End of Server support: Why migrate to Cloud?

In this digital age, companies face the challenge of adapting processes and IT infrastructure to ever-changing requirements. Next year, such a change awaits Atlassian customers still using the Server version of products, as on February 15, 2024, support for Server will end.

Atlassian and Marketplace Partners will no longer provide technical support, security updates or bug fixes for critical vulnerabilities, in other words, services that protect businesses from threats and security breaches.

Atlassian's decision to end the support of its Server products has far-reaching implications for all companies using them. They now face the big question of whether to migrate to Data Center or Cloud.

Atlassian Cloud is the future

Atlassian Cloud has been the way forward for Atlassian for a while now, and those considering it should be confident in the capabilities offered. Atlassian Cloud provides an always updated and highly secure platform that gives teams the tailwind to focus on business priorities as hosting and the operation of SaaS products lie with Atlassian, simplifying administration and strengthening team collaboration.

Atlassian Cloud offers seamless scalability, allowing organizations to flexibly adjust resources to keep pace with growth demands. Integrated security features (for Premium, Enterprise and Atlassian Access extended security features apply) ensure sensitive data is protected with comprehensive data protection measures.

Cloud also meets various compliance standards and helps companies meet regulatory requirements. In addition, it offers reliability and higher availability of services, as it is based on a robust and highly available infrastructure. Also, automated maintenance and regular backups ensure smoother operations and protection of corporate data.

By migrating to Atlassian Cloud, companies can reduce their operating, IT maintenance, and depending on the plan, hardware costs. Since the maintenance and updating of infrastructure is handled by Atlassian, companies no longer have to incur the expense of operating and maintaining their own Server infrastructure. This saves resources and reduces costs.

If you are still undecided about whether to migrate to Data Center or Cloud, try not to dawdle with your decision since, although Server won't shut down until the beginning of next year, a migration can take several months. It is therefore important to deal with the project as soon as possible.

Cloud migrations at a glance

Do you know how long a Cloud migration takes? We can tell you. It can take as long as nine months from decision to launch, and quite often, longer. This is because Cloud migrations are a huge undertaking in which expectations and possibilities must be clarified in advance, various scenarios must be considered, and steps checked several times over. That's why we advise you to migrate as soon as possible.

Assess phase

Most migrations begin with an assessment. Here, the customer and Solution Partner take stock of the current landscape and identify the differences between Cloud and self-managed deployments. Factors such as functions, maintenance, security, and costs are analyzed so that both sides can develop a comprehensive understanding of the scope and capabilities.

The following questions are clarified in this phase:

• Migration vs. transformation: What basic functionality is currently in use? What does the customer want?
• Apps: What is the level of customization (complexity) of the customer's products? Are there apps or integrations that can prevent a migration?
• Growth/scalability: Can Cloud meet customer expectations?
• Identity: What does the user lifecycle look like? Is there a need for advanced security measures?
• Compliance: What data is stored in Atlassian products? Is outsourcing of data allowed? What security checks are needed to approve a SaaS solution?

Plan phase

The planning phase includes determining the migration strategy, identifying the data and resources to be migrated, and creating a detailed schedule. It is important to extensively plan each step and ensure that all necessary steps to minimize downtime and potential disruption are accounted for. Thorough planning will ensure that the migration runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible while maintaining business continuity.

Prep phase

Once the plan and timeline are in place, it's time to prepare all stakeholders, environments, and data for the upcoming migration. This includes discussing responsibilities and details of the migration with stakeholders and involved teams, determining the type and frequency of communications, cleaning up the Server instance, and checking installed apps for Cloud suitability.

This phase can take several days or even weeks, depending on the size of the project. It is best to allow sufficient time to complete all preparations. The time required for the checking of installed apps, in particular, should not be underestimated.

Consider a Solution Partner who has already migrated apps in other projects and who knows alternatives for apps without a Cloud version. Even better is if they have a rapport or partnership with the vendors.

Test phase

We recommend all customers, regardless of their size or complexity, perform a test run prior to the actual production migration. This involves checking that all systems are working correctly and whether there are any bottlenecks.

As part of the test migration, it is important to perform user acceptance testing. This allows end users to replicate typical day-to-day tasks in Cloud and ensure that they work as expected.

Once the testing phase is complete and final dates as well as responsible parties are ready, the official plan, including dates, potential downtime, contacts and training materials, is communicated.

Migration phase

The migration is carried out, and users and their data are moved to Cloud. Afterward, it is checked that everything has been migrated as expected and is in working order.

Launch phase

Congratulations, the migration is complete! Now stakeholders should be informed about the current status with an overview of the achieved goals and the migration process.

To help teams acclimate to the new environment, time should be scheduled for potential migration issues, feedback or questions. It is important that team leads are available during this adjustment period and open communication should be encouraged. This supports a smooth transition and allows users to quickly become familiar with the Cloud environment.

Atlassian dual licensing and loyalty discount

To make the move to Cloud even more attractive, Atlassian has launched various discount programs, including dual licensing and loyalty discounts. They take into account the cost aspect of a Cloud migration and aim to relieve companies on a financial level.

Atlassian dual licensing

Most companies run both an on-premise and Cloud instance during the migration and have to bear costs for both. Dual licensing circumvents these duplicate costs as customers only have to pay for Cloud licenses and not for the renewal of their equivalent on-premise licenses.

Once Cloud licenses have been purchased, Atlassian provides a 100% discount on the renewal of on-premise licenses for a period of up to 12 months.

Note: This only applies to companies that meet certain conditions.

Atlassian loyalty discount

If customers purchase or renew Jira Software Cloud, Jira Work Management Cloud, Jira Service Management Cloud or Confluence Cloud before July 1, 2023, Atlassian will give them a 20% discount, again, this only applies to companies who meet certain conditions.

What are you waiting for?

Given the impending changes and timing challenges, it is critical for Atlassian Server customers to address migrating to their preferred version of the products, whether that be Data Center or Cloud. It's the only way to ensure security and business continuity.