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Guide

Get more from your Atlassian tools with cloud

Security and Compliance illustration

To cloud, or not to cloud

Atlassian products have become essential for businesses of all sizes. They help your teams collaborate, plan, and deliver work efficiently. As the world increasingly moves towards cloud computing, Atlassian has been investing heavily in its cloud offerings. That’s why migrating to the cloud is essential, and failing to do so will become increasingly costly.

You will miss out on more and more of its benefits, including improved efficiency and a greater user experience, with updates and new functionality added regularly. But knowing when the right time is for you can be difficult, so we want to make the decision easier for you.

Read on this practical guide for decision-makers to choosing and transitioning to cloud.

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Contents

1. Who this guide is for

2. The cost of doing nothing

3. Why cloud in the first place?

4. Don’t fall for these common myths

5. Give your organization a boost by migrating to Atlassian Cloud

6. How to migrate to Atlassian Cloud in the most efficient, safe, and uninterrupted way

7. The future sits in the System of Work

8. Closing thoughts

9. Important terms to know

 
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1. Who this guide is for

If you use Atlassian products and are considering moving to the cloud, this guide is for you. In it, you’ll learn about the benefits of Atlassian Cloud and how to make the transition go smoothly. You'll also discover the key steps in migrating to the cloud and learn how to get the most out of your Atlassian tools in a cloud environment.

IT Directors/ CIOs

You're responsible for the overall IT strategy and budget. You need to understand how Atlassian Cloud can help you reduce the total cost of ownership, improve security, and support your business goals. Learn how Atlassian Cloud can help you hit your IT objectives and support your organization's growth.

IT Managers

As you manage day-to-day IT operations, you need to ensure a smooth, minimally disruptive transition to the cloud and know the ins and outs of each tool. Learn how to plan and execute a successful cloud migration and efficiently manage your Atlassian tools in the cloud.

System Administrators

You need to understand the technical details of cloud migration and how to maintain your systems once in the cloud. Discover the technical steps in migrating to Atlassian Cloud and how to manage your cloud environment effectively.

Heads of Development/Engineering

You lead teams that rely on Atlassian tools for software and product development. You must understand how Atlassian Cloud can improve collaboration, accelerate development cycles, and support your team's productivity. 

Procurement/
Legal teams

As someone responsible for evaluating software contracts and ensuring compliance, you need to understand the legal and financial implications of moving to Atlassian Cloud. This guide will help you better understand the contract terms, pricing, compliance, and data security. 

2. The cost of doing nothing

We get it. Change can be daunting. Staying on Data Center might seem easier in the short term, but it can cost you more in the long run. You’ll miss out on new features and updates by staying on it and potentially face security risks and performance issues. With more and more businesses migrating to the Cloud, now’s the time to start considering your options.

Think of it this way: You wouldn't keep driving an old car that constantly breaks down and lacks modern safety features, would you? At some point, upgrading to a newer, more reliable model is your best bet.

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Let’s look around

AirFrance - KLM saved $600,000/ year when migrating to Atlassian Cloud and eliminated 48+ hours of downtime per month

Dirac saved over €20,000, streamlined operations, and boosted security by migrating to Atlassian Cloud.

Mercedes-Benz removed 100% of server maintenance of their 30,000+ user platform.

 

Remember

Moving to Atlassian Cloud gives you several clear advantages:

  • Your costs will be lower.
  • Cloud security is more reliable.
  • Collaboration and teamwork will be better.
  • Cloud solutions scale as your business grows.
  • You get access to the latest innovations and features.

 

What’s next for Atlassian Data Center?

Atlassian continues to support Data Center, but the future is in the cloud. Most of Atlassian's development efforts focus on cloud solutions with new features and integrations often exclusive to it. Staying on Data Center means missing out on many of these advancements, and you may fall behind your competitors who are already leveraging the cloud's benefits.

Moving to Atlassian Cloud is an investment in your company's future. It ensures that you have the best tools and technologies to support your growth and success.
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3. Why cloud in the first place?

Software development moves fast. Cloud computing is now the standard way to do business, so many organizations are moving their work to the cloud. The benefits are just too many to ignore. 

This shift changes how software is created. Development teams need tools that support Agile ways of working, and they need to collaborate and deploy code quickly. Cloud-based platforms are a perfect fit, and Atlassian Cloud is no different. Atlassian has added a variety of useful features, including Rovo, their immensely powerful AI tool that lets you automate tasks and workflows across different tools and platforms.

Of course, some businesses out there cannot use the cloud. But those that don't adapt will generally struggle. So, by being forward-thinking, you can position your company for success. In the end, for most companies, the cloud is inevitable.

Five reasons why cloud is the future

#1 Boost teamwork and get more done

Cloud-based tools improve collaboration by allowing teams to access information and work together from anywhere, especially for remote or distributed teams. Real-time communication and document sharing help improve productivity and decision-making.   

Atlassian offers a suite of collaborative tools (including Jira, Confluence, and Trello) that can be integrated with each other to create a smooth workflow across teams and departments. This improved communication and approach to collaboration will make you more efficient.

  • Work together from anywhere.
  • Access your tools on any device.
  • New features help you work faster.
  • Communicate better with your team.
  • Finish projects more efficiently.

 

Cloud facts: 

  • Organizations migrating from Jira Data Center to Cloud realized developer productivity gains of 20%. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps)
  • Teams using Atlassian Cloud reported a 47% improvement in cross-functional collaboration, with productivity growth estimated at 27% across all sectors. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps)
  • Organizations using Atlassian tools spend 50% less time searching for information, enabling teams to focus more on mission-critical work.

 

#2 Be constantly, positively surprised by new capabilities

Atlassian Cloud is constantly evolving. You always have the latest tools, like Atlassian Intelligence and Rovo, so you’ll always be equipped with the latest functionality to evolve your workflows and boost your productivity. It's like with your smartphone—you never have to search for new features and better performance actively. They just appear with the updates.

  • No need to wait for upgrades or install updates to get new features.
  • Less downtime and disruption due to manual upgrades.
  • Get new features as soon as they're released.
  • Simplify IT management by eliminating the need to handle upgrades.
  • Free up your IT team to focus on other tasks.

Cloud facts:

  • 70% of organizations using Atlassian Cloud report they can implement new features more quickly than those using Atlassian Data Center. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps)
  • 81% of organizations using Atlassian Cloud report that they can more easily adopt new technologies than those using Data Center. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps)

 

#3 It's cheaper and less complex

Cloud helps you reduce your total cost of ownership (TCO) by eliminating the need for expensive hardware and associated maintenance while also saving on software licenses and IT staff. These solutions offer flexible pricing plans that scale with your business, meaning you only pay for what you need.

Cloud solutions reduce complexity as the underlying infrastructure and maintenance are managed for you, so your IT team can focus on other work. Cloud solutions also offer better integration with other cloud services, making your IT landscape simpler.

  • No server costs.
  • Predictable monthly bills.
  • Less work for your IT team.
  • Fewer unexpected costs.
  • Easier to budget.

 

Cloud facts:

Organizations that migrated to Atlassian Cloud realized a 358% return on investment and saved $1.16 million over three years, with a payback period of only 12 months. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps.

#4 Security and compliance are stronger

With the cloud, you’ll always have peace of mind knowing that strong security measures are in place, with a dedicated team of security experts working to protect your data. Atlassian also provides tools like Atlassian Guard (previously known as Atlassian Access) to help you manage security and compliance across your Atlassian Cloud products. All this makes it much easier to meet various compliance standards, such as GDPR, SOC 2 and ISO 27001.

Features like data encryption, access controls, and audit logs are available. You can control user access and permissions to meet your specific security and compliance needs, and regular security updates help protect against the latest threats.

  • Automatic security updates.

  • Data encryption protects your info.

  • Meets industry standards.

  • Reduces the risk of data breaches.

  • Gives you peace of mind.

Cloud facts:

  • 83% of organizations reported improved overall security posture after migrating to Atlassian Cloud. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps)
  • Organizations that migrated to Atlassian Cloud are 33% more likely to report high satisfaction with their ability to meet compliance requirements. (Forrester Total Economic ReportTM of Atlassian and open DevOps)

#5 Grow your business easily

Cloud is more scalable than on-premise solutions. You can scale resources up or down based on your needs. This flexibility is important for growing businesses. Cloud solutions adapt to your changing demands, so you can avoid performance issues and have a smoother user experience.

You can quickly add or remove users and adjust storage capacity and computing power as needed, even if you scale up quickly or deal with irregular demand. With the cloud, infrastructure constraints won’t be an issue for you. 

  • Add new users in minutes.
  • No need to buy new servers.
  • Easily adjust to your needs.
  • Scale your tools as you grow.
  • Supports your changing needs.

Cloud facts:

  • Cloud solutions can support 20,000+ users, and with Enterprise Cloud, you can quickly spin up new instances.

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4. Don’t fall for these common myths

Myth #1

Cloud security isn't as good as on-premise security

Cloud providers like Atlassian put a lot of effort into keeping your data safe. They have teams of experts and use the latest technology. In many cases, cloud security is even better than you can do yourself.

Myth #2

It's hard to meet compliance rules in the cloud

Cloud providers make it easier to meet compliance standards. They give you the tools to comply with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, and since the tools adapt to regulatory changes, you don’t need to keep developing to keep up. They also get audited regularly to prove they are doing things correctly.

Myth #3

If you move to the cloud, you lose control of your data

You still control your data in the cloud as cloud providers give you tools and settings to manage your data and who can access it. You can even choose where your data is stored.

Myth #4

Moving to the cloud is complex and disruptive

If you plan carefully and have the right partner, moving to the cloud can be smooth and efficient. You can minimize downtime and make the transition easy for your teams.

Myth #5

Cloud costs are unpredictable

Cloud solutions offer different pricing plans, so you can choose one that fits your needs and budget. You also get a clear breakdown of your cloud costs, making them easier to manage and predict.

5. Give your organization a boost by migrating to Atlassian Cloud

Moving to Atlassian Cloud benefits your whole company and has the potential to enhance various aspects of your operations. Let's explore how it can improve your service management, enterprise strategy and planning, and software development.

5.1 Manage your services better

Moving your service management to the cloud with Atlassian tools can bring significant improvements. You can streamline processes, resolve issues faster, and boost efficiency across all departments.

Take IT Service Management (ITSM) for example. In the cloud, you can resolve IT issues faster and keep customers happy. Jira Service Management Cloud provides a flexible and scalable platform for managing all your IT services. You can quickly adapt to changing needs and demands without worrying about infrastructure limitations.

These improvements aren’t just for IT. These days, Enterprise Service Management (ESM) is gaining in popularity, meaning you can take the same approach in the cloud for other teams—helping everyone work together better. For example, HR can use Jira Service Management Cloud to handle new employee requests more efficiently, with automated workflows and improved collaboration.

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HR

With cloud-based tools, your HR team can onboard new employees faster, respond to employee requests quickly, and track time off more efficiently.

Marketing

With your marketing services in the cloud, it’s easier for your marketing teams to collaborate on campaigns, manage content approvals, and track marketing assets. 

Legal

When your legal department migrates to the cloud, it can more effectively manage legal requests, track contract reviews, and ensure compliance.

Facilities

In the cloud, your facilities team can more easily manage maintenance requests and equipment repairs and ensure compliance with regulations.

Customer service

Cloud-based tools can help your customer service team resolve issues faster, track customer requests, and communicate better with customers.

Finance

When your finance team uses cloud-based tools, they can process expense approvals, manage vendor inquiries faster, and track financial assets more accurately.

Enterprise Service Management (ESM)

ESM takes the tools and processes of IT Service Management (ITSM) and applies them to other departments, such as handling HR requests or managing legal documents. You collaborate and manage services better across your entire company.

Cloud-based tools make ESM even easier, giving you a central platform everybody can work from and access.

5.2 Plan and execute your strategies like a pro

Cloud-based tools can also help you plan and execute your strategies more effectively, giving you a central hub for managing your projects, planning your work, and tracking your progress. Jira Align is a good example, as it connects your big-picture strategy to the planning and execution of your teams' everyday work across your portfolio.

You create a more Agile and efficient organization by improving service management and strategy planning. This helps you adapt to change and achieve your goals.

Access information anywhere, anytime

Cloud-based tools allow teams to access information and collaborate from anywhere, anytime, which is particularly beneficial for distributed teams or remote workers.

Use real-time data and reporting

Cloud solutions give you real-time data and reporting capabilities to make better-informed, data-driven decisions.

Integrate and automate more

The cloud's ability to better integrate with other cloud services and automation capabilities can improve your workflows, reduce handover time, and increase efficiency.

5.3 Develop better software faster

You can access cutting-edge tools in the cloud to optimize your software development. Your developers can work more efficiently and adapt to evolving needs. Atlassian Cloud supports various development methodologies and has tools for every stage of the development process.

As mentioned before, you can integrate your development tools and automate your workflow. You need less manual effort and can move a lot faster. Not to mention collaboration: Your developers can work together effectively on code reviews, bug tracking, and knowledge sharing.

Release new features and updates faster

Respond more quickly to market demands and customer feedback.

Boost developer productivity

Free your developers from tedious tasks with cloud-based tools and automation capabilities, allowing them to focus on writing high-quality code.

Improve the quality of software

Use advanced testing and quality assurance tools to identify and address potential issues early to deliver a better product.

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6. How to migrate to Atlassian Cloud in the most efficient, safe, and uninterrupted way

Migrating to Atlassian Cloud doesn’t have to be painful, but we do see many companies make it hard on themselves. They may jump in without a solid plan, forget about their data, or not realize how complex their current setup is. Sometimes, they aren’t able to prepare their teams for the change.

At Eficode, we've helped many businesses (from small companies to large enterprises) move to the Atlassian Cloud. Through repetition, experimentation, and general experience, we have perfected the art of cloud migrations. Our proven method works, and with it, the move is quick, safe, and causes as little disruption to your work as possible. In this chapter, we’ll outline how it works.

6.1 Assessment and planning

Before diving into the migration, we look at your current Atlassian setup to create the best migration plan for you. Here are three examples of what we do:

  • Analyze your existing infrastructure and usage patterns.
  • Understand your business goals and how the cloud can support them.
  • Develop a detailed migration plan with clear timelines and milestones.

This way, we can find and address potential challenges early on. For example, we may discover that a forgotten plugin is incompatible with the cloud or that your current user permissions need restructuring. 

6.2 Data migration

Your data is important, so we handle it with care. We use proven methods to migrate your data to the cloud securely. Some organizations that get this wrong suffer data corruption, inconsistencies, or even complete data loss—a nightmare scenario. Here are three examples of what we do:

  • Validate your data before migration to ensure its integrity.
  • Use secure migration tools and techniques to protect your information.
  • Test the migrated data thoroughly in the cloud environment.

We understand your Jira data holds immense value and may include critical components, from meticulous bug reports and intricate project plans to vital customer communications and sensitive internal discussions.

6.3 User preparation and training

A smooth transition involves getting your users ready for the change. Nobody in your organization should feel lost and frustrated in the new cloud environment, or else they may be less productive or resist adoption. Here are three examples of how we prepare you:

  • Conduct workshops and training sessions on using Atlassian tools in the cloud.
  • Create clear and concise documentation to guide users through the new features.
  • Provide ongoing support to address any questions or concerns.

By giving your users the knowledge and skills they need (such as support and tailored training), we pave the way for a successful transition and enthusiastic adoption of the cloud platform.

6.4 Go-live and post-migration support

We’ll stick with you even after the migration is complete, giving ongoing support to help you get the most out of your cloud environment. Here are three examples of what we do:

  • Monitor your cloud instance to ensure optimal performance.
  • Provide ongoing support and maintenance to keep your systems running smoothly.
  • Help you leverage the full potential of Atlassian Cloud.

We're your partner in navigating the cloud and reaching your business goals, so you can count on us to be there for you—ensuring a smooth and successful cloud journey.

6.5 Thrive and continuously succeed in cloud

Moving to the cloud is a big shift. It’s not just about moving your data. It’s about how you manage your Atlassian tools afterward. Our continuous services help you adapt to the cloud and maximize your investment. Find the type of service that fits your needs.

Continuous services

We provide ongoing support for your Atlassian Cloud instance, including troubleshooting, user management, and system updates—everything you need to get the most out of your cloud investment. This allows you to focus on other priorities while we take care of your Atlassian tools.

Managed services

Focus on your core business while we manage your Atlassian Cloud tools. We can handle daily administration and complex configurations, freeing you from these tasks.

Advisory and support

Get ongoing guidance and assistance for your Atlassian Cloud instance—expert help wheneverneeded, from basic troubleshooting to proactive guidance on Atlassian tools and high-performance, cost-efficient cloud environments.

Training and workshops

We offer training tailored to your team’s needs. These sessions can cover topics like using new features, integrations, and automating workflows so your team can quickly become proficient.

7. The future sits in the System of Work

The Atlassian System of Work is a philosophy for how your teams should work together to orchestrate all the moving parts of your business to drive clarity, improve productivity and increase collaboration. It’s more than a set of tools: It’s about the interoperability of your company's various practices, processes, departments, and functions.

By combining this philosophy with cloud products, you can see the connections and interactions between your company goals, the work being done, and the teams doing that work. Not only that, but gaps and hurdles in processes, communication lines, and dependencies start to surface, which might otherwise not be visible. 


  • See how your daily work connects to the bigger picture.
  • Track progress towards your goals and make better decisions.
  • Use automation to connect your tools and make your workflows more efficient.
  • Improve collaboration and visibility across your organization.

In short, by adopting Atlassian’s philosophy of a connected System of Work, everyone can work together better and get more done in less time.

8. Closing thoughts

Moving to Atlassian Cloud has many advantages. You get the latest features, improve your systems, and reduce your IT burden. However, migrating your Atlassian tools takes careful planning and the right expertise.

We hope this guide has shown you how to approach this process strategically and has helped you learn about the importance of thorough assessments, secure data migration, and preparing your teams for the change. By reading this guide, you've also seen how ongoing support can help you get the most out of your cloud investment.

Moving to the cloud is a journey, not just a one-time event. By understanding the steps involved and the potential challenges, you can make the transition smoother and more successful. Remember: You can always partner with experts with experience in Atlassian Cloud migrations. They can provide guidance and support every step of the way, allowing you to focus on your core business while they handle the technical details.

9. Important terms to know

Atlassian Cloud: Atlassian's cloud-based offering of its products. You access these tools online.

Data Center: The self-managed version of Atlassian products. You host these tools on your own servers.

Jira: A popular project management tool used to plan, track, and release software.

Confluence: A collaboration tool where teams can create, share, and manage content.

Bitbucket: A Git repository management solution for storing and managing code.

API: Allows different software systems to communicate with each other.

Migration: The process of moving your data and systems from one environment to another.

Plugin: Adds functionality to an existing application.

Workflow: A series of steps that define how work gets done.

 

 

Automation: The use of technology to automate tasks and processes.

Assessment: A close look at your current systems to plan your cloud migration.

Data integrity: Ensuring your data is accurate and complete during the migration.

Infrastructure: The hardware and software that support your systems.

On-premise: Hosting your software and data on your own servers.

Cloud environment: Your software and data are hosted on a provider's servers.

User permissions: Control who has access to different parts of your systems.

Go-live: The moment you switch over to the new cloud system.

Cloud provider: The company that provides the cloud infrastructure and services.

 

SaaS: Software as a Service; software delivered over the internet.

IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service; provides access to computing resources over the internet.

PaaS: Platform as a Service; a platform for developing and deploying applications in the cloud.

Hybrid cloud: A combination of on-premise infrastructure and cloud services.

Data residency: Where your data is stored.

Downtime: When your systems are unavailable.

Rollback: Reverting to a previous version of your system.

Scalability: The ability to increase or decrease your computing resources as needed.

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