Moving to the Cloud: What to Migrate First, and What to Leave

A successful cloud migration is usually a sequence of smaller moves rather than a single big switch.

Good First Candidates

• Email and collaboration, typically through Microsoft 365.
• File shares moving to SharePoint or OneDrive with a sensible folder and permission structure.
• Backups, adding an offsite cloud copy to existing arrangements.

Plan Carefully

• Line of business applications that depend on specific servers or licences.
• Databases with performance or data residency requirements.
• Systems that integrate with onsite equipment, such as access control or production systems.

Sometimes Stay Put

Some workloads run perfectly well on existing hardware, or have latency, regulatory or cost reasons to remain onsite. A hybrid approach is often the right answer.

Before Any Move

1. Inventory what you run and who uses it.
2. Estimate ongoing cloud costs, not just migration effort.
3. Plan identity and security first.
4. Test with a pilot group and keep a rollback plan.

Get in touch for a cloud readiness review.