In the last decade or so, the push toward having instant access to whatever you want from anywhere has become more and more of a reality. Due to the advancement of smartphone technology and cloud integration, we’ve almost reached a point of perfection when it comes to this concept. However, not every independent software vendor (ISV) has made the change to cloud-based services yet, but many of them have started to make the change due to customer demand.
Even though these companies want to change, though, there are some challenges that come with such a drastic shift. One such problem is figuring out how to migrate single-tenant software to the cloud. Fortunately, that’s what we’re here to cover today, and it’s actually not as complex as it might seem on the surface.
What Are All the Reasons for This Push Towards Cloud Usage?
We’ve already mentioned the immense consumer demand for cloud-based services, but there is a lot more to it than just that. ISVs are getting pushed towards using the cloud for a multitude of reasons, which we’ll cover here.
It’ll Help Keep Current Customers Happy
The number one thing a company needs to do is focus on keeping their current customer base happy. If they want to have cloud functionality, and their current service provider isn’t offering it, they have no reason to stay. They will jump ship for the first company that does offer what they’re looking for. In order to keep their current customers on board, they need to make changes to give them what they want.
It’ll Open Up New Markets
On top of keeping old customers happy, switching to cloud-based offerings will open up these ISVs to new customer segments that they couldn’t reach before. The internet is an expansive environment, and it’s continually growing. If you make your service an integrated part of it, more people will start to take notice. Plus, consumers love when companies embrace change instead of ignoring it, and some of them will take an interest in you for that factor alone.
It’ll Keep the Company Alive
The most important thing to be aware of, though, is that companies that don’t adapt tend to die out. While there are cases in which sticking to your guns is a good idea, that’s typically not the case when it comes to technological advancements. ISVs need to integrate with the cloud in order to survive. Failing to do so might work for a little while, but you’ll eventually get left behind the rest of the competition.
How Should Companies Go About Making the Migration?
One thing that holds some companies back from making the change to the cloud is how difficult it can be. This type of transfer involves a lot of data and programs that might not be 100% compatible with the new system. Even though each ISV will have its own set of issues when it comes to this, as long as they stick with a single-tenant software for the migration, they shouldn’t have too much of a struggle.
The best way to do this is to group your tenants either by network or accounts. Regardless of which you choose, keeping these sections separated will help critical security and management tools remain centralized for your tenants. Plus, you can optimize each section individually, leading to a more streamlined experience that allows you to make changes to that section when needed without affecting the others.
As far as the actual migration goes, it’s best to utilize virtual machines. VMs use multiple database platforms that adjust to your setup seamlessly, leading to an easier transition. In most cases, you can complete the migration in just a few days when using this technique. As an added bonus, none of your systems actually become messed up in the migration process if a problem occurs, since it gets done virtually.
Why Do Companies Want To Switch to Multi-Tenant Software?
Now that you know how to migrate single-tenant software to the cloud, the hard part is over, but that doesn’t mean the process is entirely over. The transformation to cloud-based services typically comes with a need to switch from single-tenant software to multi-tenant. We saved this for the end because the migration is much easier when in single-tenant, but if you want to fully embrace the cloud, you’ll want to look into multi-tenant. First, let’s take a look at the difference between them.
Single Tenant
The single-tenant format makes a lot of sense for ISVs because it allows you to keep all your clients separated. This not only helps keep potential hackers from being able to easily spread from one customer to another, but it also reduces the risk of your customers accessing each other’s data, whether it was accidental or on purpose. Plus, this level of separation lets you customize your software for your client’s needs.
Multi-Tenant
While those benefits are solid, once you start scaling due to your cloud integration, you’ll need to switch to multi-tenant. This method will help lower costs and reduce customer onboarding time since you won’t have to set up a new server every time you bring on someone new. Most single-tenant systems have a lot of wasted space. With multi-tenant, you’ll make sure to use up all the server room you have before expanding to new ones. When you start growing faster than ever before, this type of time savings will help you bring in a lot more money.
Should You Try To Do This All on Your Own?
We covered a lot today in this blog post, and it might be a lot to take in and process. However, you’re not alone. Atmosera is here to help. We offer state-of-the-art software development consulting services. If you set up your cloud services through us, we will be able to help you through any struggles you might encounter during this transition.
We can help you with things such as app modernization, cross-platform mobile development, and much more. Plus, you will be setting up your cloud services through Microsoft Azure, one of the leading cloud providers in the industry. You can’t go wrong with a service as diverse yet accessible as this one.
