By Guilherme Jacondino, Head of Cloud Practice, Valiantys
Cloud adoption is no longer optional—it’s essential for businesses aiming to remain competitive in the future. A McKinsey survey reveals that while most enterprises plan to migrate the majority of their systems to the cloud within the next five to seven years, only 10% are fully capturing its potential. Those that do, achieve an average ROI of 180%, making cloud transformation a critical component of future-proofing any organization.
Yet, successful transformation requires more than just moving systems—it’s about adopting a holistic approach that empowers teams, fosters collaboration, and drives business agility. As someone who spent over a decade implementing and refining Cloud-based processes worldwide, particularly within the Atlassian space, I’ve noticed that organizations often face a set of common concerns that need to be addressed head-on. Here’s my perspective on these challenges and how to navigate them for long-term success.
Feature-function parity: An opportunity for reinvention
A primary hesitation I encounter from IT leaders is whether the cloud can replicate the features of their on-premise systems. It’s an understandable concern—migrating to the cloud shouldn’t mean losing critical functionality. However, the reality is that while cloud features might look different, they often unlock new capabilities that improve productivity and collaboration.
The key is to avoid viewing the cloud as a mere replacement for existing systems. Instead, it is an opportunity to reimagine how teams work and interact. For organizations using Atlassian tools, the Cloud offers the chance to streamline processes and adopt more efficient, scalable solutions. Where gaps exist, custom integrations leveraging the Forge framework or marketplace apps can bridge them, ensuring that teams continue to work seamlessly.
Cost management and ROI: A strategic long-term investment
Cost and ROI are central to any major transformation decision, and cloud migration is no exception. Balancing short-term expenses with long-term gains can be challenging, especially when there’s no clear roadmap for calculating ROI.
What’s often overlooked, though, is the long-term financial impact. In the cloud, reduced infrastructure costs, improved operational efficiency, and scalability often deliver significant returns on investment. The key is to approach cloud transformation as a strategic, long-term investment in your business’s future, rather than a cost to be managed. That’s why at Valyantys we focus on building a detailed ROI-based business case, ensuring that the financial advantages of Cloud are clear from the outset. A cloud transformation is not a cost, it’s an investment to future-proof organizations that rely on the Atlassian stack to grow their business.
Performance and scalability: The Cloud’s evolution
Concerns about performance, especially for large-scale operations, are another common challenge. In the early days of Atlassian Cloud, there were valid concerns about whether the platform could handle high-demand workloads. However, as the platform matured, Atlassian has continuously enhanced its infrastructure, enabling it to flex and scale dynamically to meet the needs of these demanding environments with ease.
In fact, we recommend our customers to leverage the Cloud transformation to implement leaner processes and only migrate critical data. With that in mind, they often report performance improvements after migrating to Atlassian Cloud, with an increase in overall responsiveness and operational speed. By carefully assessing current environments and planning for future needs, organizations can ensure their cloud systems are built to perform and scale effectively. After all, moving to the cloud isn’t just about keeping up with today’s challenges—it’s about positioning teams to work faster and innovate more efficiently, well into the future.
Integration and customization: Redefining flexibility
Many organizations fear that moving to the cloud will limit their ability to integrate with other systems or customize workflows to fit their unique needs. It’s a valid concern, especially for teams with highly specialized processes.
However, the reality is that Atlassian Cloud’s modern architecture actually enhances these capabilities. Integration with other tools tends to become more streamlined, thanks to extensive APIs, and customization options are often more flexible than they appear at first glance. Rather than seeing the cloud as restrictive, it’s important to approach it with a mindset of exploration. By leveraging the cloud’s native capabilities alongside tailored solutions, teams can maintain, or even enhance, their level of flexibility.
Security and data residency: Aligning with modern standards
Security and compliance concerns often surface early in conversations about cloud migration, particularly for organizations in highly regulated industries. It’s an age-old misconception that cloud environments are inherently less secure than on-premise systems, but this is simply not the case with Atlassian Cloud.
Atlassian has invested heavily in Trust and Security features over the years, and currently offers enterprise-grade security features that align with global standards. We’ve helped many organizations overcome initial concerns about moving to Cloud, demonstrating that the environment fully meets their compliance requirements
The key is to perform a detailed risk assessment early in the transformation process, ensuring that your cloud architecture aligns with your organization’s specific trust and security needs.
Lack of expertise: Bridging the knowledge gap
Many organizations raised challenges of not having the internal expertise to manage a cloud migration. By identifying the gap in expertise when it comes to real transformations is exactly why Valiantys developed the award-winning migration framework (2022 Cloud Solutions Partner of the Year). Our role is to guide organizations through the entire process, creating a clear business case that outlines the value, effort and impact of moving to Atlassian Cloud.
Valiantys offers end-to-end support through the Cloud Transformation Assessment, from planning to execution. Our team of Atlassian experts ensures that customers have the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions and carry out migrations seamlessly. Our Managed Platform Services also allow customers to rely on us for the ongoing management of their Cloud environment, reducing the need for in-house expertise.
The time to act is now
Cloud is not a future state—it’s here, and the businesses that embrace it early are the ones poised to lead. Delaying migration means falling behind, as adopting a holistic cloud strategy enables organizations to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.
Stay tuned, as I’ll be sharing more insights in my upcoming article on our Transformation Assessment and Roadmap approach, where I’ll outline how to strategically plan your cloud journey.
Now is the time to take action. Start your cloud journey today and empower your teams for the future.
Guilherme Jacondino
Guilherme is a seasoned expert with over a decade of experience implementing and optimizing Cloud-based processes across global organizations, with a particular focus on the Atlassian ecosystem. As the Head of the Cloud Practice at Valiantys, Guilherme has been at the forefront of developing and refining a wide range of offerings tailored to the Atlassian Cloud, helping businesses enhance their processes and drive growth. He has overseen hundreds of successful cloud migrations and leads a team of experienced consultants specialized in delivering business transformation services.
Connect with Guilherme for more insights on navigating your cloud transformation.
