DIHUB project for successful migration of IT solutions to the cloud

As part of the project, an analysis of the current state of use of the ICT tools and infrastructure was conducted for the selected micro-entrepreneur. Associated financial and time costs were also analyzed. The analyzed company is specialized in the implementation and maintenance of the Xerox printing systems. The company does not have a strategy for using cloud solutions, but mostly uses on-premise solutions with occasional and segmental use of some cloud tools. While analyzing the current state in the company, Algebra’s student Božo Zeba concluded that, the company has a problem with on-premise solutions because of purchase and maintenance expenses, and at the same time with the loss of their value. Although they are aware of this, the company’s executives have not decided to migrate ICT tools and infrastructure to cloud so far. Why – Božo found out.

In the analyzed company, meeting customer requirements and cost management are the issues that managers and employees face on a daily basis. SMEs consider these tasks as a key to securing the future of their own business. The security aspect of the business is not often considered as an important issue by the SMEs because it seems to them that the loss of the data or a website crash “will not happen to them”. After all, SMEs do not consider such situations as a major reputational risk, since they have a relatively small market share.

However, after the analysis, Božo Zeba designed an optimal cloud solution for the selected company. Considering the needs of the company, Božo suggested that the following should migrate to the cloud: rental of the accounting software and related maintenance services, a group of Microsoft office applications, mobile services, web and mail hosting services and a cloud fax solution. Currently, the architecture of the ICT system is in the form of an extended star so it was proposed to connect devices in a star which will have one centered device. Since this architecture will make that device a ‘single point of failure’, the risk is prevented by employees’ mobile devices. Thus, in case of need, employees can connect laptops to an independent mobile network in order to access data in the cloud.

The cost analysis of the existing ICT solution and migrating to the cloud clearly shows that the difference in price is not significant. More precisely, for a period of four years, the cloud solution cost about 350 euros more than the on-premise solution. In addition, equipment loses value over the years, which has not been included in the cost analysis. So, with this added to the equation we can conclude that cloud solution is financially more favorable.

Finally, cloud solutions provide companies with a much higher level of security. After transferring data to the servers of the cloud service providers, the company will enjoy greater security, and thus – stability.

In a stable environment, companies can achieve their growth, which is definitely something that SMEs think about every day.