Move Your Business to the Cloud with CRGroup
Moving to the cloud is, perhaps, the largest paradigm shift in recent years, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the enterprise technology footprint.
Once properly implemented, cloud services and solutions can deliver:
- unprecedented flexibility & scalability
- easier maintenance
- improved user experience
- cost savings
- time savings and reduced dependency on IT
This has led many boards/CEOs and CXOs to ask, is it time we move to the “cloud”?
CRGroup is here to help you assess your needs, determine compatibility, and help deploy a cloud-based migration plan for your organization!
Cloud computing is a way to leverage Internet-based computing to provide shared processing resources including applications and data to enterprise users on demand and on any device 24/7. It provides ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) which can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal internal effort thereby reducing dependencies on internal IT resources. Cloud computing provides users and enterprises with capabilities to store and process their data in third-party data centers on a per user and use basis similar to paying for electricity or water to a utility.
In reality, “moving to the cloud” can mean many different things and may come in many different shapes and sizes. In a very simple scenario, if you already keep documents, contact information, and other data – like finance information or email – in a central location like SharePoint, Dynamics CRM, Dynamics GP, or Exchange Server rather than on your local computer, you’re already half way there!
But when we typically talk about the “cloud”, we’re referring to infrastructure that stores your organization’s applications and data offsite. The diagram below shows the multi-faceted picture of consideration for the enterprise that is considering a “move to the cloud”.
Private Cloud
A privat
e cloud is a particular model of the cloud that involves a distinct and secure cloud based environment in which only the specified client can operate and accessible only by authorized users within a single organization providing the organization with greater control and privacy. The private cloud offers the same basic benefits as public cloud like self-service and scalability, multi-tenancy, the ability to provision individual servers/machines, and changing resources on demand as well as direct control over their data. In addition, private cloud offers hosted services to a limited number of people behind a firewall, so it minimizes the security concerns some organizations have around cloud.
Public Cloud
Under the public cloud model, services are provided in a virtualised environment, constructed using pooled shared physical resources, and accessible over a public network. To some extent they can be defined in contrast to private clouds which ring-fence the pool of underlying computing resources, creating a distinct cloud platform to which only a single organization has access. Public clouds, however, provide services to multiple clients using the same shared infrastructure and allocates bandwidth and storage based on changes in user demand.
Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud model, where some of an organizations applications and/or data resides in the cloud, can really be structured in a large variety of ways. This can include continuing to use internal infrastructure, in combination with either or both public and private cloud offerings.
- All-In Simple
- O365, Exchange, AD, CRM, SharePoint, GP
- All-In Plus
- O365, Exchange, AD, CRM, SharePoint, GP, Azure
- Hybrid w Exchange
- AD, legacy on premise + ADSync, Exchange, CRM, SharePoint
- Hybrid w Office
- AD, Exchange, legacy on premise + ADSync, CRM, SharePoint
- What Line of Business Applications are you looking to move/deploy to the cloud?
- Data Security requirements and where the data is geographically hosted
- Degree of customizations in current applications
- Cost Assessment
- Legacy hardware costs
- IT servicing costs (patching, updates, etc.)
- Migration Costs
- Licensing Costs
- Current Integrations (e.g. data or SQL)
- Integrations to Legacy Systems
- Data Storage Requirements
- Bandwidth Usage
- Ease of access to data (e.g. backups, etc.)
- Automatic upgrades – could be good, could be bad
- People factor – Change Management
Get started mapping out your unique cloud needs. Download our free ‘Cloud Migration’ requirements questionnaire.
Get Started! Book Your Free Cloud Migration Assessment
Move to the Cloud with CRGroup: The CRGroup Advantage
Moving to the cloud requires a structured well thought out implementation plan. Our three step methodology starts with proper analysis and design to ensure that your cloud deployment, regardless of the model you choose, goes smoothly.
1. Analyze
End to End Assessment of Current Infrastructure
- Evaluate Total Cost of Ownership
- Cost/Benefits
- Applications and Servers to Move
- Identify Technical Requirements
- Bandwidth
- Servers
- Backup and Disaster Recovery
- Identify Business Process Requirements
- Users and Email
- Integration to Other Line of Business Applications
2. Design
- Provide Road Map
- Configure Technology
- Servers
- Applications
- Security
- Integration and Synchronization
- Data Migration
- Backup and Disaster Recovery
- Testing
3. Deployment and Operation
- Migrate on premise to Cloud
- Integration
- Flip the Switch from Current Environment to the Cloud
- Manage Users
- Manage Email Accounts
- Manage Security
- Train Administrators
- Backup and Disaster Recovery
Why Cloud?
Easy to Adopt
Deploying cloud solutions will minimize the amount of IT resources required to install and configure the software and enable users to be up and running faster with little or no training required.
Available Anywhere
Microsoft Cloud solutions are deployed and configured in Microsoft data centres that are accessible 7/24 from any device at any time. With the best service level agreements (SLAs) and industry leading uptime, you and your staff will no longer need to worry about internal network issues.
Secure
Private and secure sites managed by Microsoft with their enterprise grade security. Local data centres provide organizations with options to ensure data sovereignty.
Canadian Data Centres
Keep your cloud data within the nation with newly built Microsoft Canadian data centres.
You can rely on the experienced business & technical teams at CRGroup to help plan, transition and support your migration to cloud solutions. We have expertise in a comprehensive list of leading CPM, budgeting, HR, BI, and ERP cloud systems and are able to leverage Microsoft’s Canadian datacenter as well as Azure, to keep your company’s data localized and secure.
Microsoft 365
Get the most secure Office for your business. Access files anywhere—online or offline, Get monthly security updates & feature releases, Use the web version of Microsoft 365 with rich features…Read more
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI is an easy to use cloud based analytics solution where you can quickly create dashboards, share reports, while directly connecting data from a variety of sources…Read more
SharePoint Online
Easily create team sites and portals to discover, share, and collaborate on content with colleagues inside and outside your organization from any device. Read more
Azure
Microsoft Azure is a growing collection of integrated cloud services—analytics, computing, database, mobile, networking, storage, and web—for moving faster, achieving more, and saving money.
Learn more about what you can do with Azure and how CRGroup can help!
Dynamics 365
Manage your business from end-to-end in the cloud! Dynamics 365 combines integrated ERP & CRM functionality to help companies support customers, plan and track operational activities, and manage core financials.
Learn More About Moving your Business to the Cloud!
Book a Free Cloud-Migration Assessment:
- Download your free ‘cloud migration assessment’ checklist, which will outline everything to consider before assessing your move to the cloud.
- Once completed, send back to us and we will be in touch to provide our free cloud migration assessment.
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