One of the most difficult tasks that a company has to undergo during its lifetime is data migration. Consequently, it is also one of the most vital ones, and in many cases cannot be skipped. Many company owners absolutely fear it and wish to avoid it at all costs, but smarter companies prepare for it beforehand, as it is something that does end up coming eventually.
What is Data Migration?
You may be wondering exactly what data migration is, and why companies are so afraid of it. To state it simply, data migration is a process in which a company transfers its data into different storage types, formats, or computer systems. This is usually conducted when there is a replacement in the servers or just a general upgrade. The problem lies in the fact that it is a very hectic and long process, that requires many hours to fully complete without any issues left behind.
Not only that, but data migration handles data, which is undoubtedly the most useful asset of any company. Losing data, or causing errors to arise in it, can often be one of the biggest losses for any company. It is, therefore, essential to get good quality data migration services, to make sure that the process goes smooth, fast, and efficiently.
The various steps that a company undergoes while performing data migration are:
- Planning of the Migration
- Designing of the Migration
- Implementation of Migration
- Operation of the Migration
Issues That May Arise
If Data Migration is not handled properly, various issues may arise that can cause disturbances in a company’s overall infrastructure. These issues can start from Data Migration risks to IT and Business related risks. Thus, if proper data migration services are not employed, a company opens itself up to various issues such as corruption of data, lack of complete data migrated, and target application risks. IT risks can include data loss, application not being stable, delays being experienced, and budget being overrun.
These smaller issues can all form together to create larger problems for the business and company such as profitability being minimized, reputation being harmed, or rules and regulations being broken.
These issues can do much to damage a company’s name as a suitable provider of data services, and decrease its profitability, and reputation. If a company cannot perform a task and complete it within the allotted time, then profitability is greatly damaged, and not as much is earned as is initially planned.
Improper handling of a client’s data can lead to damage to a company’s reputation, which will obviously result in lesser clientele in the future. So, investing a bit more time in this process, along with a bit of extra money, can actually end up saving a lot of time, and money in the future. Companies need to assess the situation and realize the benefits of getting professional help, and the number of risks that can be avoided if help is taken.
With that stated, it should become apparent that the benefits of getting the right type of data migration services and the risks that you open yourself up to, if you do not get the proper services. This is a very difficult and long process and thus should be given in the hands of people who are trained and capable of ensuring that it is done correctly. What most companies stumble upon is not thinking that data migration is as vital as it really is, this leads to the mistake of giving it to non-experts who deliver unprofessional and lackluster results, which harm the companies in many different ways.
Data is nothing short of a prized possession and thus, it should be treated like one and should be handled with care and delicacy to avoid issues like
- Corruption of data
- Incomplete transferrals
- Instability
from arising.
