Cloud-migration expenses: critical insights for media firms solely operating in the cloud realm
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, media and entertainment organisations are increasingly embracing data repatriation and hybrid storage solutions. These strategies offer a balanced approach to managing data, with frequently used files remaining local for quick access and less-used content moved to the cloud.
The trend towards data repatriation is driven by several key factors, each addressing specific concerns for these industries.
**Cost Management and Predictability**
One of the primary drivers is the need for cost control and predictability. Cloud storage can incur high, variable costs, particularly for retrieval and egress fees, which become significant for media companies with large archival data needs. Surprise costs can add up, as major companies like Twitter and Dropbox have discovered through their repatriation efforts, resulting in substantial savings.
**Control and Ownership**
Organisations seek greater control over their critical infrastructure and media assets. Repatriation allows companies to better manage and protect their intellectual property (IP) and sensitive content, reducing reliance on third-party policies that can change unexpectedly. Data sovereignty and compliance are also crucial considerations, especially in regions with strict data sovereignty laws.
**Performance and Resilience**
On-premises or hybrid solutions can offer improved performance for certain workloads, particularly those requiring high bandwidth or low latency, which is essential for media production and distribution. Building resilient infrastructure means not being overly dependent on a single provider or location, ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery.
**Security and Risk Mitigation**
While public clouds offer robust security features, storing sensitive pre-release content or high-value assets in a shared environment introduces risks such as data breaches or unauthorized access. Bringing data back in-house allows for tighter security protocols and reduces exposure to potential threats from within or outside the cloud provider’s environment.
**Strategic Flexibility**
Companies are not necessarily abandoning the cloud entirely, but are adopting hybrid strategies where they place content and workloads where it makes the most sense operationally and economically. This approach allows for workload optimization, with predictable workloads often moved on-premises, while elastic or scalable workloads remain in the cloud.
In conclusion, the factors driving data repatriation in the media and entertainment sector underscore the need for control, cost management, performance, security, and strategic flexibility. As data volumes surge and workflows become more complex, a flexible hybrid model that takes advantage of the strengths of both local and cloud storage is proving to be a viable solution for many organisations.
Finance and investing in the media and entertainment sector are seeing a shift due to the increased adoption of hybrid storage solutions. This strategic move is driven by the need for cost management, enhancing control over critical assets, improving performance, mitigating security risks, and ensuring strategic flexibility. Technology plays a crucial role in these efforts, with data-and-cloud-computing solutions enabling the flexible management of voluminous data and intricate workflows.
