Workload by workload.
THE PRINCIPLE
Decide per workload, not for the business as a whole.
WHAT SUITS CLOUD SERVICES WELL
Email File storage and collaboration Accounting and business applications Websites Backups Anything needed from several locations
WHAT MAY NOT
Very large data sets accessed constantly Applications with strict latency requirements to local equipment Systems that must work without a connection Anything with specific residency obligations
WHAT TO ASSESS FOR EACH
Who needs access and from where How much data moves What happens during an outage What obligations apply What it costs annually, both ways
WHAT TO AVOID
Moving everything because a move was decided Moving nothing because one thing did not suit
WHAT MOST BUSINESSES END WITH
A mixture, chosen deliberately.
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
The decision for each, and why.
That prevents revisiting the same argument annually.
