Migration with minimal risks

Although the cloud has an inherent set of benefits, advantages, and simplifications, many businesses still operate premises-based collaboration systems and applications. With the inherent risk and business disruption paired with the cloud migration of business communications and collaboration, we are witnessing most businesses being more risk averse and they value a lack of disruption over the benefits of new features.

On the intersection of the risk and uncertainty of the complexity of migrating business communications to the cloud, and the advantages of cloud collaboration especially on the subjects of reducing cost and complexity, NIL positions knowledge and experience in planning, risk assessment, simplification, and versed practice to de-risk and simplify migrations. The responsibility to de-risk and simplify migrations currently falls between the cloud communications service providers and businesses themselves. As a trusted consultant and solution provider, NIL has the advisory capacity for businesses for the path forward to cloud collaboration.

Hybrid Cloud Collaboration Migration and Deployment

Phased migration approach

Many communication service providers currently offer two distinct communications offers: the first offer is aimed at premises-based solutions (mostly SIP trunking and network services), and the second is aimed at cloud solutions.

NIL’s business communications migration to the cloud offer is focused on minimizing risk as well as giving businesses a starting point and sets of options. The pre-set migration paths allow customers to make the case for migration. When planning for migration, we separate and observe two approaches:

  • Phased services migration approach: Communications services delivered from the cloud can be structured and delivered in phased steps. Line services, such as hold, forward, and do not disturb, are separated from instant messaging and presence or web and video conferencing. It is within the phased separation that we see the most prevalent use-case for hybrid collaboration business services.
  • Phased site by site migration approach: Within the phased site-by-site migration approach, we work with businesses to migrate the collaboration services one site at a time. Focus is deemed the greatest advantage in this approach. The time needed is allocated to make sure that each site is completed and operational before moving teams onto the next site. Impact with this approach is limited to a single site or a set of sites, while allowing for a learning curve for any specific issues for a specific business. Site by site migrations are also combined with the use of hybrid cloud collaboration deployment models.

In addition to the de-risk migration planning and the cutover execution, security is always tightly incorporated into the planning process. Incremental migration plans support and help structure the security plans.

Hybrid collaboration solutions and services

Hybrid solutions for collaboration services consist of any combination or a mix of premises, public cloud, and private cloud delivered solutions. Technology use cases for hybrid collaboration services deliver value in the following area:

  • Meetings – Technology that helps bring people together to create, communicate, and collaborate using different devices and modalities. These services are delivered mostly from the cloud as Software as a Service (SaaS).
  • Messaging – Technology that helps exchange messages and share files with another person or a group of people. The service can be delivered from premises or private cloud, or public clouds.
  • Calling – Enterprise telephone services, mostly delivered by a premises PBX.
  • Enhanced user experience – Provide the user with feature rich services and abilities to access, use, and control the meetings, messaging, white boarding, and calling capabilities.
  • Incorporate video, desktop sharing, and persistent messaging into meetings – Value add services, part of the hybrid collaboration experience
  • Support teleworkers and branch offices – Employees work from multiple locations, satellite offices, home offices, and over the Internet.
  • Collaborate with ease with external organizations – Easily share information, interact in real time, and communicate using technologies beyond email and phone.

Why NIL?

With the mix of managed equipment, private and public cloud offers, and every service offered from premises, cloud, or any combination thereof, NIL helps businesses plan a prudent and transparent cloud migration. Emulating a single cloud from a functional, economical, and delivery point of view provides benefits in the form of productivity, cost transparency, and risk deduction.

Our key differentiator is a risk-free migration approach that does not disrupt business operations. It is based on NIL’s decades worth of experience in designing, consulting, managing, monitoring, and operating customers’ collaboration environments.

Want to know more? Contact us!