian Cloud products, making it easy to standardize policies from one central location. Access allows for enterprise-grade security controls, including SAML single sign-on, Active Directory sync, and integration with other third-party security protocols like CASB.

• Work on the Go

Atlassian Cloud is designed to make it straightforward for teams to securely access solutions from any browser. Or, if they are on a tablet or phone, from their mobile cloud apps.

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Cloud vs. Server: Pricing and Licensing

Many business decisions can be measured in terms of dollars and cents. If your organization is trying to decide between using Cloud or Data Center, pricing is one variable that will undoubtedly impact your final decision. In addition to the monthly price tag of hosting servers, other factors must be accounted for when determining final costs. Decision makers must be able to measure the total cost of ownership to accurately determine which option is right for their business.

Onsite data server maintenance costs are increasing and storage requirements are continuing to rise. Performing constant data storage upgrades can be a costly and time-intensive endeavor. Furthermore, server hardware and equipment will result in facility and physical storage costs. Additional expenses such as overhead, utilities, and manpower requirements generally make traditional servers a more costly option.

LEARN MORE - How to Migrate to Atlassian Cloud In 8 Steps

Cloud storage can be a cost-effective option for many businesses. Atlassian Cloud falls under the umbrella of a single monthly expense, while server options must also account for additional costs such as hardware, overhead, and facilities.

Atlassian Cloud makes life easier by operating and maintaining all software updates. Cloud also increases workplace productivity, as system administrators are not needed to manage day-to-day server functionality. Instead, these technical personnel can be reallocated towards achieving other strategic initiatives.

In addition to the compelling Cloud incentives available, Atlassian offers two options for Cloud... monthly or annual subscriptions.

• Monthly subscription: companies pay for each created user. Price per user depends upon the tier level selected. Credit cards are charged automatically every month.
• Annual subscription: companies select a specific tier depending upon the number of required users. Atlassian Cloud quotes are requested from Isos Technology and discounts are assessed based upon the number of users. Discounts generally result in two free months assessed on an annual basis. Payments can be made via purchase orders or ACH payments in addition to via a credit card.

Traditional data servers require voluminous amounts of physical data along with constant maintenance from IT staff members. In addition to hardware costs, companies must also account for physical storage requirements and allocate manpower hours toward performing regularly scheduled maintenance and updates. Switching to Atlassian Cloud can eliminate the painstaking tasks commonly associated with traditional data servers.

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Cloud technology is also more straightforward from a licensing capacity planning standpoint. Purchasing server licenses requires selecting from specific tiers and options based upon the number of users. Often, companies may issue too few or too many licenses within an organization.

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Case Studies Related to Atlassian Cloud

If you’d like to take a look at some recent cases where Isos Technology helped their clients successfully perform migrations to Atlassian Cloud, be sure to visit our site for more information. We help companies improve cost efficiencies while enhancing organizational best practices.

The CIO and other top decision makers within your organization will be pleased to know that you’ve taken the time to develop a comprehensive Atlassian Cloud migration strategy plan. Transitioning to Cloud doesn’t have to be difficult. Partnering with a reputable company such as Isos Technology can ease your frustrations as we provide efficient solutions to help solve and remediate complex problems.

For more information on taking the next step towards Atlassian Cloud, be sure to visit our site or contact us for additional help and support.

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