Cloud Migration: Understanding the Process and Benefits
In today’s data-driven digital world, businesses are opting for secured platforms and infrastructure to stay flexible and relevant. One of such decisions is moving data, applications and other IT assets into the cloud, a process referred to as cloud migration, with a Gartner analysts prediction that more than 85% of organizations will embrace a cloud-first principle by 2025 (digital.ai, 2025). As the name implies, cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications, services and other digital business components from a legacy infrastructure or an on-premises data center to a cloud computing environment for improved operational efficiency, agility, reduced operational cost and to leverage the potentials of cloud computing services (Carter, 2023).
This can include moving an organization’s on premises application alongside supporting databases and development platforms to a cloud provider’s servers, storage, and networking infrastructure or even from one cloud environment to another. Erickson (2023) further notes that this could also mean moving to a cloud application, such as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), or Human Capital Management (HCM) applications which are delivered as software as a service, and shutting down the legacy version.
It is important to note that migrating to the cloud is beyond transferring data from local data centers to cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure, it requires strategic planning and skillful execution to prevent complications that can cause downtime and irreparable loss to a business. Understanding what it entails; the process and benefits will help you decide on the right strategy for a smooth transition for cost-efficiency, agility, and reinvention of services.
Types of Cloud Migration
When companies understand the different types of cloud migration that there are, they are able to make the right decision for a smooth and efficient transition. Here are the different types of cloud migration that an organization can execute:
– Public Cloud: This is a general transfer of data and applications from an on-site data storage center to the public cloud; a cloud computing environment is managed by a third-party service provider who provides paid computing services and IT infrastructure to multiple users over the public internet. Public cloud migration enjoys more popularity and patronage because of its accessibility, scalability, and a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Businesses can save approximately 50% of their traditional IT overhead costs when they move in-house data center facilities to a public cloud (Vmware, 2025).
– Private Cloud Migration: For organizations that are particular about the privacy of their data, this type of cloud migration affords them the privilege of transferring their data and application to a cloud environment where they have exclusive access and control. This cloud ecosystem can be hosted either externally by a third-service provider or within an organization’s data center. The benefits of a private cloud include data privacy, security, direct control and management of data and applications, as well as regulatory compliance.
– Hybrid Cloud Migration: This cloud migration type allows businesses to leverage the public and private cloud environments and infrastructure. It provides a balanced approach of moving data and applications to the private cloud for its benefit of security and the public cloud, for its scalability.
– Cloud-to-cloud (C2C) Migration: This describes the process of moving data and applications from a certain cloud platform or provider to another.
– Reverse Cloud Migration: Unlike previous migration types, this type is one in which data or applications are moved from the cloud to a local on-premises data center. It is also referred to as cloud exit or cloud repatriation.
Steps to Successful Cloud Migration
Making the move to the cloud might just be the transformation shift that your business needs, however, before moving it is essential that you understand not just the benefits but the process.
These are key steps process to ensuring a successful cloud migration:
– Assessment and Planning: Companies should evaluate how migrating to the cloud aligns with their business needs and policies. It is also important for them to evaluate the applications, and data that will be moved to the cloud.
– Deciding for the Right Model: Organizations have to choose from available models (public,
private, or hybrid) the one that appropriately suits their business and compliance needs.
– Migrating Applications and Data: This is the actual move of IT resources to the cloud
ecosystem.
– Post-Migration Optimization: A successful migration entails the post-relocation process. This includes the continuous optimization of resources and operations in the cloud for sustained efficiency, reduced costs and greater business returns.
The Cloud Migration Strategies
A successful migration requires a well-thought-out strategy, a systematic process, and the right set of tools (Singh, 2023). Since not all workloads are optimized for cloud environments, it becomes important to evaluate and prioritize applications for migration before making the move. A well-defined migration strategy will determine which assets can be moved and how. Here are the main strategies involved in the cloud migration journey:
1. Rehosting: This is a fundamental stage in cloud migration which involves moving existing applications and data from an on-site location to the cloud with minimal to no modification or changes to the application architecture. Also known as “lift and shift”, it is often preferred for its simplicity and because it provides a quick way to migrate to the cloud while reducing downtime.
2. Replatforming: This strategy entails the migration of applications and resources from self-hosted infrastructure to the cloud while leveraging cloud capabilities for improved performance, scalability, reliability, and resource management. Here, applications are moved to the cloud without changing the application’s source code and core architecture.
3. Repurchasing: This involves a movement to a different cloud-native and a change of an existing licensing model to a more flexible and scalable cloud-based subscription model such as switching to SaaS products. Also known as ”drop and shop, it conforms with the pay-as-you-go model and offers access to latest cloud capabilities.
4. Refactoring: This transformative stage in cloud migration is also known as rearchitecting, redesigning or redeveloping the application from scratch using cloud-native technologies (Singh, 2023). It involves the modification of applications; restructuring of code, or integration of cloud-native features, to leverage cloud services tailored to specific business needs.
5. Retaining: This strategy becomes applicable when the cost of migrating all applications and resources exceeds an organization’s budget or when some applications cannot be moved and have to remain on the on-premise architecture.
6. Retiring: This involves decommissioning or downsizing applications that are no longer in use to streamline the IT landscape, eliminate redundancy, save cost, and attain efficiency.
Potential Cloud Migration Challenges
Cost Implication: The initial cost of cloud migration can be quite expensive when you
consider the financial implications of moving existing applications, training employees
and preventing potential downtime.
– Data Security: There are potential threats against data security during and after
migration. Organizations making the cloud migration choice have realized that protecting
their data is not the sole responsibility of their cloud providers and that insufficient
security puts their data at the risk of breach or loss.
– Downtime Risks: There is the risk of disruption of business operations during migration.
This can be minimized through careful planning and strategic implementation.
– Skill Gaps: Employees may have to grapple with the initial challenge of adapting to the
realities of cloud migration and new cloud technologies. This will necessitate the need for
the provision of relevant educational resources as well as the training and upskilling of IT
staff and end-users.
Benefits of Migrating to the Cloud
1. Reduced Operational Cost: One of the reasons businesses opt for the cloud environment is because it essentially requires that you only pay for what you use. Moving to the cloud reduces the operational cost of any organization that tows the path. It also cuts the additional cost of keeping an onsite IT team required to manage on-premises infrastructure.
2. Enhanced Security and Compliance: Cloud service providers leverage advanced security analytics to conduct routine updates, block-off unwanted traffic and improve security. This enables businesses to optimize their operations, innovate efficiently, and comply with industry standards
3. Reduced Workload: More companies are moving their assets and services to the cloud where data is backed-up in the cloud provider’s data centre and for access to security patches and emerging features. This reduces workloads in data centers and improves service delivery as companies are able to meet the demands of online services and remote work with reduced downtime.
4. Enhanced Opportunities for Innovation: Businesses can deploy modern, containerized workloads across multiple cloud providers by adopting a cloud-native approach that leverages microservices and APIs (Anunta, 2024). Organizations can leverage the cloud platform to deploy new features and applications while fostering agility in a dynamic landscape.
5. Improved Accessibility and Collaboration: A migration to the cloud ensures that employees and partners can access applications and data at any time and from anywhere without any hindrance. This also enhances collaboration, productivity and efficiency in such a way that there is unhindered access to business applications and data irrespective of any operational challenge.
Conclusion
As more organizations adopt cloud-based resources and strategies, cloud providers continue to evolve in their services and resources, making the cloud an even more appealing option for secured business operations and data protection. This also continues to give more prominence to cloud migration.
Now, here’s how we come in, Telliswall provides holistic services that ensure the smooth transition of your business resources to the cloud in compliance with industry standards and for your organization’s innovative growth and expansion. We guide companies through the process of evaluation to decision-making and execution for successful cloud migration.
References
Accenture (2024). Cloud Migration: Understanding What it is and How it can Transform your
Business
https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/cloud-migration-index
Anunta (2024). What is Cloud Migration? Strategy, Services, and Benefits
https://www.anuntatech.com/blog/what-is-cloud-migration-strategy-services-and-benefits/
Bigelow, S. J. and Casey, K. (2024). What is Cloud Migration? Your Guide to Moving to the
Cloud
https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-migration
Carter, M. (2023). An Overview of Cloud Data Migration: Benefits and Challenges
https://sharearchiver.com/cloud-data-migration-benefits-challenges/
Digital.ai (2025). What is Cloud Migration?
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Erickson, J. (2023). What Is Cloud Migration? Importance, Benefits, and Strategy
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Vmware (2025). What is Cloud Migration?
https://www.vmware.com/topics/cloud-migration