Select Your Own Cloud Migration Adventure

Welcome, reader! You are Alex, the managing director of Bright Horizons Ltd, a mid-sized enterprise specialising in eco-friendly products. Your company is doing well, but your IT systems are creaking under the strain of growth. Data takes forever to process, storage costs are ballooning, and your team complains about slow software updates.

One day, while staring at the blinking cursor on a lagging screen, your IT Manager, Simon, asks: "Have you considered migrating to the cloud?"

You’ve heard of this mystical realm before. It promises scalability, innovation, and cost savings. But you also know it’s a land full of challenges. Should you stay on familiar ground or venture into the cloud? The decision is yours.

Chapter 1: To Cloud or Not to Cloud

You sit at your desk, staring at your laptop screen, where multiple tabs are open. One is a detailed report Simon sent over about rising infrastructure costs. Another is an article titled "Top Benefits of Cloud Migration." Your coffee grows cold as you click between them, jotting down notes in the margin of a printout filled with pros and cons. The decision isn’t easy—migrating to the cloud sounds promising, with its talk of scalability and cost savings, but the risks and potential disruption to your business weigh heavily. Outside the office window, the sunny day seems to mock your hesitation. The clock ticks softly, and you wonder if it’s time to take the leap—or stick with what you know.

• If you decide to stay with your current setup, turn to Chapter 2.
• If you explore cloud migration, turn to Chapter 3.

Chapter 2: The Familiar Road

You decide not to fix what isn’t completely broken. Your IT systems may be clunky, but they get the job done. There’s a certain comfort in sticking with what you know, and your team is already familiar with the current setup. As you share your decision with Simon, he nods but gives you a knowing look.

"We’ll need to budget for hardware upgrades and maintenance soon," he warns, sliding a spreadsheet across your desk. It’s filled with estimates for replacing outdated servers, patching security vulnerabilities, and hiring additional IT support to keep everything running smoothly.

In the following months, work continues as usual. There’s minimal disruption, and your team appreciates that they don’t need to learn new tools. But as time goes on, you notice the cracks. Your IT team spends more and more hours troubleshooting slow applications and scheduling downtime for server maintenance.

Consequences:

• Short-term win: No disruption to daily operations, and staff can keep using systems they know.
• Long-term risks: Costs for upgrades grow, security vulnerabilities creep in, and your competitors, who embraced the cloud, start delivering products faster.

One afternoon, during a budget meeting, your CFO leans forward with a concerned expression. “We’re overspending on IT maintenance. Can we cut these costs?” Simon glances at you knowingly. You realise that staying the course isn’t as sustainable as it once seemed.

• If you double down and upgrade your on-premises infrastructure, turn to Chapter 4.
• If you rethink and reconsider the cloud, turn to Chapter 3.

Chapter 3: The Cloud Beckons

You decide to investigate cloud migration. With your coffee in hand, you open your laptop and dive into research. Your screen is soon filled with articles, whitepapers, and customer success stories, each promising different benefits and potential challenges. You take notes as you read about companies that have reduced their IT costs, improved scalability, and sped up innovation through cloud migration.

But it isn’t all smooth sailing. Some articles warn of common pitfalls, such as hidden costs, unexpected downtime during migration, and the need to retrain staff. You lean back in your chair, rubbing your temples. The possibilities are exciting, but they also raise a lot of questions.

Just then, an email from Simon pops up. Attached is a detailed overview of the three most common migration strategies, each with its pros and cons. You open the attachment and skim through it:

The Choices:

• Lift-and-shift: Move your current systems to the cloud as they are. Quick and straightforward, but may not fully optimise costs or performance.
• Replatform: Modernise a few key systems to better utilise cloud benefits while keeping the core setup largely intact.
• Cloud-native redesign: Rebuild your IT systems from the ground up to fully harness the cloud’s capabilities. It’s the boldest option, but also the most time-consuming.

As you stare at the chart comparing each option, you realise that the next step is critical.

• If you choose lift-and-shift, turn to Chapter 5.
• If you choose replatforming, turn to Chapter 6.
• If you choose cloud-native redesign, turn to Chapter 7.

Chapter 4: On-Premises 2.0

You decide to invest in upgrading your existing infrastructure, confident that this will address the performance issues while keeping your business on familiar ground. The IT team works around the clock to replace old servers with modern hardware, install faster storage systems, and implement better security measures. The upgrade process takes several months, during which you occasionally experience temporary downtime and glitches.

Eventually, the new systems are in place. Simon proudly shows you the data: faster response times and improved server reliability. For a while, it feels like the right call. Your team has avoided a steep learning curve, and operations are running smoothly.

But as your business continues to grow, so do the demands on your IT infrastructure. Simon walks into your office one afternoon with a concerned look. “We’re seeing signs of strain. The new hardware won’t scale easily if growth spikes again.”

Consequences:

• Short-term win: Familiarity and control. Your team avoids a steep learning curve.
• Long-term risks: Scalability remains a challenge. When growth spikes, you’ll need to purchase even more hardware. Competitors who embraced cloud scalability leave you trailing.

A few weeks later, during a meeting with the head of sales, you hear another concern. “We’re slower than our competitors when it comes to launching new products. Customers are starting to notice.” You sit back in your chair, realising that while the upgrades have bought you time, they may not be a long-term solution.

• If you rethink and revisit cloud migration, turn to Chapter 3.
• If you stick with your upgraded setup, the story ends here.

If you’ve decided to stick with your upgraded setup, that’s okay! Every business has unique needs. To stay informed about when the cloud might be right for you, check out “At What Point Does Cloud Service Make Sense for a Small-to-Medium Business?”. Best of luck, whatever you decide!

Chapter 5: The Lift-and-Shift Leap

You choose the lift-and-shift approach, deciding to move your existing systems to the cloud as they are. Simon and the IT team coordinate the migration over a series of late nights and weekends to minimise disruptions. There are a few hiccups along the way, such as minor application errors and misconfigurations, but within a few weeks, your systems are running on cloud servers.

Initially, everything seems fine. Your team notices that applications load faster, and you have more flexibility with storage. But after a few months, Simon knocks on your door with a concerned expression. He shows you the latest cloud usage report, and the numbers aren’t pretty.

"We’re paying for resources we aren’t fully utilising," he explains. The lift-and-shift approach allowed you to move quickly, but without optimisation, your cloud infrastructure is costing more than expected.

Consequences:

• Short-term win: Migration is relatively quick and inexpensive. Your systems are now more scalable.
• Long-term risks: Without optimisation, you’re not fully leveraging cloud efficiency. Costs creep up due to underused resources.

Your CFO isn’t happy. “Why is our cloud bill so high? Are we getting our money’s worth?” It’s clear that you need to make adjustments—or reconsider your approach entirely.

• If you optimise and move to a replatforming strategy, turn to Chapter 6.
• If you maintain the lift-and-shift setup, the story ends here — for now!

If you’ve gone with the lift-and-shift approach, you’re off to a great start! It’s a quick way to get onto the cloud, but optimising your setup is key to unlocking its full potential. To help you avoid common pitfalls and make the most of your migration, check out “Mistakes to Avoid in Your Cloud Migration”. Here’s to making the best choice for your business!

Chapter 6: Replatforming for Growth

You decide on a hybrid approach, opting to modernise key applications while keeping others largely the same. It feels like a good middle ground—enough improvement to benefit from cloud capabilities without completely overhauling your entire system. Simon and the IT team spend weeks analysing which applications would gain the most from optimisation and which can be left as is.

The migration is more complex than the lift-and-shift approach. Some legacy applications require updates to work efficiently in the cloud, while others need compatibility patches. You frequently meet with Simon to review progress, and although there are a few setbacks, you start to see positive results.

When the migration is complete, your team quickly notices the improvements. Data processing is faster, cloud storage is more efficient, and your cloud bills are more predictable compared to the initial lift-and-shift costs. However, the project wasn’t without its challenges. The older applications that weren’t fully optimised still require occasional maintenance, creating some complexity in managing the environment.

During a review meeting, Simon highlights the gains: "We’ve lowered our cloud expenses by optimising key applications, but there’s still room for improvement. The older systems could eventually become a bottleneck."

A week later, your marketing team reports faster product rollouts, and customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive. But Simon’s caution stays with you.

Consequences:

• Short-term win: You’re saving money compared to the lift-and-shift approach. Your team appreciates the updated systems.
• Long-term risk: Some older applications still need occasional maintenance, which creates complexity.

Sales rise, and customers notice your faster response times. But Simon warns: “We’ll eventually need to move fully to cloud-native to stay competitive.”

• If you prepare for a cloud-native redesign, turn to Chapter 7.
• If you stick with replatforming, the story ends here.

If you’ve chosen to replatform, you’re taking a balanced approach that modernises key systems while maintaining stability. It’s a smart move! To help you continue building on this foundation and ensure a smooth migration, check out “7 Steps to a Successful Cloud Migration”. Wishing you continued success on your journey!

Chapter 7: Cloud-Native Transformation

You commit to a bold decision: a full rebuild of your IT systems, designed from the ground up to fully leverage the cloud’s capabilities. The team gathers in the conference room for a strategy meeting, and Simon outlines the roadmap. It’s an ambitious plan—one that will require a significant investment in time, resources, and training.

The first few months are challenging. Some team members struggle to adapt to new tools and workflows, and unexpected technical issues pop up along the way. But gradually, things start to click. New cloud-native applications are deployed, providing your business with the flexibility and scalability that were impossible with your previous setup.

Simon invites you to the server room, which is now practically empty. The once-bulky on-premises infrastructure has been replaced by sleek, virtual solutions that require minimal physical hardware.

"We’ve eliminated most of our maintenance costs," Simon says with a grin. “And we can scale on demand without needing to buy more hardware.”

Your marketing team launches a major new product line without delays, thanks to the agile development capabilities enabled by the cloud-native architecture. Customers are impressed with the speed and reliability of your services.

Consequences:

• Short-term pain: The migration takes longer, and staff need retraining. Initial costs are high.
• Long-term gain: Your IT systems are faster, scalable, and cost-efficient. Your team innovates without constraints, and your customers enjoy seamless experiences.

You sit back in your office, watching as your team confidently handles a system update without your intervention. You smile, thinking back to the moment you hesitated over the decision. Better late than never!

The End?

The journey of cloud migration is different for everyone. Every decision has its pros and cons, and the path you choose depends on your company’s needs and resources. Bright Horizons Ltd made its choices. What will you do for your business?

The adventure may end here, but the possibilities are endless. Choose wisely!