Are you considering ditching your outdated on-premises servers in favour of a more agile, future-proof solution? You're not alone. For many small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), moving to the cloud is a crucial step in embracing digital transformation, improving operational efficiency, and staying competitive.
I'm Michael Hamer, Client Strategy Director at Netitude. In this guide, I'll walk you through the key considerations for migrating your on-prem servers to the cloud. We'll cover the business benefits, potential challenges, and the different types of cloud environments available, so you can make an informed decision that supports your growth.
Moving to the cloud is a no-brainer for the modern small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME) hoping to achieve digital transformation and streamline its operational processes. With the ever-increasing affordability of technology, smaller businesses can now match the larger enterprises looking to gain modern IT infrastructures that facilitate innovation and agility.
Here are just some of the several benefits SMEs can gain from switching to the cloud:
The age-old adage regarding technology is: you've got to move with the current and not against it. If the average small-to-medium-sized business or enterprise fails to recognise this, then they're liable to face:
After considering the business case for moving to the cloud and the drawbacks of remaining in an on-prem environment, we'll now explore what cloud-based options there are for the modern SME looking to achieve Growth Through Technology.
When it comes to cloud solutions, there are three forks in the road you can go down, each with its own list of pros and cons. Let's break them down to help you make an informed decision:
You may have heard of buzzwords and companies such as Microsoft Azure and AWS, but not entirely know what they are—these are public cloud-based services where infrastructures are shared across multiple customers. While this may seem off-putting at first, public cloud solutions are highly sought after due to the low upfront costs, vast scalability, and easy setup that come with the service.
However, compared to the other two cloud types (private and hybrid), public cloud services are hindered by shared resources and limited customisation, and therefore, lack that all-important layer of customisations some businesses crave.
For SMEs whose priorities pivot around having complete control of their infrastructure and needing higher security and compliance measures in place, private is the right tool for the job. A private-based solution comes with a dedicated cloud environment hosted on-premises or by a third-party, offering greater overall control.
Companies that opt for the private-based model will be encumbered by the initial hit of high setup and maintenance costs and the need for technical expertise to ensure they get the most out of their new cloud-based solution.
Last, but by no means least, we have a hybrid option. As you may have guessed, this is a mix of public and private cloud environments with data and workflows that move between them. The main pro here is that it's incredibly flexible and is a solution that supports a more gradual migration rather than a sudden shift, allowing businesses to transition at their own pace while leveraging the best of both worlds.
In terms of drawbacks, hybrid models tend to be more complex to manage due to their integration of both public and private cloud environments. This complexity arises from the need to ensure seamless communication and data transfer between the two, as well as maintaining consistent security and compliance across different platforms.
When selecting the right cloud provider, the choice will ultimately depend on your business's needs. Still, for most small and medium-sized businesses, Microsoft Azure is a leading solution that strikes the right balance between power, flexibility, and familiarity.
As Microsoft Gold Partners, we've seen firsthand how Azure helps businesses:
We regularly help businesses migrate to Azure for smoother collaboration, secure file access, and scalable infrastructure, without the heavy upfront investment of on-premise servers.
For a comprehensive overview of Azure's benefits tailored for SMEs, check out Microsoft's official guide.
While Azure is our top recommendation, it's important to understand the broader landscape:
When evaluating your options, consider:
Embarking on a cloud migration journey shouldn't be rushed or taken lightly. Like any major business transformation, the key to success lies in thorough preparation and a clear understanding of your current environment and future needs.
Here's a step-by-step approach to getting prepared:
1. Conduct a Cloud Readiness Audit: Before moving a single file, assess your existing infrastructure, workloads, and applications. This will help you understand what's suitable for the cloud, what needs reconfiguration, and what might be best left behind. Consider factors like network bandwidth, data sensitivity, and application dependencies.
2. Define Your Migration Goals: Are you looking to reduce costs, improve security, or enable remote work? Clarify your objectives upfront to guide decision-making and measure success post-migration.
3. Choose the Right Migration Strategy: There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to cloud migration. Options include:
4. Involve Key Stakeholders: Ensure buy-in from leadership, IT teams, and department heads. Migration impacts daily operations, so early engagement helps prevent surprises down the road.
5. Plan for Downtime and Disruption: While modern migrations can often be done with minimal downtime, it's wise to plan for disruptions. Schedule your migration during low-traffic periods and communicate with your teams clearly about when services might be temporarily impacted.
Even the best-laid plans can go awry without proper awareness of common pitfalls. Here are the top missteps we see time and time again—and how you can avoid them:
1. Skipping the Planning Stage: Diving in without a comprehensive migration plan can lead to scope creep, spiralling costs, and unforeseen technical challenges. Take the time to map out your journey.
2. Underestimating Costs: Cloud services are often more cost-effective than on-prem solutions—but only when configured properly. Make sure to monitor usage, avoid overprovisioning, and take advantage of reserved instances or hybrid benefits where applicable.
3. Ignoring Security and Compliance: Security shouldn't be an afterthought. Ensure you configure proper access controls, encryption, and compliance settings from the get-go.
4. Failing to Upskill Your Team: A common oversight is failing to recognise that the IT staff may need new skills to manage cloud environments effectively. Investing in training and certifications early on will pay dividends in the long run when it comes to operational efficiency.
5. Neglecting Post-Migration Optimisation: Migration is just the beginning. Regularly review your cloud usage, performance, and costs to make the most of your investment.
"One of the most talked-about benefits of moving to the cloud is lower operational costs — but for many SMEs, this can feel misleading in practice.
It’s true that larger enterprises, particularly those running their own data centres and internal IT teams, can significantly reduce direct infrastructure and staffing costs by shifting to the cloud. However, the picture is a little different for SMES.
In most cases, the best-case scenario for smaller businesses is cost neutrality — your direct IT spend may remain roughly the same over time. What changes and adds significant value is how much more you get for that spend."
Here’s what SMEs actually gain when migrating to the cloud:
Built-in scalability, meaning no major hardware upgrades every 5 years
Always up-to-date software and security, reducing risk and admin overhead
Improved collaboration and access, especially for hybrid or remote teams
Less downtime and stronger disaster recovery, improving business continuity
In other words, the true operational efficiencies often come from features that enhance productivity, resilience, and agility, not from a dramatic reduction in IT spend.
While the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over 2–3 years may look similar to maintaining an on-prem server, over time, you unlock more value with fewer capital outlays and better adaptability.
It's hard to assign a fixed number to the time saved, agility gained, and frustration avoided, but those gains are very real — and for many SMEs, they’re exactly what justifies the switch.
For many SMEs, the cloud migration process can feel overwhelming, especially with limited in-house resources or expertise. That's where a Managed Service Provider (MSP) like Netitude can help.
Here's how we support your move to the cloud:
• Strategic Planning and Guidance: We help you assess your current IT environment, define your migration goals, and develop a tailored cloud roadmap.
• Smooth, Low-Risk Migration: Our team handles the heavy lifting, ensuring minimal disruption to your day-to-day operations with structured, phased migrations.
• Ongoing Optimisation and Support: Migration is just the beginning. We'll continue to manage and optimise your cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, security, and cost-efficiency.
• Cybersecurity and Compliance Built In: With cyber threats on the rise, we integrate robust security and compliance measures into your cloud environment from day one.
• Transparent Costs and Scalable Solutions: As your business grows, we'll ensure that your cloud environment scales with you, without unexpected costs or complexity.
Whether you're considering a full migration to Microsoft Azure or a hybrid approach tailored to your industry, working with an MSP gives you peace of mind and a trusted partner to help you confidently navigate the cloud.
If you've made it this far, it's time to consider whether a cloud-based solution is the right next step for your business. The benefits, like reduced costs, enhanced security, and greater flexibility, are certainly worth exploring, and the challenges can be overcome with the right guidance.
As Netitude's Client Strategy Director, I'll ensure your appointed Virtual IT Director supports you every step of the way, helping you weigh up the pros and cons and make an informed decision that suits your SME's future.