Why migrate to the Cloud model?

The Cloud-based Edge deployment model has enormous benefits over their On-Premises counterparts.

There is no additional charge to using Cloud-based Edges.
The customer’s call capacity can be easily increased to meet their business needs with no added capital expenditure.
No co-location cost.
No physical Edge devices to buy (or replace after the three-year warranty lapses).

Network, VPN, and Firewall/Security configuration make up the most common Product Support issues seen by the Genesys Cloud Product Support Telephony team. Taking the Edge out of equation allows customer and partner network engineers to wholly eliminate that variable.
Improved supportability for both customers and the Genesys teams.

Cloud-based Edges have a lifetime warranty and are replaced with a brand-new instance monthly!
Never again experience downtime due to the need to replace a failed physical Edge device.
Save time with reduced troubleshooting and removing RMA potential.

Direct connection to the AWS global carrier-class backbone
Genesys Cloud Product Support engineers have a direct connection to Cloud-based Edge logs, meaning a failed or slow ISP connection will no longer hinder the investigation of their issues.

Cloud-based Edges automatically scale to meet short-term unexpected volume spikes.
Cloud-based Edges can be pre-scaled to handle expected business needs such as holidays, marketing campaigns, etc...

Every Cloud-based Edge instance exists within a single virtual machine (VM) that has a maximum lifespan of 30 days for security purposes, after which the device is decommissioned, and a new VM/Edge instance takes its place.
Genesys Cloud updates the OS/Security patches on Cloud-based Edges every 30 days so things are always current.

How to begin the process

Customers cannot complete the project on their own due to certain permissions and backend tools that are only available to Genesys personnel.
It is a recipe for frustration to allow a customer to try to migrate on their own due to its complexity and dependency on multiple Genesys teams to coordinate their efforts.
The customer’s account team will need to amend their subscription by adding either Genesys Cloud Voice or BYOC Cloud.

How will removing physical Edges affect the path data/audio needs to travel?
Physical Edges allow local carrier connections at each location with an Edge.
BYOC Cloud requires that all data/audio flow in and out of the AWS Region the Org is in.
Is their current carrier compatible with BYOC Cloud?
Will any numbers need to be ported as part of this migration?
Are the stations used by agents compatible with BYOC Cloud?
Phone Compatibility Matrix
Should the customer consider Amazon Direct Connect as part of this migration?
Does the customer understand the importance of a stable and quality internet connection when using GCV/BYOC Cloud?
What is the customer's normal concurrent call volume? GCV and BYOC Cloud Orgs are configured for 400 concurrent calls by default. If the customer runs higher than this, they will need to have their Org scaled to accommodate.
The customer will need to work with Professional Services on the plan for migrating between their BYOC Prem and BYOC Cloud deployment. Sites, number plans, locations, trunks, stations, etc., are all affected by migrations. Migrations without downtime also add complexity to this plan.
Does the customer have any Architect flows that dip into other systems, and are those systems accessible through the public internet?
Is the customer's Networking team ready for the firewall changes that will be required?

These are the typical steps of a Premises to Cloud-based Edge, and the parties that will be involved with each step.

The customer decides that they want to migrate to the Cloud.
Customer engages with their partner/CSM so Genesys can create a new quote with the correct Product/Features.
The new quote is signed, returned to Genesys, reviewed by Order Management & Finance, then approved.
After the quote is approved an order is created, and the CCDB/Subscription tied to the customers Cloud Deployment is updated with this new Order.
Billing Automation steps in and adds any new products added from the quote
Billing Automation does NOT remove any old items; this happens later.
The PS (Professional Services) team carries out their migration, and then cuts over to the new deployment model.
This is a large step, and could takes days, weeks, or months depending on the complexity of the migration.
After the migration is complete and confirmed stable, Genesys Cloud Product Support comes in and removes old configuration, products, and features.
Steps for this stage vary depending on what deployment model is being removed.