According to Gartner, global spending on public cloud services is expected to reach $723.4 billion in 2025, rising from $595.7 billion in 2024. Gartner also forecasts that by 2027, 90% of organizations will use a hybrid cloud strategy that combines private and public cloud services.
While the cloud offers exciting opportunities, such as better scalability, reduced costs, and improved performance, getting there isn’t always easy.
Businesses often face tough challenges when migrating to the cloud. Old systems may not be compatible, security concerns can arise, and unexpected costs can add up. Without proper planning, data might be lost, and operations might be disrupted. Meeting regulatory requirements and aligning cloud use with business goals can make the process even harder.
This blog will explore effective cloud migration strategies and best practices to help businesses tackle these challenges and successfully migrate to the cloud.
A cloud migration strategy is a high-level plan that guides an organization in moving its on-premises or co-located application workloads and data into the cloud. It often focuses on public cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. Not all workloads are suitable for migration, so the strategy must prioritize workloads that benefit from cloud-based infrastructure.
Cloud migration offers numerous advantages that can significantly enhance your organization's efficiency, flexibility, and performance. Below are the benefits explained in detail:
Companies report an average 20-30% reduction in IT costs by moving to the cloud. A well-planned cloud migration reduces operational costs by eliminating the need to maintain physical hardware and associated upgrades. Automated migration processes and consistent infrastructure further save time and reduce expenses.
Cloud platforms provide instant scalability to meet your organization’s changing demands. Whether due to seasonality, business growth, or unexpected surges, resources can be adjusted on demand without the need to procure and configure new hardware. This flexibility ensures cost efficiency since you only pay for what you use.
Applications and services hosted in the cloud can scale quickly to serve larger workloads, improve end-user experiences, and deliver lower network latency by hosting workloads closer to users geographically. This ensures seamless operation and high responsiveness.
Cloud migration enhances accessibility by allowing employees to work from anywhere with an internet connection. Employees can access critical business applications and data seamlessly at home, on the road, or in the office, boosting productivity and enabling a flexible work environment.
Cloud providers implement security measures, such as automatic updates and traffic blocking, which, according to a Ponemon Institute study, can reduce security breaches by up to 60%. The shared responsibility model enhances your infrastructure’s security without adding complexity. Cloud-based data and applications remain accessible even during equipment failures, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
While the specifics may vary based on your business size and type, the following steps are fundamental to any successful migration process.
Start by understanding your current environment. Assess your infrastructure, applications, and data. Define why you are migrating to the cloud and outline your specific goals. Identify your cloud server and security requirements and determine any compliance needs. A clear plan is the foundation for a smooth migration.
Decide on the type of cloud that suits your organization’s needs:
Your choice will depend on your workload requirements, budget, and performance goals.
Execute the migration by moving your applications and data to the chosen cloud environment. A well-thought-out plan will minimize disruptions during this step. Consider automating parts of the migration to save time and ensure consistency.
Don’t assume everything works perfectly just because the data has been transferred. Test all applications and systems to ensure they function as expected. Validate performance, security, and reliability.
Throughout the migration process, prioritize keeping your existing systems operational. Avoid interruptions to your normal workflow to maintain business continuity. A phased approach can help reduce downtime.
Before scaling up, start with a pilot project, such as migrating a small, low-risk workload. This helps identify issues early, allowing you to adjust your strategy and tools before tackling larger migrations.
Focus on these key areas during and after migration:
Migrating to the cloud can be complex, so having expert help is crucial. At iTeam Technology Associates, we simplify your cloud migration process by carefully developing a strategy that meets your company's unique business requirements. Whether you're exploring cloud point solutions, hybrid, hosted solutions, or full Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) & Software as a Service (SaaS) deployments, we have the expertise, resources, and partnerships with top cloud service vendors to help you achieve your company's objectives.
The 6 Rs of cloud migration provide distinct approaches that cater to various needs and circumstances. Here’s a detailed explanation of each strategy.
Rehosting, often called “Lift and Shift,” involves moving applications to the cloud without changing their architecture. This strategy allows you to quickly transfer applications as they are, saving time and effort.
It is especially useful when speed is a priority or reducing on-premises data center costs is urgent. However, while it is fast and simple, rehosting does not take advantage of cloud-native features, which can limit performance and scalability improvements. Organizations often choose to rehost initially and then optimize applications later.
Relocation, or “Hypervisor Level Lift and Shift,” is similar to rehosting but involves migrating entire virtual machines (VMs) to the cloud at the hypervisor level. This strategy maintains the same operating systems, installed software, and configurations as on-premises systems, making it ideal for environments already using virtualization.
Relocation is quick and preserves existing setups, but it may incur additional costs, such as expensive hypervisor licenses, and does not fully leverage cloud-native features. Some organizations relocate first and later re-engineer applications to optimize their performance in the cloud.
Replatforming, or “Lift and Reshape,” involves making minor changes to applications during migration to optimize their compatibility with the cloud. This approach allows you to improve performance, reduce costs, and gain some benefits from cloud-native features without overhauling the application’s core architecture.
It balances simplicity and optimization, making it a practical choice for many businesses. However, introducing changes during migration can sometimes lead to new bugs or errors, and the benefits depend on the extent of modifications made.
Repurchasing, or “Drop and Shop,” involves replacing existing systems with a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product. For example, you might replace an in-house CRM with a cloud solution. This strategy enables you to use the latest features, avoid maintenance responsibilities, and reduce upfront infrastructure costs.
However, switching to new software often requires user training and adaptation, which can involve additional time and resources. Subscription fees for SaaS solutions can accumulate over time, making cost management an important consideration. Attention must also be paid to the impacts these changes will have on the company’s legal and industry-based IT regulatory compliance requirements.
The retirement strategy focuses on identifying and eliminating useless applications or components. By retiring outdated or redundant IT assets, you can reduce costs and simplify your infrastructure, focusing resources on critical systems.
This strategy is particularly effective for streamlining operations. However, it is important to ensure that no critical business processes depend on the applications being retired, as this could disrupt operations or make retrieving essential data difficult later.
Retaining, sometimes called “Revisit,” involves keeping certain applications or data on-premises instead of moving them to the cloud. This strategy is often used when applications are incompatible with cloud environments, compliance or security requirements prevent migration, or significant investment has been made in existing infrastructure.
Migrating to the cloud can transform your organization's operations but requires careful planning and execution. Here are some key practices to follow:
Understand Your Current Environment
Before starting the migration, analyze your existing infrastructure, applications, and data. Identify what needs to be migrated, what can be retired, and what should remain on-premises. This assessment lays the foundation for a successful migration.
Define Clear Objectives
Know why you’re moving to the cloud. Whether it’s to reduce costs, improve performance, or enable scalability, clear goals will guide your decisions and align your migration with business needs.
Choose the Right Cloud Provider
Evaluate cloud providers based on your needs, such as scalability, security, cost, and features. Ensure the provider you choose supports your business goals and compliance requirements.
iTeam Technology Associates has the resources, experience, and cloud service vendor platforms essential for achieving your company's goals.
Prioritize Workloads
Not all workloads need to be migrated at once. Start by piloting low-risk or non-critical workloads. This will allow you to identify potential issues and refine your approach before tackling complex or business-critical systems.
Use the Right Migration Strategy
Select a migration strategy (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, etc.) that aligns with your workload requirements and your organization’s goals.
Selecting the right cloud service provider is essential for businesses aiming to streamline operations, enhance security, and manage costs effectively. A specialized provider ensures expert-managed cloud migration, allowing your team to focus on core business activities while the technical complexities are handled seamlessly.
By partnering with a provider like iTeam Technology Associates, your business can access customized cloud solutions to meet your objectives. These solutions support your current needs and adapt to future technological advancements, fostering sustainable growth and innovation.
iTeam Technology Associates offers customized cloud solutions that align precisely with your business needs. From streamlined cloud migrations to secure data management, our cloud services optimize and safeguard your IT infrastructure. Here’s what we offer:
Whether you need cloud backup, high-security computing, or compliance-focused cloud infrastructure, iTeam Technology Associates delivers reliable, proactive cloud solutions to drive your business forward. Discover how our cloud services can support your growth and protect your data.