Migrating to the cloud becomes a question of strategy

Follow-up “2023 Cloud Migration” study by CIO, CSO and COMPUTERWOCHE

Collaboration between IT and the operating divisions is essential for successful migration to the cloud. It requires a well thought out strategy and clear communication to reap the benefits.

There has been a shift in mindset among business leaders and IT decision makers, which means that future cloud migration will be a question of the right strategy for many German companies. They no longer regard the cloud purely as a cost-cutting measure, but rather as a genuine driver of corporate digitalization.

Data security plays an equally important role and a change has occurred here, too. Instead of taking data protection into their own hands before and after migration, an increasing number of companies is trusting high-performance cloud partners with their data security and protection against hacker and ransomware attacks.

Download the study: “2023 Cloud Migration”

Learn how IT managers in the German-speaking region approach the planning and implementation of cloud migration projects, the results they hope to achieve, and the challenges they need to overcome.

Most of them still have no strategy for migrating to the cloud

Companies are hoping to benefit from cloud migration in numerous ways, such as cost reductions, process optimization, and greater IT security. Nevertheless, only 39 percent of the companies surveyed have carried out at least one cloud migration project thus far. Smaller companies with fewer than 500 employees, in particular, have some catching up to do. However, more than half the companies surveyed stated that they plan to conduct such a project in the near future.

The study shows that there is also a need to play catch-up when it comes to cloud migration strategies. Again, the size of the companies in question is key – while almost half of the companies surveyed that have more than 1,000 employees (47.5 percent) are already in the process of implementing a cloud migration strategy, the figure for companies with fewer than 500 employees is only 31.5 percent. 7 percent of these companies have no cloud strategy at all or are not even planning one.

The study was conducted in the period from February to March 2023 by the CIO, CSO and COMPUTERWOCHE Custom Research Team, in cooperation with Lufthansa Industry Solutions and other study partners, and thus serves as a follow-up to the 2021 Cloud Migration study. In an online survey, 321 IT managers at top management level, IT experts and other people from specialist departments involved in strategic IT decision-making processes were questioned in individual interviews.

Download the complete “2023 Cloud Migration” study here as a free PDF.

The study contains:

  • Detailed figures on the planning and implementation of cloud migration projects
  • How satisfied are companies with their migration projects?
  • Benefits that companies expect from cloud migration
  • Looking to the future – keeping it simple is no longer an option
  • Challenges for enterprises in cloud migration projects
  • Overview of how cloud migration is taking place

You can read the full study results, recommendations from experts, and a look into the future of cloud migration projects in the “2023 Cloud Migration” study, which you can download free of charge. The following is a brief summary of some of the important findings and figures.

How are cloud strategy and business strategy related?
The top three reasons for implementing a cloud strategy are: clearly defined and delimited responsibilities and accountabilities, a standardized migration process, and efficient implementation of the migration.
  • Cloud migration often lacks a clear strategy
    What is surprising is that only 40 percent of those surveyed are currently implementing a cloud migration strategy. Nevertheless, the majority has now developed a strategic approach or is in the process of doing so.
  • 80 percent are satisfied with cloud migration projects
    Cloud migration is successful in the vast majority of cases; this is most evident among large companies, whose satisfaction rate is particularly high.
  • Top two goals of cloud migration – digitalization up, costs down
    Companies expect cloud migration first and foremost to boost digitalization (44 percent) and cut costs by speeding up processes (37 percent).
  • Many companies are still in the cloud migration planning phase
    What is disappointing is that only 39 percent of the companies surveyed have carried out at least one cloud migration project thus far. A majority is still planning one for the near or medium-term future.
  • Hardly any fear that switching to the cloud might lead to loss of control
    Companies are not afraid of the cloud. Only five percent of respondents fear a far-reaching loss of control over their applications that have been moved to the cloud.
Download the study: “2023 Cloud Migration”

Learn how IT managers in the German-speaking region approach the planning and implementation of cloud migration projects, the results they hope to achieve, and the challenges they need to overcome.