Forums

Full Version: Advantages of Migrating to SharePoint Online
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
No one really likes moving. It’s one of those times that friends regret owning a truck. However, while the process can be full of headaches, hard decisions and a lot of work, the end result usually is an improved situation.

This is especially true when moving from your crowded apartment, with little to no storage for all your stuff, to a new spacious home in the suburbs.
There are still transition issues to deal with, but at least you’ll have a place for your growing collection of Star Trek memorabilia.
The same is true for most organizations looking to migrate to SharePoint Online from SharePoint On-Premises (or from anything, for that matter). Migrating from on-premises SharePoint to Office 365, like anything else, has its fair share of pros and cons that can make the process frustrating but the long-term rewards worth it.
Due to its many benefits, especially its seamless integration with Office 365, many organizations are moving their server-based SharePoint products to SharePoint Online. However, the question must be asked, “Is SharePoint Online the right choice for your organization?”
For organizations already running SharePoint On-Premises, migrating to its cloud version may be somewhat easier, but for first-timers, it could entail some pitfalls, headaches and things to consider that will keep you up at night staring at the ceiling.
That’s why it’s so important to understand what’s in store ahead of time. It could save hours of otherwise avoidable downtime while helping you make the most of the benefits.

[Image: ac1.jpg]

With that in mind, consider the advantages and downsides. Before making the move to SharePoint Online, let’s take a break to understand what the cloud version of SharePoint is all about, its pros, cons and most importantly, whether it’s the right choice for you.

[b]Advantages of Migrating to SharePoint Online[/b]

1. Rolling Releases
Users who migrate to SharePoint Online get to enjoy a rolling release model of new updates, improvements, and features. With SharePoint On-Premises, organizations are stuck with the point release model — which may entail the uninstallation of previous versions and installation of the newer version. Since new features are automatically pushed to SharePoint Online, users get to enjoy newly released upgrades much earlier.

2. Office 365 Included
Your SharePoint Online subscription provides users with access to an awesome variety of useful tools, including Office 365 at no additional cost. If you purchase SharePoint On-Premise you would have to pay for these additional licenses. All of this adds up to more effective collaboration. Users can collaboratively build websites that can be used to create workflows, assign email tasks, share files, start blogs, and so on. It also comes with Delve, a unique visual search tool that helps users search for data within Office 365 (whether it’s a document you’ve been working on or files that you have permissions to view).

3. 99.9% Uptime
[Image: ac2.jpg]When you migrate from SharePoint On-Premise to the online version, you’re investing in an excellent uptime-to-downtime ratio. This frees you up to focus on your own company’s performance instead of worrying about whether or not services will be reliable. With a 99.9% service-level–agreement reliability, SharePoint Online is truly phenomenal. Combined with an outstanding support team (handling tickets within one business day), migrating to SharePoint Online sure seems worth the trouble.

4. Reduced Cost
Broadly speaking, SharePoint Online is cheaper for most companies, especially when compared to purchasing every new upgrade of the On-Premise version once it is released. Although your total cost of ownership for SharePoint On-Premise will vary, migrating to SharePoint Online reduces heavy upfront hardware and licensing costs, the need for onsite backup software, electricity consumption, hardware maintenance costs and other associated costs of running SharePoint’s On-Premise version.

5. Improved Storage Capacity
There’s a huge emphasis on digital data management in businesses today, so the more storage space you have, the better your potential for growth. In addition to new features which help boost its already robust performance, SharePoint Online allows users access to 1 TB plus 10 GB per user license (up from 1 TB for the tenant and an additional 500 MB per licensed user) and increased file upload sizes of up to 15 GB.  In terms of SharePoint Online pros and cons, this is a major pro if you value scalability.

6. Zero Maintenance
Unlike SharePoint On-Premise which require in-house teams for maintenance and technical support, all technical assistance for back-end processes in SharePoint Online is handled by the Microsoft team. This means that all underlying hardware and platform problems, as well as server upgrades and patches are covered by Microsoft.
This is a major advantage since large organizations that want to maintain healthy on-premises SharePoint servers will need to hire dedicated IT staff to support end users, stay on top of latest updates and patches, review hardware resources and handle all repairs and replacements. Even small and medium-size organizations still need at least one SharePoint Migration expert on their payroll.

7. Hybrid Deployment
Although SharePoint Online comes with a host of Microsoft’s top-notch security features, some users still have fears about data security. They are reluctant to move their financial data, customer and employee data, trade secrets, innovations, research data and other sensitive information out of their network. However, they can still enjoy the benefits of SharePoint Online via a third option — hybrid deployment. Keep the most sensitive files on-premise and move the rest to the cloud.
 
Read more about how to migrate sharepoint from one tenant to another and how to migrate sharepoint on premise to online from Apps4Rent.