Best File Migration Software

What is File Migration Software?

What are the Common Features of File Migration Software?

What are the Benefits of File Migration Software?

Who Uses File Migration Software?

IT teams: While individuals from various teams in a business will be involved with the file migration process and decision making, the IT team will oversee and undertake the bulk of the work. Members of this team have the most knowledge of existing systems, data structures, and data types and how to correctly transform the data to prepare it for migration. Thus, they will own the task of migration and bring stakeholders in as needed. 

Software Related to File Migration

Related solutions that can be used together with file migration software include:

File converter software: File conversion is often necessary when file migration is taking place. Files need to be prepared for transfer, which sometimes means they need to be converted into a different format compatible with the new system they will be migrated to. File converter software converts files from one format to another.

Challenges with File Migration Software

Software solutions can come with their own set of challenges. 

Lack of communication with employees: Data is stored by a business for multiple purposes, and more times than not, it is actively used by employees. So it is important to notify the teams that use the files and data regularly that the migration is happening, along with when and for how long they may not be able to access the data.

Lack of planning: Having a solid plan in place for a data migration will save time and frustration for the IT team and other impacted teams. Planning includes setting a timeline for various stages of the migration, outlining who will be involved and their responsibilities, and having backup and recovery plans in place.

Insufficient data preparation: Data preparation can be difficult to manage, especially if there are a large number of files involved. Hiring a specialist who will bring their own software to manage the preparation and migration process may be worthwhile.

How to Buy File Migration Software

Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for File Migration Software

Before beginning to search for a file migration tool, it’s important to understand the business requirements for the different steps in the migration process. Depending on the types of data involved, the data sources and destinations, and the amount of the data, there are different tools that will be best suited to optimize performance and minimize costs. Some additional factors to consider are:

• Reliability: Some products, especially cloud-based tools, are more reliable than others, as they have higher uptime due to highly redundant architectures.
• Security: Businesses must choose a file migration tool that meets compliance and security requirements. 
• Data sources and destinations: Depending on where the company is migrating data, the buyer can choose between self-scripted solutions, on-premises tools, and cloud-based solutions. Self-scripted tools allow data to be migrated to almost any destination, but they aren’t highly scalable. Most cloud-based and on-premise solutions can manage large volumes of data and numerous data destinations and sources.
• Performance and scalability: Cloud-based migration tools perform the best with large data volumes due to their flexibility.

Compare File Migration Software Products

Create a long list

After listing down requirements, buyers can browse products at a high level to create a long list. These products won’t necessarily meet all the requirements, so buyers will need to prioritize their list of requirements. By visiting g2.com’s category for file migration software, buyers may sift through the file migration tools and add products to their “My List” within g2.com.

Create a short list

Once buyers have created a short list, they can further sort their options by checking the product’s ratings on the G2 Grid® and reading user reviews to understand their peers’ experience with the software. This way, buyers can find the best file migration software for their needs.

Conduct demos

After narrowing down the selection, buyers must contact the vendors to schedule demonstrations of the solution. Businesses can contact many vendors directly on g2.com to request demos by selecting the “Get a Quote” button. At each demo, buyers must be sure to ask the same questions and use case scenarios to best evaluate each product.

Selection of File Migration Software

Choose a selection team

The IT team will be responsible for making most of the decisions regarding data migration. They should bring in stakeholders from other teams as needed, such as those that work with the data daily and members of senior management who can make cost decisions and help set a timeline for migration.

Negotiation

Pricing is usually determined by storage space requirements, with discounts being offered if large volumes of data need to be handled. 

Final decision

The IT team should make the final decision with input from important stakeholders.