• Agencies can swiftly and independently reconfigure and redeploy the modular components by deconstructing and re-architecting applications into a collection of microservices.
• According to research by the Cloud Security Alliance, 90% of CIOs had at least one disrupted or failed modernization project.

The need to adjust to the requirements of a shifting market cannot be overstated enough. Cloud-native applications help companies create digital platforms that boost efficiency, speed up innovation within the company, and increase revenue.

This means that cloud-based enterprise application modernization services are essential for future-proofing IT to meet the needs of the digital age. It has demonstrated its value to businesses by delivering scalability, cost savings, and security.

Today’s businesses prefer cloud computing because it allows them to utilize their existing on-premises expertise better.

Modernization is essential to make the most of new technology and adapt to the evolving needs of businesses. Realizing the benefits of cloud modernization requires an all-encompassing strategy that considers apps, infrastructure, and services.

What is Cloud Application Modernization?

Modernization of cloud-based applications is a term that is frequently used and often inaccurately. It is insufficient to migrate existing infrastructure to the cloud using a lift-and-shift methodology.

Unlocking the full benefits of the cloud is a continual, iterative process that requires a comprehensive reevaluation of the application portfolio.

With older cloud-based apps, modifying or scaling a component necessitates updating the entire application, like running the same on-premises.

Agencies can swiftly and independently reconfigure and redeploy the modular components by deconstructing and re-architecting applications into a collection of microservices.

These can be improved with cloud-native technologies such as containerization, serverless architectures, and DevOps.

What are Common Types of App Modernization?

The most common methods of application modernization include:

• Rehosting: Rehosting, also called “lift and shift,” entails shifting software or servers from the current environment to a public cloud infrastructure. Rehosting is the conventional approach for companies just beginning their modernization journey. This option does not necessitate changes to the code, features, or functions. Data is transferred to the cloud while business logic is maintained.
• Refactoring: This technique of application modernization involves rewriting major portions of a legacy application’s underlying code to improve its performance in a new environment, typically the cloud. It assists in eliminating technical debt and enhancing nonfunctional features.
• Replatforming: As an alternative to rehosting or refactoring, re-platforming simply transfers preexisting cloud-based apps to a new cloud service provider without making any substantial changes to the original application. The term “re-platforming” refers to updating an application to communicate with a cloud-native managed database, switching the OS or middleware it uses, or packaging the application in a container. Companies can boost scalability and developer efficiency through re-platforming.
• Replacing: It is important to consider decommissioning an application when it is no longer required in a cloud environment. Applications should be replaced when their functionality is duplicated elsewhere in the environment, they are of little value, or it is more cost-effective to replace them than to move them.

How can Cloud Modernization Help?

To modernize an application further means breaking down the application into pieces and then taking each part and building it to gain efficiencies and reduce costs.

Modernizing your data swiftly transforms your business into one driven by analytics and data. Modernization is the key to getting all the long-term value and benefits of running your IT infrastructure and applications in the cloud.

That means you need to keep looking at your infrastructure, cloud applications, and services to ensure they’re helping you reach your business and IT goals and working as well as they can.

Businesses must update their apps, infrastructure, and data to realize their full potential.

• Modernize your apps: Moving your apps to the cloud would save money and fix technical debt problems. But how much would your users and employees use it? You need to update your cloud-based applications to get the most out of the cloud ecosystem.
• Modernize the infrastructure: As software-defined infrastructure takes over the world, working in the new “infrastructure as code” system is important. Modernizing infrastructure is important in this kind of setting because it allows for more automation and management based on intelligence, which can cut costs.
• Modernize your data: Data is the third main part of a strategy for modernizing. On-premises data is difficult, expensive, rigid, and hard to keep up with in organizations today. On the other hand, data on the cloud is safe, easy to scale, flexible, and easy to move around.

Why is Cloud Modernization Important?

Businesses can migrate their aging on-premises software to the cloud with modernization.

By doing this, you may benefit from certain advantages, including –

• A quicker time to market
• Increased scalability
• Flexibility
• Cheaper costs

Application modernization improves workflow and boosts productivity for enterprises.

Trends in App Modernization

When coming up with a plan for application modernization, keep the following trends in mind:

• Multi-cloud environments: Multi-cloud refers to using multiple public cloud service providers for virtual data storage or computing power resources, with or without private cloud and on-premises infrastructure. According to Gartner, multi-cloud strategies are now more of a question of when than if. Many enterprises have 70% of their cloud portfolio with one provider and diversify the remaining 30%.
• Hybrid-cloud environments: A hybrid cloud is a combination of public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises infrastructure. With data currently held in on-premises data centers, 77% of business global infrastructure decision-makers who are planning, adopting or updating cloud infrastructure report being in a hybrid-cloud environment, according to Forrester.
• Containers and orchestration: One popular way to package, deploy, and manage applications and workloads is with containers and orchestration. Even though you can put a legacy app in a container, containers are best for development and operations that are less tied together (i.e., microservices).

How Can We Do It?

Even while the rationale for cloud application modernization in state and local governments is compelling, it can be challenging to implement.

According to research by the Cloud Security Alliance, 90% of CIOs had at least one disrupted or failed modernization project.

To maximize chances of success, agencies must take time to plan, navigate, engineer, and incrementally execute their cloud app modernization project.

The following steps are an excellent place to start:

• Know the application portfolio:

Most state and local governments have a massive collection of software resources that they can use. Some may have been made to run on mainframes in the early days of computers. They may have been written in languages like COBOL and assembler, which are now outdated and complex to keep up with because the programmers who know how to use them are getting close to retirement age. Some apps are essential to the mission, but others have been forgotten.

It’s essential to keep track of what hardware apps run on, if they depend on each other, what language they were written in, how old they are, and if they pose any known security risks. Since doing this by hand takes much time, many companies buy software to make the process easier. No matter what method you use, try not to take shortcuts during the discovery process. Doing so can ruin any future efficiency gains.

• Remove unused software:

Once a complete picture of the agency’s application portfolio is ready, it’s essential to eliminate unused and out-of-date software. State and local governments are known for keeping old software for a long time. This makes it much easier to keep track of and manage the assets that are still left.

• Consider future needs and goals:

Cloud-native apps provide advantages like nearly limitless computational power, AI-driven tools, and plenty of storage. Agencies must consider translating these extensive capabilities into concrete operations to reap these advantages.

• Find quick wins:

Avoid trying to modernize every application at once since it will be chaotic. Instead, choose the outcomes that come to you quickly. This could entail updating programs to address urgent issues, perform tasks more quickly, or even lessen significant security flaws. Remember that these choices should be supported by knowledge and data.

• Create a roadmap that includes both the overarching infrastructure and individual app:

It will be easier to avoid unpleasant shocks if you have a clear plan (both macro and micro).

• Make ongoing improvements:

You can’t just set up a portfolio of cloud-native apps and forget about them. To track performance, ensure that app data is collected throughout the tech landscape.

The Bottom Line

Modernizing cloud apps for state and local governments will take much work. But to increase resilience, guarantee ROI, and boost productivity, IT decision-makers must make it happen.

The process can be streamlined by choosing a partner with the required expertise, technology, and employees, which will reduce setup times and upfront costs.

• Agencies can swiftly and independently reconfigure and redeploy the modular components by deconstructing and re-architecting applications into a collection of microservices.
• According to research by the Cloud Security Alliance, 90% of CIOs had at least one disrupted or failed modernization project.

The need to adjust to the requirements of a shifting market cannot be overstated enough. Cloud-native applications help companies create digital platforms that boost efficiency, speed up innovation within the company, and increase revenue.

This means that cloud-based enterprise application modernization services are essential for future-proofing IT to meet the needs of the digital age. It has demonstrated its value to businesses by delivering scalability, cost savings, and security.

Today’s businesses prefer cloud computing because it allows them to utilize their existing on-premises expertise better.

Modernization is essential to make the most of new technology and adapt to the evolving needs of businesses. Realizing the benefits of cloud modernization requires an all-encompassing strategy that considers apps, infrastructure, and services.

What is Cloud Application Modernization?

Modernization of cloud-based applications is a term that is frequently used and often inaccurately. It is insufficient to migrate existing infrastructure to the cloud using a lift-and-shift methodology.

Unlocking the full benefits of the cloud is a continual, iterative process that requires a comprehensive reevaluation of the application portfolio.

With older cloud-based apps, modifying or scaling a component necessitates updating the entire application, like running the same on-premises.

Agencies can swiftly and independently reconfigure and redeploy the modular components by deconstructing and re-architecting applications into a collection of microservices.

These can be improved with cloud-native technologies such as containerization, serverless architectures, and DevOps.

What are Common Types of App Modernization?

The most common methods of application modernization include:

• Rehosting: Rehosting, also called “lift and shift,” entails shifting software or servers from the current environment to a public cloud infrastructure. Rehosting is the conventional approach for companies just beginning their modernization journey. This option does not necessitate changes to the code, features, or functions. Data is transferred to the cloud while business logic is maintained.
• Refactoring: This technique of application modernization involves rewriting major portions of a legacy application’s underlying code to improve its performance in a new environment, typically the cloud. It assists in eliminating technical debt and enhancing nonfunctional features.
• Replatforming: As an alternative to rehosting or refactoring, re-platforming simply transfers preexisting cloud-based apps to a new cloud service provider without making any substantial changes to the original application. The term “re-platforming” refers to updating an application to communicate with a cloud-native managed database, switching the OS or middleware it uses, or packaging the application in a container. Companies can boost scalability and developer efficiency through re-platforming.
• Replacing: It is important to consider decommissioning an application when it is no longer required in a cloud environment. Applications should be replaced when their functionality is duplicated elsewhere in the environment, they are of little value, or it is more cost-effective to replace them than to move them.

How can Cloud Modernization Help?

To modernize an application further means breaking down the application into pieces and then taking each part and building it to gain efficiencies and reduce costs.

Modernizing your data swiftly transforms your business into one driven by analytics and data. Modernization is the key to getting all the long-term value and benefits of running your IT infrastructure and applications in the cloud.

That means you need to keep looking at your infrastructure, cloud applications, and services to ensure they’re helping you reach your business and IT goals and working as well as they can.

Businesses must update their apps, infrastructure, and data to realize their full potential.

• Modernize your apps: Moving your apps to the cloud would save money and fix technical debt problems. But how much would your users and employees use it? You need to update your cloud-based applications to get the most out of the cloud ecosystem.
• Modernize the infrastructure: As software-defined infrastructure takes over the world, working in the new “infrastructure as code” system is important. Modernizing infrastructure is important in this kind of setting because it allows for more automation and management based on intelligence, which can cut costs.
• Modernize your data: Data is the third main part of a strategy for modernizing. On-premises data is difficult, expensive, rigid, and hard to keep up with in organizations today. On the other hand, data on the cloud is safe, easy to scale, flexible, and easy to move around.

Why is Cloud Modernization Important?

Businesses can migrate their aging on-premises software to the cloud with modernization.

By doing this, you may benefit from certain advantages, including –

• A quicker time to market
• Increased scalability
• Flexibility
• Cheaper costs

Application modernization improves workflow and boosts productivity for enterprises.

Trends in App Modernization

When coming up with a plan for application modernization, keep the following trends in mind:

• Multi-cloud environments: Multi-cloud refers to using multiple public cloud service providers for virtual data storage or computing power resources, with or without private cloud and on-premises infrastructure. According to Gartner, multi-cloud strategies are now more of a question of when than if. Many enterprises have 70% of their cloud portfolio with one provider and diversify the remaining 30%.
• Hybrid-cloud environments: A hybrid cloud is a combination of public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises infrastructure. With data currently held in on-premises data centers, 77% of business global infrastructure decision-makers who are planning, adopting or updating cloud infrastructure report being in a hybrid-cloud environment, according to Forrester.
• Containers and orchestration: One popular way to package, deploy, and manage applications and workloads is with containers and orchestration. Even though you can put a legacy app in a container, containers are best for development and operations that are less tied together (i.e., microservices).

How Can We Do It?

Even while the rationale for cloud application modernization in state and local governments is compelling, it can be challenging to implement.

According to research by the Cloud Security Alliance, 90% of CIOs had at least one disrupted or failed modernization project.

To maximize chances of success, agencies must take time to plan, navigate, engineer, and incrementally execute their cloud app modernization project.

The following steps are an excellent place to start:

• Know the application portfolio:

Most state and local governments have a massive collection of software resources that they can use. Some may have been made to run on mainframes in the early days of computers. They may have been written in languages like COBOL and assembler, which are now outdated and complex to keep up with because the programmers who know how to use them are getting close to retirement age. Some apps are essential to the mission, but others have been forgotten.

It’s essential to keep track of what hardware apps run on, if they depend on each other, what language they were written in, how old they are, and if they pose any known security risks. Since doing this by hand takes much time, many companies buy software to make the process easier. No matter what method you use, try not to take shortcuts during the discovery process. Doing so can ruin any future efficiency gains.

• Remove unused software:

Once a complete picture of the agency’s application portfolio is ready, it’s essential to eliminate unused and out-of-date software. State and local governments are known for keeping old software for a long time. This makes it much easier to keep track of and manage the assets that are still left.

• Consider future needs and goals:

Cloud-native apps provide advantages like nearly limitless computational power, AI-driven tools, and plenty of storage. Agencies must consider translating these extensive capabilities into concrete operations to reap these advantages.

• Find quick wins:

Avoid trying to modernize every application at once since it will be chaotic. Instead, choose the outcomes that come to you quickly. This could entail updating programs to address urgent issues, perform tasks more quickly, or even lessen significant security flaws. Remember that these choices should be supported by knowledge and data.

• Create a roadmap that includes both the overarching infrastructure and individual app:

It will be easier to avoid unpleasant shocks if you have a clear plan (both macro and micro).

• Make ongoing improvements:

You can’t just set up a portfolio of cloud-native apps and forget about them. To track performance, ensure that app data is collected throughout the tech landscape.

The Bottom Line

Modernizing cloud apps for state and local governments will take much work. But to increase resilience, guarantee ROI, and boost productivity, IT decision-makers must make it happen.

The process can be streamlined by choosing a partner with the required expertise, technology, and employees, which will reduce setup times and upfront costs.

• An August 2021 Gartner Report says that 90% of all organizations worldwide will use containerized applications in production by 2026.
• Containers are an effective approach for developers to bundle and deploy their applications because they are compact and offer a uniform, portable software environment that enables applications to run and scale everywhere.

The world of technology has witnessed three different stages of revolutions. It includes the Industrial Revolution, the Scientific and Technical Revolution and the contemporary Digital Revolution.

What is digital revolution?

Digital Revolution is transitioning from mechanical or analog electronic technologies to digital electronics to store, transfer and use information.

The Digital Revolution period, which began in the 1980s, is still in effect!

It is said that the “Information Era” started with the Digital Revolution. This marks the beginning of the so-called “Digital Revolution,” which began in the second part of the 20th century. The development of the internet and the rise of personal computers kick-started owing to digital revolution! You can also name it is as the “Third Industrial Revolution”!

The growing use of digital computers and the growth of digital information storage are two examples of the digital revolution. More sophisticated computer systems have emerged because of digital revolution.

However, why has it evolved into a revolution?

Many global businesses have gained access to digital technologies in the past two decades, making radical changes to their operations; it is gradually spreading out and increasing productivity across a wide variety of domains, sectors and industries.

Digital technologies have been widely adopted because of several events, forever altering how we exchange and use information.

Hence, a strategic framework is essential for digital technology and application modernization is its significant component.

The process of modernizing applications

Application modernization enables you to expand upon daily used, successful IT investments. It also enables you to continually add value while managing an IT environment that is dynamic and quick to change. With Modernized Applications, you can transform your essential business applications, procedures and infrastructure from the mainframe to the Cloud and quickly innovate with not many risks.

Legacy, Optimize and Modernize are the three phases of the application modernization process. Knowing where you are in the process of application modernization can help you plan your migration strategy.

• Legacy phase
  Your path to the cloud may start by migrating a monolithic (old) application and replatforming it on managed Amazon Web Services also known as AWS services.
• Optimize phase

It offers significant advantages when a re-platformed program is upgraded with infrastructure as code (IAC) and automated CI/CD. Additional benefits of the optimization phase include:

1. Accelerated time to market
2. Rapid innovation
3. Reduced risks

• Streamline phase

An application is containerized on a cloud-native microservices architecture during this stage. Cost optimization can be achieved during this time because:

1. It has reduced costs and maintenance time
2. The use of autoscaling lowers resources. Resource consumption is optimized through container orchestration (using Amazon ECS, Amazon EKS or AWS Fargate).
3. There are no licensing fees or very little of them.

A report from Gartner from August 2021 says that 90% of all organizations worldwide will use containerized applications in production by 2026. This is up from 40% in 2021. Additionally, up from less than 10% in 2020, 20% of all enterprise applications will run in containers by 2026.

Containerization at its best: Containers’ function in application modernization

Modern programs are automatically deployed at scale using containers, promoting cost reductions. They offer a uniform method for combining an application’s dependencies, configurations and code into a single object.

Containers are an effective approach for developers to bundle and deploy their applications because they are compact and offer a uniform, portable software environment that enables applications to run and scale everywhere.

These containers run as resource-isolated process that share an operating system installed on the server. Regardless of the environment, they offer swift, dependable and consistent deployments.

Common applications for containers:

• Quickly begin jobs and dynamically scale them in response to demand.
• Standardize the testing, deploying and updating of code.
• Scale up machine learning models quickly for any platform’s training and execution.
• Applications can be moved more quickly to the Cloud.
• Make it simpler to scale and develop Applications quickly.

How containers aid in cost optimization:

• Minimal or no license fees: Containers can be easily accessed without any extravagant fee structures.
• Costs and time spent on maintenance are cut: There is no need for extra configuration management tools.
• Orchestration for containers: Aligns workload-specific requirements to reduce costs with Amazon ECS, Amazon EKS, or AWS Fargate.
• Fewer materials are needed: Heavy Operating Software or OS images don’t need to be duplicated when using containers. On the same hardware, various applications are active. Instead of requiring multiple hosts to deploy apps, they use a single host.
• Autoscaling: To keep resource costs under control, use measurements (Amazon CloudWatch or Kubernetes Metrics Server) or triggered events with Kubernetes Event-driven Autoscaling (KEDA).
• Downscaling: By terminating superfluous Pods on the weekends and throughout the evenings, Kubernetes Pod hours are optimized.
• You may optimize prices using Amazon EC2 purchase options based on your needs. The possibilities include Spot Instances, Reserved Instances, Savings Plans and others.
• Current CloudOps: Reduces costs and saves time by automating, monitoring and managing workloads and containers.
• Rightsizing: the requests and limits for CPU and memory that each container in a Kubernetes Pod may use.

But why should you build applications on AWS?

Well, by providing a wide range of services and functionalities, AWS helps businesses create cutting-edge applications, with ease.

The AWS serverless services let you design and run applications without putting a lot of thought into it! Your developers concentrate on innovation rather than getting side-tracked by running the underlying operations and infrastructure.

The Microservices architecture!

In this contemporary architecture, an application is created as a group of services. Each microservice manages specific duties while accommodating an application functionality. Because they are loosely coupled, components can be independently deployed and scaled. The integrated building pieces of AWS services facilitate a microservices architecture.

How to begin modernizing your applications:

Here are the key challenges:

• Evaluating the worth of current applications
• Following the guidelines of the AWS Well-Architected Framework for hosting architecture and tooling
• Choosing where and how to start
• Inadequate pre- and post-migration requirements for skills
• Employee and business stakeholder resistance to change

Get started: AWS Cost Optimization Assessment

Organizations are under pressure from the present business climate to identify cost savings immediately. Utilizing containerization to update your infrastructure can lower expenses while enhancing application capabilities.

Just starting your migration to AWS?

You may experience more AWS benefits earlier in your cloud journey if you incorporate containers into your migration strategy.

The logical next step to help you take advantage of AWS’s cost-saving, scalability and agility advantages may be containerization.

To sum up 

In today’s dynamic environment, it is clear that enterprises require faster operations and faster services.

In contrast, legacy items are typically more expensive and labor-intensive. Organizations can benefit from the new and varied opportunities through modernization by utilizing the new IT architecture.

The finest aspect is that it can be done inside and in accordance with the limitations imposed by the organization.

Therefore, by modernizing their legacy applications while considering the methodologies and obstacles stated above, organizations can achieve the digital transformation they desire.

• Businesses must come to terms with the fact that they will have to choose between cloud-based or on-premises.

Deciding between a cloud environment and on-premises can be a very complex process. But to be true, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and much depends on what’s important to an organization. For starters, a business’ requirements should be considered and analyzed to tip the scale towards one approach to the next.

In this blog, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of on-premise and cloud infrastructure and help you choose one. But before we get started, let’s clarify some of the basics.

What is on-premises architecture?

In the case of on-premise software, everything from implementation through operation is handled internally, whereby maintenance, security, and updates must also be handled internally. The software is deployed on your servers, mandating the purchase of extra power servers, database software, and operating systems. There’s no third-party intervention here, and an organization takes full ownership.

On-premises advantages

• Connectivity: You don’t need outside things like the internet to get to your servers.
• Cost: The total cost of ownership is less than the cost of making payments regularly if you look at the system’s entire lifecycle.
• Control: Since it’s your hardware, data, and software platform, you own and have complete control over it. Any changes, configurations, and upgrades are done at your discretion.

On-premises disadvantages

• Maintenance: All hardware, software, storage, data backups, and disaster recovery must be maintained on-site. Limited budgets and resources can be a hindrance. This is especially true for small organizations.
• Deployment: The deployment takes longer because the software must be installed on servers and individual computers.
• Cost: There is a high up-front capital cost and support and functionality costs as well.

What is true cloud architecture?

Cloud architecture is a virtual server hosted through cloud computing. Cloud computing is all about the delivery of on-demand computer system resources. Here, there’s no need for active management, and it generally involves applications such as storage and processing power. The advantage is that there is no need to buy additional infrastructure or licenses. The cloud provider maintains the servers, networks, and software in return for a fee. All the information hosted by the vendor can be obtained via a web portal. There are no shared resources but a dedicated private cloud that allows customers to use the platform.

Cloud Software Advantages

• Cost: Since there is no longer a need to maintain on-premises servers, the cost of power and other such resources is eliminated.
• Scalability: Cloud technologies offer greater flexibility because they can be scaled up on demand depending on the organization’s needs.
• Affordability: There are no upfront costs associated with cloud hosting. Instead, modest payments are required to be made on a regular basis like any operating expenses. This covers maintenance, support services, daily backup charges, and licensing fees.
• Deployment: Cloud software can be deployed in just hours or days without needing a physical server because it is done over the internet.
• Accessibility: With cloud software, users can use any device or a web browser to access apps anytime, from any location.
• Security: Cloud service providers implement security procedures that the business would find exceedingly stringent if they were to be carried out internally. Therefore, the better the measures, the better security it offers.
• Maintenance: Since it’s hosted software, you don’t have to worry about or spend time maintaining the software or the hardware it’s installed on. Compatibility and upgrades are taken care of by the cloud service provider.

Cloud software disadvantages

• Costs: The total ownership cost may be higher than the price you pay upfront if you look at the entire lifecycle of the system.
• Customizable: A cloud solution may not always be the best for developers with complex needs.
• Connectivity: If you want to be productive, you always need to have access to the internet that you can trust at all times.

Choosing between the cloud and on-premises infrastructure

The choice is tough but ultimately boils down to the needs of an organization and the resources it holds. The questions mentioned below may help make a choice.

How much control do you need?

Imagine how a cloud outage will affect your firm. Mission-critical services require high availability, so you would not want to keep them in the cloud. That being said, cloud services can be configured with high reliability. On the other hand, there’s always a cap on reliability and scalability in the case of on-premises infrastructure. It’s best to do a risk assessment to gauge what your organization can live with, given its internal capabilities.

What are the cost trade-offs?

The limitations, capabilities, and costs depend on the infrastructure you want to develop and run your applications. It’s a tough call to calculate and compare costs for on-premises and cloud computing. Some investments call for huge upfront costs for infrastructure, but in the long-run, they should cost less. It’s essential to run many workloads on the cloud, but others do not.

Whom do you trust?

While taking a call between on-premises and cloud-based infrastructures, security is a prime concern. In the case of on-premise, you can own and manage your security, and in the case of cloud-based computing, the focus is less on security and more on your product or business.

Both architectures handle security differently. In the case of on-premise, it’s the responsibility of the IT teams to take care of security. Cloud providers abstract this away.  Maintaining physical control of your hardware may appear to be secure, but cloud providers are security experts.

In conclusion

Not all programs can be accessed in either manner; the business has little choice but to select the application they are confident will fulfill their requirements. Businesses must come to terms with the fact that they will have to choose between cloud-based or on-premises.

Given the similarities between the two, the decision to choose between the two is quite tricky. It is generally suggested that small businesses with limited capital opt for on-demand and subscription-based cloud data centers. Organizations with sufficient capital and resources often need to exercise complete control and employ great security. They must go for in-house data centers.

• The traditional castle-and-moat approach to creating a security perimeter has proved ineffective.
• Micro-segmentation builds secure zones across the cloud and data center environments to isolate application workloads from each other and secure them individually.

Cybercrimes have become so common in recent times: According to reports, in the last 12 months, nearly 53% of companies have become victims of cybercrime. This has created panic among the public as it has become all too common.

In a bid to maintain pace with today’s software-defined and cloud computing paradigms, enterprise networks ought to be agile, intelligent, secure, programmable, and built with automation and integrated analytics.

This is where micro-segmentation as a solution helps prevent such crimes by allowing IT departments to deploy flexible security policies in data centers and cloud systems, using network virtualization technology without having to install multiple firewalls. But wait, what is it, and how does it do all of this? This blog will cover all about micro-segmentation, its relevance, challenges, benefits, and more.

What is micro-segmentation?

Micro-segmentation is a granular security method to manage network access between workloads. It builds secure zones across the cloud and data center environments to isolate application workloads from each other and secure them individually.

This security method permits administrators to manage security policies and limits traffic based on the principle of least privilege and Zero Trust.

Firewall policies limit east-west traffic between workloads to reduce attack surfaces, prevent the lateral movement of threats to contain breaches, and strengthen regulatory compliance.

It can also be referred to as application segmentation or east-west segmentation in a multi-cloud data center.

Why is Micro-segmentation relevant today?

As per Ponemon Institutes’ 2019 Coast of a Data Breach Study, the average data breach cost is around USD 3.92 million, and the average time to identify and contact a data breach is 279 days.

The study and statistics showcase a massive gap in security and its practices that allows hackers to penetrate a network and stay undetected for an extended time – long enough to infiltrate other firewalls and exfiltrate other data.

With the threat landscape changing continuously, hackers have also found new and innovative ways to hack firewalls. The traditional castle-and-moat approach to creating a security perimeter has proved ineffective against threats that can easily breach the perimeter.

With more and more companies considering migrating applications to the cloud and providing ecosystem partners access to the applications, it is becoming difficult for security professionals to define a perimeter.

The perimeter was initially based on the premise that the threat would originate outside the network. This is why most perimeter security solutions like IPS, IDS, or Firewalls prime focus only on North-South traffic.

However, over 75% of network traffic is from the East-West or server-to-server, which is mainly invisible to security teams.

Any threat infiltrating the network can move laterally and remain without being detected or even for months.

What are the primary challenges that micro-segmentation faces?

Micro-segmentation is the application of granular firewall policy controls using the host workload firewall as the enforcement point across any workload type.

Policy lifecycle management is the most challenging aspect of adopting a micro-segmentation policy that adapts to support changes to applications and businesses.

It’s advisable to implement micro-segmentation at the macro level. Further, it should be refined continually through policy automation, leveraging application and workload context and behavior.

Micro-segmentation best practices:

Implementing the right strategies and practices is a sine-qua-non for an effective micro-segmentation initiative. The best practices for the success of your organization are as follows:

Map your network architecture: Effective micro-segmentation requires organizations to comprehensively understand their network architecture to correctly identify, configure, and enforce security policies that support the micro-segmentation initiative. It is also recommended to have an inventory of the current infrastructure and documentation of network architecture to understand the network architecture thoroughly. This will provide the blueprint to initiate investing traffic behavior and approach policy discovery.

Observe traffic behavior and communication patterns: As part of mapping your network architecture, it’s essential to observe the current state of the network to uncover communication patterns and typical traffic behavior. Organizations can now write secure policies that protect and enforce east-west traffic based on a clear understanding of the typical traffic flow. Having an idea of these behaviors will help avoid blind spots and gaps in security.

Take a phased approach: Micro-segmentation is a phased process and must not be rushed. A phased approach is the best as it gives optimal results. Organizations can start with the segmentation project in stages, beginning with broad network segmentation based on zones, then establishing application-based segmentation policies, and eventually working on the granular micro-segmentation policies. This will simplify the implementation and enhance security as well.

What are the benefits of micro-segmentation?

The presence of the cloud continues to draw companies from their traditional methods of storing data. The cloud has multiple benefits, and they are:

• Reduce attack surface: Micro-segmentation gives a complete view of the entire network environment without hampering development or innovation. This allows application developers to integrate security policy definitions early in the development cycle. This also ensures that neither application deployments nor updates create new attack vectors.
• Enhanced containment of breaches: With micro-segmentation, security teams can monitor network traffic against predefined policies. They can also minimize the time to respond to and remediate data breaches.
• Full-proof regulatory compliance: With the help of micro-segmentation, regulatory officers can develop policies that isolate systems conditioned to the regulations from the rest of the infrastructure.
• Simplify policy management: A micro-segmented network solution helps simplify policy management as many offer automated application discovery and policy suggestions based on learned application behavior.

Wrapping it up

With more and more organizations adopting the cloud, the network, too, is growing larger and becoming more complex. The foremost challenge for the security teams is to monitor traffic and implement policies to maintain a consistent security posture.

A micro-segmentation framework based on software is a boon for security teams as it gives them deep visibility into the network architecture. They can also go granular with segmentation to reach the host level and enforce policies that could follow workloads across distributed and dynamic environments. This enables a consistent, proactive defense against advanced cyber threats businesses face today.

• PBX has been around in the markets since the mid-1990s but has recently gained popularity.
• Your cloud PBX is responsible for managing and storing all the data you want your cloud to hold.

One might wonder why Cloud PBX (Cloud-based Private Branch Exchange) has been the buzzword today.

In fact, it has become an inevitable trend in the communications industry.

More and more organizations are adopting it because it offers enhanced flexibility and can provide support for the remote workforce.

For example, it allows corporations to respond to customers instantly. This will allow them to better address multiple customers calling in at the same time.

This is just a sneak peek at what PBX does. Further, it helps harness the best technologies to bring quality service to your customers.

This article will give you a brief idea of cloud PBX and its benefits. Let’s start with the history first.

Evolution of the cloud

Cloud technology has had various applications for businesses and consumers and has evolved as well.

Initially, companies used “point-to-point” data circuits to move and store data. And then, they found a cheaper way to do the same tasks: Cloud technology.

Cloud technology refers to the accessibility of data and services of your cloud from any electronic device connected to the Internet. And today, we’re talking about Cloud PBX telephone systems.

A cloud PBX system is premised on cloud computing technology. Here, data is not stored on hardware or computer but is stored and transferred over the Internet.

What is Cloud PBX?

Public branch exchange, also known as PBX, emerged in the mid-20th century and is referred to as the technology that any telephone provider uses to route calls across locations without the need for a phone line to be installed for each employee.

Traditional PBX was a large piece of hardware that needed to be stored and operated manually besides being costly as well.

Eventually, cloud technology advanced and found its way to the business phone industry: The cloud PBX.

Modern PBX Is a boon for business owners for it needed no computer hardware or installation.  It’s up to the PBX provider to handle capacity requirements, performance analysis, and system configuration. It helped make automated calls to the correct extension and resemble servers.

A PBX phone system permits every employee in a company to have their desk phones but still share independent physical phone lines.

The latest PBX systems also allow you to manage your voicemail, use IVR menus, transfer calls, and cue callers when phone lines are busy.

Customers just need to purchase/ lease the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) compatible phones and plug them into your internet service.

The PBX phone system can be managed easily, upgraded as the business grows and is free from hardware headaches that plague non-cloud, traditional businesses.

Three types of PBX phone systems

With traditional PBX, all phone calls go through the phone company’s analog network. On the other hand, modern PBX phone service uses cloud computing and internet calling.

Broadly speaking, the three main types of PBX systems:

• Traditional PBX: Here, the phone service comes from the telephone company, but your PBX hardware manages all the phone lines. It accepts all incoming calls, routes them to the concerned departments, assigns lines to employees making outgoing calls, and supports internal calls between desk phones. Traditionally, PBX requires physical office space and enormous IT resources to maintain and manage. This is why it’s not a viable option for small businesses, but large businesses that invested in it still rely on this legacy technology.
• IP PBX: Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX) enables you to use the internet and make and receive phone calls. You still possess the PBX hardware, but have the VoIP (Voice Internet Protocol) service instead of telephone service. VoIP has become a substitute for PBX as it’s cost-efficient compared to large bundles of telephone lines and frees users from their desk phones. VoIP works from any internet-linked device and enables you to add other mediums of communication channels. This includes SMS, video conferencing, and instant messaging. It also comes with advanced features such as call recording, call center analytics, and CRM integrations. If you already have access to a PBX system but also want the benefits of VoIP, IP PBX allows you to combine the two using a process called SIP (session initiation protocol trunking. SIP trunks are a good substitute for traditional phone lines and allow you to connect your business phone system to the Internet.
• Hosted PBX: Hosted PBX (also known as cloud PBX) is the latest iteration of PBX phone systems. Like the traditional PBX systems, hosted PBX requires hardware, but that isn’t your problem. Your provider is responsible for building and maintaining the hardware. This helps you save space and IT resources. Your private cloud-based phone network are managed from a web portal. Like with other cloud services, hosted PBX can be accesses by team members from any location using any internet-connected device, including an internet browser or a mobile app.

How does it work?

All cloud technologies rely on the Internet. Cloud PBX works by connecting on your Internet Protocol (IP) or Internet Phone for an internet connection. Having a VoIP or some other IP system in your office is mandatory to access a cloud PBX.

Most VoIP service providers include PBX options at a minimal or no charge.

You can access your cloud PBX with a customized account from any device that can operate Cloud PBX’s interface software. This means you can access your cloud PBX from any internet-abled location or device you have certified for use with your system.

All you’d require is a password or answer a security question to log in from that device.

All the devices communicate through middleware, a software that enables your cloud to have multiple means to access.

This facilitates greater mobility and freedom when using office phones and PBX. So, in times when you travel frequently and yet do not want to miss your calls, stay connected through your cloud PBX.

Your cloud PBX service provider is responsible for managing and storing all the data you want your cloud PBX to hold. Apart from collecting and storing your data, your service provider backs up all relevant information you require in case of data loss if a system crashes.

The controversy surrounding cloud technology

Privacy and security concerns over the prevalence of cloud-based technologies have been ripe.

Many customers remain wary of all the information on the cloud entrusted to the service provider. Regarding cloud PBX, this implies that the service provider has access to crucial details of contact details of your customers. Usually, service providers set out specific privacy policies to govern their contact with and use of your information.

It is up to a cloud service provider to offer end-to-end security. In case of any breach in security, it will dent their reputation and could harm their business prospects. This is why every service provider’s primary concern is to ensure that they offer their customers the best security apparatus.

But even as security measures are in place, the chances of your account being hacked and your information being stolen remains.

Nevertheless, using a cloud PBX in the form of hosted VoIP can eliminate many problems faced in traditional PBX services.