3 things to consider when migrating data

Businesses may opt to move their data for a number of reasons such as accessibility, improving security and increasing flexibility. Data migration can be as simple as downloading an excel document and uploading it to a database or can be as complex as moving large volumes of complex, varying data from a server to a multi-cloud or a hybrid cloud solution. The latter will require a high level of expertise, therefore an increased level of consideration.

Ardents engineers have worked on multiple data migration projects from collating near-real-time social media data and moving it to a scalable 10TB data lake to moving entire company data from an SQL server to Amazon Redshift. With considerable experience in data migration, our engineers give an insight into the key things to consider when migrating data for your business.

Migrating data

Due to the nature of large scale data migration and the complexity that comes with it, it will require a high level of expertise and skills to do it effectively. This is why a lot of businesses will outsource data migration to data experts such as Ardent, that have the right skills and expertise to carry out effective and streamlined data migration. With over a decade of experience working with big data, our engineers have worked with a variety of data ranging from near-real-time set-top box data to large scale market research survey data. Read our data success stories here.

Outsourcing data migration

Most organisations will not have in-house data teams so they may need to outsource their data migration services. Although there may be some concerns about outsourcing, it can be a cost-effective solution to get access to highly skilled and experienced data engineers. A company must ensure they carry out their due diligence and carefully select thier data services partner. Some points to consider when outsourcing data migration are:

• Level of expertise and skills
• Experience in dealing with similar scale and types of data
• Technologies used
• Certification and accreditations
• Communication channels
• Support after the project
• Security of information and data

Ardents data engineers have been providing scalable and secure data solutions to a variety of clients for over a decade. Here are some of the key benefits of outsourcing data migration:

• Cost-effective – Businesses can avoid spending time and resources to hire a data team
• Expertise – You can access the right skills and expertise quickly and efficiently
• Experienced engineers – Work with engineers that have a vast range of experience

Choosing the right data migration partner

There has been a huge surge in moving data to the cloud, especially in the wake of the pandemic which catapulted the remote working movement. Additionally, businesses are operating in hybrid and multi-cloud environments to reap the benefits on offer. Some businesses choose to store their most sensitive data on private clouds and other data on public cloud to offer flexibility and cost-efficiency. If you are looking to move data to a cloud solution, then carrying out research is key. Evaluate the services on offer by each cloud provider in line with your business goal to find the perfect fit. Ardent’s highly experienced data engineers have worked with leading cloud providers such as AWS and Microsoft moving Microsoft workloads to AWS and vice versa and from one database system to another. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the right data migration partner are:

• Customer references
• Technical ability
• Data security practices
• Customer support  

Data security

Robust data security practices are essential especially when migrating data. Data migration can make your data vulnerable to threats and leaks as there may be changes to the security setting and data permissions. Therefore, whether you are migrating your data in house or are outsourcing with a data service provider, you need to ensure robust data practices. If you are considering outsourcing data migration then you may want to work with partners that have security certifications. At Ardent, we are an ISO 27001 certified company and ensure that we provide our data services in line with data security best practices.

Ardents data engineers and data migration services

Ardents data engineers have worked on a wide variety of projects dealing with big data of various types and sizes. With established partnerships with leading cloud providers such as Microsoft, AWS, Snowflake, Domo, MongoDB and many others, we offer several data services tailored to each client, including data migration.

If you are looking for a credible, trusted and reliable technology partner with expertise and skillset to help face business challenges and achieve your business goals, then get in touch.