Moving to the cloud is presented as self-evident. Sometimes it is the right call, sometimes not. The difference comes down to a few questions better asked before than after.
The cost calculation is rarely the one announced
The usual argument is that hardware investment disappears. That is true. What is said less often is what appears on the other side of the ledger.
The cost of outbound data transfer, charged by most providers. Sizing, often over-specified at the start out of caution and then never adjusted. Ancillary services — backup, monitoring, fixed addresses — billed separately. And internet bandwidth, which generally has to be increased.
Do the calculation over three years, including those items. The cloud often remains relevant, but rarely for the reason put forward.
Dependence on the connection
This is the tipping point for many Moroccan SMEs. If your business stops when the internet goes down, the question is no longer technical but operational.
Two possible answers: a second link with a different operator and automatic failover, or a mixed architecture keeping critical applications on site.
Where the data sits
Where will your data physically be stored, and under which jurisdiction? The question is legal before it is technical, particularly in view of law 09-08 which governs transfers outside Morocco. See our article on personal data protection.
Insist on a written, precise answer. A vague formula about “European data centres” is not enough.
Reversibility
The most neglected point. What happens if you want to leave in three years?
Check that you can retrieve all your data in a usable format, at a predictable cost, and that proprietary formats do not lock in your history. Migrating in is easy; migrating out without preparation can cost more than the saving achieved.
A staged approach
Migrating everything at once is rarely wise. An order that works well:
- Email, where the gain is immediate and the risk low
- Off-site backup, which answers a real need without touching production
- Non-critical applications
- The core business, last, once you have the experience
This progression lets you adjust the sizing and see the real costs before committing the essentials.
What does not belong in the cloud
Some workloads are better kept on site: applications requiring very low latency, systems driving industrial equipment, and data whose location inside the company is imposed by regulation or by contract.
Frequently asked questions
Is the cloud safer than our own servers?
On physical security and availability, generally yes. On protecting your data, it depends on your configuration: poor access management remains poor access management, wherever the servers sit.
Do we have to migrate everything?
No. A mixed architecture is often the most sensible option for an SME.
How long does a migration take?
From a few days for email to several months for a complete system. Data volume and connection quality are the two decisive factors.
How we help
Systomap assesses whether a migration is worthwhile, sizes the architecture and runs the rollout in stages. See our services.
