From Legacy Infrastructure

to the Cloud: A Migration

Journey in 5 Steps

W H I T E PA P E R

More organizations than ever are moving valuable content from legacy infrastructure to
the cloud to improve agility and collaboration. However, migrating content and evolving
with changes in responsibilities that often follow may sound daunting. Having a solid
plan ensures that cloud migration provides a smart strategy for teamwork, streamlined
enterprise applications, and managing security and risk.

THE LIMITATIONS OF LEGACY

The limitations of legacy infrastructure — such as network shares, enterprise content management systems,
paper, general-purpose file servers, and others — have become apparent. Content stored and managed on
network shares and other legacy infrastructure is effectively locked into that environment. This makes engaging
and collaborating extremely difficult for internal teams without access to a specific content silo — and for
outside partners, such as customers, partners, suppliers, auditors, and contingent workers. On top of it all, the
number of enterprise applications that employees use to get work done has proliferated exponentially.

The way users interact with content is evolving away from inefficient, costly, and complex systems. In today’s
business environment of distributed workforces, virtual teams, line of business applications, and device
proliferation, companies need a new way to work that protects them against both malicious and inadvertent
security risks, from hacks to leaked content.

The limitations of legacy infrastructure are particularly challenging, because they result in poor content
management, higher overhead costs, and decreased workplace productivity and security.
From Legacy Infrastructure to the Cloud: A Migration Journey in 5 Steps 2

For instance:
• Every misplaced document takes 8 hours to recreate.
CLOUD CONTENT MANAGEMENT
• A single employee sends 200 sensitive documents as
BENEFITS
attachments, which removes that information from the
security of the enterprise.
Unlike legacy content management solutions, cloud
• The average cost of providing 1 terabyte of file-share content management is optimized for the way
storage to users is $4,000 and requires a dedicated organizations work today. For instance, the importance
full-time staff member for every 1,000 employees. of the extended enterprise — which spans physical
workplaces, traditional headquarters, broad geographic
As a result, many organizations are looking to shift from areas and, critically, collaborators outside the organization
legacy tools to cloud-based digital solutions that can — makes cloud content management far preferable
handle this increasingly diverse and mission critical array of to legacy network shares and on-premise content
enterprise content. Content migration is both a technical management systems which require physical presence.
endeavor but also a change management opportunity.
To make the move safely and confidently, organizations Migration to the cloud also facilitates risk management
should establish and follow a methodical process for in all forms: compliance, legal, security and information
migrating content, associated workflows, and employees governance. With a cloud content management tool, you
to the cloud. can provide your people with seamless, digital technology
while maintaining your strict and specific security
From Legacy Infrastructure to the Cloud: A Migration Journey in 5 Steps 3

requirements. Your migration has a much greater chance for success

if your plan includes substantial investment in time and
Furthermore, teams increasingly spend much of their energy to build a program that your business stakeholders
day working with content from within various enterprise need, and there is a focus on explanation, promotion and
applications. But when content is meant to live in legacy training regarding the benefits of moving away from legacy
infrastructure that cannot integrate with these tools, solutions in favor of a cloud-based solution. Once that
they end up duplicating content, breaking workflows, or foundation is poured, you can begin in earnest with five
leveraging shadow IT to get work done. Cloud content important steps:
management tools integrate into the applications that 1. Analyze your existing data. Your users, data sources
workers use every day – allowing them to access content and content should be inventoried in order to prepare
from one place. for the move. In many cases, you’ll find that not all
of your data needs to be migrated — at least not
Finally, transitioning from legacy infrastructure to the cloud initially. Focus on active content, content that fuels
also supports an important goal for all organizations — to collaborative workflows, and/or content with strict
make better use of valuable IT resources such as people, security or compliance requirements. You also should
budget and management tools. Rather than spending consider your approach to topics like user creation,
budget and resourcing on expensive legacy technology, folder structure, and user permission – and how to
cloud content management allows IT teams to work evolve your strategy on these topics in the cloud.
together with business stakeholders to ensure content
2. Prepare both your content and your processes
initiatives meet their requirements to get work done
for migration. Working closely with your business
effectively.
stakeholders is critical at this point. Work together to
map current workflows and processes, then identify
Even with how simple cloud technology is to use, change
opportunities for enhancements. Consider key
is rarely easy for individuals or organizations. This means
application integrations that would help them move
there will always be challenges with the migration away
more quickly. Use this information to build the project
from legacy infrastructure. But the benefits of migrating
plan and your timeline. In this phase, pilot programs
to a cloud content management platform far outweigh the
are valuable in evaluating your initial assumptions and
challenges.
making necessary adjustments.
3. Execute the migration. Always ensure that you’re
5 STEPS FOR MIGRATING FROM LEGACY approaching the migration step with the most up-to-
INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE CLOUD date information about your content and data, since
some time has likely passed from the point where you
A successful migration of your enterprise content to the made your initial assessment. After executing your
cloud requires a methodical approach that addresses the migration, which could take between hours and days to
technical, business process, and user enablement topics complete, perform final delta copies as well to ensure
essential for success. any mid-migration changes are reflected in your new
digital tools. Also consider maintaining read-only access
But even before the migration commences, it should be to the old system, and work to slowly move users off of
built on a key premise: Ensure your program benefits the the legacy system.
business. If your organization makes the effort primarily 4. Educate and train your users. User engagement is
about the technical migration and not about the business critical throughout the migration. After the move,
transformation it brings about, it becomes an IT exercise continue to build multiple training programs for your
that business users see as a hurdle, not a benefit. users, whether that’s instructor-driven live classes,
self-paced tutorials, or virtual classrooms. Take time to
From Legacy Infrastructure to the Cloud: A Migration Journey in 5 Steps 4

identify and walk through different use cases and the and see—in real time—what’s working and what needs to
new, efficient changes your cloud platform enables. be addressed before frustration builds and dissatisfaction
Your users will want to know if their familiar processes sets in. This needs to happen before, during and after the
will be disrupted, as well as what their new capabilities migration is put in motion, and can often help you define
will be. Cultivate and promote success stories among future projects to continue to enhance the user experience
your users in the training program as well. This is a your cloud initiative is providing.
great time to identify new opportunities for additional
cloud migration projects.
5. Retire the legacy and show the value. Take your time WHAT TO LOOK FOR
to ensure that everything is functioning properly, IN A CLOUD-BASED SOLUTION
users are productive and new use cases are evolving.
You’ll want to retire network shares and other content Once your organization understands the benefits of a
systems as soon as is feasible to achieve your financial, cloud-based enterprise content management solution,
operational, and management goals, but it’s fine to care should be taken to ensure that platform delivers the
be cautious. In the end, be sure to document your essential functionality to power a truly digital organization.
successes, including the speed of new processes and
the synergy driven by connected content – and use This should include:
those stories to facilitate the next content migration • Support for collaboration and mobility across
initiative that you undertake. boundaries, both inside and outside the organization.
• Integration with end-user and departmental
applications for a positive user experience in editing,
PITFALLS TO AVOID managing, analyzing and collaborating with all types of
content.
Since change can be unsettling for organizations, attention
• An intentional security framework, including
should be given to identifying and skirting potential issues
centralized content pools, customer-managed
before they arise.
encryption, automated data retention and governance
policies and support for a full range of compliance
For instance, your migration may hit speed bumps that
mandates.
result in delays and confusion if you fail to account for
end-user input, involvement and buy-in from the start. • Built-in administrative capabilities, such as automatic
This should not be a strictly IT-driven mandate. Migration software updates, native fault tolerance and robust
is about making workforces more productive and achieving reporting, all of which serve to simplify IT management.
important business goals by giving business stakeholders
the information they need, when and where they need
it. Many migrations succeed or fail on the notion of how CONCLUSION
business users participate in the process.
Migrating to cloud content management tools makes a lot
Related to that is the need for proper training and of sense economically, operationally, and in managing risk.
education. Many of the intended benefits of migrating to a However, some organizations still put off the transition.
cloud-based content management platform can be eroded Delaying the migration keeps an organization from
if users aren’t prepped ahead of time – and continuously – unlocking the business benefits of easy, reliable access to
on how to get the most from the platform, and how to both content currently locked in legacy systems.
become and remain productive.
“Kicking the can down the road” will compound the
An open, two-way feedback loop is critical, so you hear problem. Business and IT decision-makers need to change
From Legacy Infrastructure to the Cloud: A Migration Journey in 5 Steps 5

the discussion from the cost of migration to reframe it in a strategic, transformative manner. Instead of seeing
around an important question: “Can I afford to be in the migration as a challenge and a cost, organizations
same position — but with even more data — five years can implement a cloud model that achieves improved
from now?” collaboration, security, and usability.
In this digital age, few organizations will honestly
conclude that sticking with inefficient, legacy For more information about why and how to migrate to
infrastructure will support their need to use content the cloud visit https://box.com/webinars

ABOUT BOX
Box (NYSE:BOX) is the cloud content management company that empowers enterprises to revolutionize how they work by
securely connecting their people, information and applications. Founded in 2005, Box powers more than 97,000 businesses
globally, including AstraZeneca, General Electric, P&G, and The GAP. Box is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, with
offices across the United States, Europe and Asia. To learn more about Box, visit http://www.box.com/.