There can be several reasons that an organization opts for cloud migration. Regardless of the reasons for your decision, there are several benefits to migrating including:

• Faster deployment – you will be able to access your apps and services quickly
• Security – cloud providers offer you an extra level of protection against unwanted access to your data
• Monitoring – your apps will be regularly monitored by your provider, which can notify you if there are any issues or problems. 
• Automatic backup – ensuring that you don’t lose any valuable information
• Flexibility – the cloud can be accessed anytime, anywhere, which gives your employees the freedom to work while they are away from the office
• Collaboration – because of its flexibility, the cloud offers teams more opportunity for collaboration as they can all access the data or information quickly
• Cost – having your apps in the cloud is a cost-saver for your organization. You will not have to buy expensive hardware and software to use on-premises. 
• Scalable – with the cloud you can scale up or down, depending on the resources you need.

If you are looking to migrate to the cloud there are three strategies to you’ll have to choose from that will guide the process. These include the lift and shift migration approach, the technical migration and the application migration. 

Lift and Shift Migration

The lift and shift approach is the most common one that organizations use as they move into the cloud. In this scenario, it is usually just your IT staff that is involved. Most of your employees will not be involved in this strategy. 

How lift and shift is done is by transferring an application from the current hosting situation and moving it to another hosting situation. In other words, lifting it from its current server and shifting it to a cloud server. These types of migrations involve moving the three layers, application, database and OS layer. It is also called rehosting because it moves your current app to a new host without making significant changes. It is usually the most affordable cloud migration option and has the added bonus of being minimally disruptive. 

Additional benefits of using the lift and shift approach are increased flexibility for the organization’s process and a more streamlined shift to the cloud in the future. 

The lift and shift approach is ideal for more conservative organizations that are not ready or comfortable to move into the cloud in a quick fashion. Rather, it allows you the ability to become familiar with the new operating environment until you are ready to take things a step further. 

With this approach, the organization is not fully engaging with the cloud. It is more like trying it out. Rather, only a small amount of data is being stored in the cloud. That means you’ll be missing out on several benefits that come with using the cloud. 

Technical Migration

A technical migration is where the application does not change environments but the operating system and database are upgraded to the cloud. This approach is useful for organizations that want to take advantage of cloud features like scalability or automation. It can also offer other benefits to a company such as increased performance. 

Using the technical migration approach is another way that companies can start to prepare for future migration of the application. In this way, the organization can reduce the level of disruption the change will have. It also allows employees to get some exposure to the cloud, which will help build their experience and aptitude with the environment. 

Application Migration

Organizations that want to move most of their work into the cloud use application migration. In this approach, all three layers; the application, OS and database are changed. Most often, it will be your most utilized apps that are moved into the cloud to begin with. There are usually three steps involved in the application migration process. They are:

• New System Implementation – basically, this implies a starting over where your data is maintained during the transfer. However, you’ll either need to hire a developer to rebuild your application for use in the cloud or opt for an off-the-shelf solution. 
• System Conversion – in this way the application layer, OS and database are transferred to the cloud. It may involve a change to the landscape but you’ll experience more automation opportunities. It will also mean some of your staff will need to acquire new skills to be able to use the cloud. This type of migration should only be done once you have a good plan in place to adjust to the change and minimize disruption. 
• Landscape Transformation – this involves a system conversion that also adjusts your landscape structure. If done right it can maximize transformation and keep costs low with a single upgrade. 

Successful Cloud Migration

Migrating your apps to the cloud can be one of the best decision for any organization. With nearly all companies using the cloud in some shape or another it is easy to see what the advantages are including

• Faster access to your apps
• Data security
• Collaboration
• Reduced cost
• Scalable solution

Whatever reasons your organization has for cloud migration, there are three strategies you can use for the process. These include lift and shift migration approach, technical migration and application migration. How you migrate will depend on your goals and company culture. 

If you are ready to up your cloud migration game, we’re happy to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.