The cloud computing market in Poland is growing at an impressive rate and analysts forecast further dynamic growth. However, behind the enthusiastic statistics lies a complex reality: many cloud migration projects fail to deliver the expected benefits and often end in failure. Problems with cost, security and lack of competence mean that, for many companies, the cloud becomes a strategic trap instead of an opportunity. The key to success is not the technology per se, but a thoroughly considered approach.
Migration to the cloud, although seemingly a simple transfer of resources, in practice represents one of the most serious challenges for today’s IT departments. The complexity of the process, the multitude of pitfalls and the regulatory pressures take even experienced organisations by surprise. In an era of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and tightening regulations such as the EU Data Act and the NIS2 Directive, the issue of data localisation and sovereignty has come to the fore. Companies today must not only protect data, but also demonstrate precisely where and how it is being processed – otherwise they risk not only financial penalties but, even worse, the loss of customer trust.
The most common mistakes on the way to the cloud
Analysis of failed implementations shows that problems almost always originate in a few repetitive areas. Understanding these is the first step to avoiding costly mistakes.
1 Security and regulatory compliance: Many companies, especially when using global hyperscalers, have doubts about their ability to ensure compliance with European data protection standards. Concerns include the US CLOUD Act, which potentially gives US authorities access to European companies’ data. This is prompting organisations to look for providers with data centres within the EU.
2. lack of competence and resources: Small and medium-sized companies rarely have in-house teams of cloud architects or DevOps specialists. Without external support, they lack the knowledge to design secure and efficient architectures and implement automation, which is the foundation of an effective cloud.
3. opaque costs: The cloud was supposed to be cheaper, but unclear pricing models often lead to ‘accounting shock’. Misconfigurations, reserving resources exaggeratedly or failing to monitor costs can sharply increase expenses and undermine the economic sense of the entire project.
4 Technical complexity and legacy systems: applications that were not designed with the cloud in mind (so-called monoliths) require deep modifications or re-writing. Fear of potential downtime for critical systems that must be available 24/7 often paralyses migration decisions.
5 Organisational barriers: Migration is not just an IT project – it is a change that affects the processes, responsibilities and culture of the entire company. If management treats it as a purely technical task rather than a strategic business decision, the project lacks priority and acceptance in other departments, leading to its failure.
6 Supplier selection and the risk of ‘dependency’: The variety of offers – from global giants to local specialists – can be overwhelming. At the same time, companies fear so-called vendor lock-in, i.e. dependence on a single supplier, which will make it difficult or drastically increase the cost of a possible change of platform in the future.
How to make a successful migration?
The experience of companies that have successfully exploited the potential of the cloud shows that a methodical and strategic approach is key.
Firstly, the migration must be preceded by a readiness assessment (cloud readiness assessment). IT and business departments should jointly analyse the current state of applications and infrastructure in order to realistically assess what can be moved to the cloud and how, and what needs to be upgraded.
Secondly, a strategy of small steps. Instead of moving everything at once, it is worth starting with pilot projects with a clearly defined scope. This allows you to test your processes, detect errors early and gain valuable experience that can be applied to migrating key systems.
Thirdly, the conscious use of external know-how. Migration is a task for specialists. It is worth engaging experienced partners who not only know the technology, but also understand the business processes and can manage the change in the organisation.
Fourthly, cost and security planning from the outset. The budget, monitoring tools and security concept must be an integral part of the migration plan, not an add-on implemented after the fact. This is the only way to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Finally, and most importantly, the cloud strategy must be linked to business objectives. Migration is not an end in itself. It must realistically contribute to tangible benefits, such as greater flexibility, better scalability, innovation or higher levels of security.
