Cloud migration strategies, transition stages, architecture choices and practices to reduce risks and costs.
Companies move to the cloud for flexibility, savings, and faster launch of new services, but they do not always get the expected result. We explain the difference between migration and transformation, outline strategy options, describe the project stages, and share practical examples from CIS business.
_Cloud migration_ is the move of an organization’s applications, databases, and other IT systems from its own servers or an on-premises data center to a cloud provider’s infrastructure. The business stops buying and maintaining hardware and starts using computing resources as a service. Instead of large investments in hardware, the company pays for the capacity it actually uses.
Interest in the cloud is growing for economic reasons. According to analysts, the global cloud technology market could reach $2 trillion by 2030. The move makes it possible to replace one-time infrastructure investments with regular, more predictable expenses, simplify budgeting, and launch new projects faster without overbuying. Simple migration or transformation - what is the difference? There are two approaches: 1.
Lift-and-shift (move "as is")- systems are simply moved to the cloud without changing the architecture. This is faster, but it does not always deliver the maximum benefit. 2.[Cloud transformation](https://www.kt-team.ru/blog/cloud-transformation-as-a-strategic-tool-for-digital-business) - the architecture is rebuilt: microservices, containers, and serverless solutions are used. This is more complex, but it gives: - better scalability; - lower costs; - flexibility in product development.
If the goal is _simply to cut costs and move away from hardware_, the first option works. If the goal is to _accelerate business growth_, the second is needed.
How cloud services became mainstream It is interesting that the first company to give businesses a real way to move to the cloud was not an IT corporation, but an online bookstore. In 2006, Amazon launched the service _Amazon Web Services (AWS)_. That was when the world saw the first three services: Amazon S3 cloud file storage, Amazon SQS queue service, and Amazon EC2 virtual servers. This event changed the IT landscape forever.
As a result, _the barrier to entry for new companies fell:_ startups gained the ability to grow without investing in data centers. Netflix, Airbnb, and Spotify grew on cloud infrastructure, and by 2017 AWS revenue exceeded $20 billion, establishing the cloud model as the market standard.
Who migrates in CIS and why Today, large and mid-sized companies actively use cloud services. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, in corporate IT infrastructure the share of cloud solutions already exceeds30%, and in some industries - more than 50%.
Three industries are moving to the cloud most actively: 1. Retail and e-commerce- to handle sharp traffic spikes during sales periods and keep websites running reliably. The share of cloud infrastructure in the industry already reaches 50-60%. According to Serverspace, cloud use in e-commerce grew by 31%, and demand for DDoS protection rose by 47%. For retail, it is a tool for scaling and protecting online sales.
2. Financial sector- to reduce dependence on foreign solutions and simplify IT management. VTB, for example, moved 11,000 virtual workstations and significantly accelerated the migration process. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, more than 40% of large financial institutions have already replaced key foreign software.
3. Industry and Development- companies are moving ERP, engineering, and analytics systems to the cloud to get access to powerful servers and GPUs without buying their own hardware. Demand for such resources is growing: developers are cutting infrastructure costs up to 30% by eliminating in-house server rooms.
The migration approach depends on the task, but you need to start with the goal. If speed matters, choose a fast move. If you need to reduce support, look at managed services. If you want to accelerate product development, change the architecture. Below are the main strategies, from simple moves to deeper changes. Retire - turn off and do not migrate During the audit, it often turns out that some systems are not actually used or duplicate other solutions. It is easier to decommission them than to migrate them.
This reduces spending on licenses, support, and infrastructure. Based on the experience of large companies, up to 15-20%A portion of the IT portfolio can be closed without business impact. Retain - keep as is for now. Some systems are better left untouched. For example, if they are tightly tied to specific hardware, subject to regulatory constraints, or scheduled for replacement soon. This is a deliberate pause to focus on higher-priority tasks.
Rehost - migrate without changes (lift-and-shift) The fastest method: virtual machines are moved to the cloud without changing the code or architecture. It works when you need to free up the server room urgently or reduce capital expenses. But keep in mind: if the system was unstable before, it will not become faster in the cloud by itself. Replatform - migrate with minimal changes The application stays the same, but the infrastructure changes.
For example, the database is moved to a managed service, automatic backup is introduced, or containerization is added. This is a compromise between speed and modernization: the code changes little, but cloud benefits appear. Repurchase - replace with SaaS The company abandons its own or outdated system and switches to a ready-made cloud service by subscription. This approach makes sense if maintaining an in-house solution costs more than buying SaaS.
This is especially relevant for email, CRM, accounting, and other standard tasks. Refactor/Rearchitect - change the architecture The application is redesigned: the monolith is split into microservices, autoscaling is introduced, and serverless technologies are used. This requires investment, but it makes it possible to release new features faster and scale individual components without reworking the entire system.
Rebuild - building a new solution from scratch If the system is technologically outdated or business processes have changed significantly, it is easier to develop a new application designed for cloud architecture. This is the most expensive and time-consuming path, but it makes it possible to eliminate accumulated technical debt. To make orientation easier, we summarized the strategies in a table with specific examples:
| Strategy | When to Use It | What the business gets |
|---|---|---|
| Retire (decommission) | The system is unused, duplicated or has lost its value | Savings on licenses and support, freeing up resources |
| Retain (keep) | High migration risks, regulatory constraints, replacement of the solution is expected | Risk reduction and focus on higher-priority systems |
| Rehost (move "as is") | Urgent move, no time or budget for rework | Rapid reduction of capital costs and migration of infrastructure to the cloud |
| Replatform (platform shift) | You need to raise reliability and automate maintenance without rewriting code | Less manual support, built-in backups, and scaling |
| Repurchase (SaaS) | Standard functions are cheaper to buy on subscription than to maintain yourself | Predictable costs and no worries about updates |
| Refactor / Rearchitect (redesign) | The monolith hinders scaling and product development | Flexibility, fast rollout of new features, efficient scaling |
| Rebuild (create from scratch) | The system is outdated and no longer fits current business processes | Modern architecture with no technical debt |
A migration project can take several months and require significant investment. But failures usually happen not because of technology, but because of poor preparation. The main mistake is to think it is just data copying. In practice, you have to untangle legacy dependencies, remove what is unnecessary, and at the same time keep the company running. 1. Assessment and goals First, you need to understand exactly what you are moving and why. Gather data on all systems the business uses.
Record the actual loads and dependencies between systems; without this it is easy to break workflows. Group services by criticality and calculate current infrastructure costs. This provides a basis for comparing with the cloud and helps choose a strategy for each system. 2. Choosing the model and provider Define business requirements: where data must be stored, which systems are critical, and whether part of the infrastructure will remain on your own site. Then choose a private, public, or hybrid cloud.
For the provider, it is important to check support for the required technologies, SLA terms, data egress costs, and the option for a pilot launch. The result of this stage is a clear system placement scheme and a list of suitable vendors.
3. Staged migration Do not move everything at once. Start with a pilot on non-critical services, then proceed in "waves" - from supporting systems to core ones. Decide in advance whether the move will involve downtime or not. After each wave, validate real business scenarios, not just server availability. Be sure to prepare a rollback plan and do not rush to decommission the old infrastructure. 4. Cost control (FinOps) After the move, it is important to manage spending.
Regularly review utilization, shut down unnecessary resources, use tags, and set up budget overrun alerts. Cloud is effective only with constant control. 5. Operations and evolution After migration, the IT team's approach changes: more automation, less manual support. Set access roles, perform regular resource audits, and revisit the architecture after a few months of operation.
The transition is considered successful when the old infrastructure is shut down, costs are clear, and users have no issues. Tip: do backups and store them separately from the main site, preferably with another provider. Incidents happen to everyone, and independent backups protect the business. Do not rush to retire old equipment: a few weeks of transition time can save data and reporting.
Two different businesses, a developer and a grocery retailer, had different goals, but both turned to the cloud as a tool for cost optimization and management.
Level Group - migration to a private cloud Problem: Level Group used a public cloud with shared resources. During peak hours, corporate services slowed down, support was not responsive, and security concerns remained unresolved. Solution: the company moved to the cloud with dedicated capacity. Before the migration, the specialists carried out infrastructure audit, drew up a plan, and carried out the migration in stages at night.
We updated the network architecture and set up isolated infrastructure. Results: - about migrated
Data TB; - IT costs reduced by about 30%; - regular slowdowns and outages eliminated; - security improved through dedicated channels and isolation; - scaling accelerated - adding resources takes hours.
VkusMarket - switching the entire chain to SaaS Problem: VkusMarket managed 200 stores with fragmented local servers across the regions. Email and documents were stored separately, versions diverged, support was expensive, and backups were unreliable. Solution: the partner team implemented an off-the-shelf SaaS solution for business.
In two months the experts migrated email, consolidated documents into a single cloud storage, set up collaboration and centralized access management with two-factor authentication. Results: - 200 stores and more than 3,000 employees were unified in a single information space; - IT costs were reduced by about 30%; - contract approvals and document search were accelerated (time was cut roughly threefold); - data loss was eliminated thanks to automatic backups; - security was strengthened through a unified access management system; - opening new stores became easier, without buying servers.
Technically, systems can be migrated in a few months.
According to IDC, most technology transformations fail because of employee resistance, not infrastructure problems.
When a company moves to the cloud, not only the architecture changes, but also _roles within the team._
Developers become responsible not only for code, but also for how it is deployed and runs in production.
Infrastructure engineers automate more and do less manual troubleshooting.
Decisions are made faster and closer to the team, not only at the executive level.
If people are not prepared for this, resistance starts. Some fear losing ownership of their area, others fear making mistakes in the new environment.
Without a clear explanation of the goals and without training, migration turns into a formality: the systems are in the cloud, but the processes remain the same.
First, transparency. The team must understand why the company is changing its approach: to reduce costs, speed up product launches, or improve stability. Without a clear goal, changes feel like extra burden. Second,, employee training. Practical workshops, access to courses, and internal support are needed.
People should be able to try new tools safely and not be afraid to ask questions. Research shows: teams with high psychological safety work noticeably more effectively - employees acknowledge mistakes faster and propose solutions. Third,redistribution of responsibilities.
In the cloud environment, the shared responsibility model applies: service reliability is the responsibility of the whole team, not a single administrator. This requires new rules of interaction and regular communication. That is: without a culture change, even a technically successful migration will not deliver results.
Switching to the cloud is not the end of the project. The main work begins after go-live: 1. Cost control and monitoring.Check right away whether metrics are being collected correctly, alerts are configured, and there are no unnecessary resources. Compare actual spending with the plan. Cost management tools help reveal inefficient configurations and idle capacity.
2. Backup andsecurity.Check that backups are actually running and can be restored within a reasonable time. Test the recovery procedure. Update access policies, enable two-factor authentication, and make sure no unnecessary services are exposed to the outside. 3. User feedback.Metrics show numbers, but not usability. Survey employees and key users.
Document the issues, assign owners and deadlines for fixes. This reduces resistance and increases trust in the new environment.
FAQ
The timeline depends on system complexity and scale. A small company may finish in 2-3 months. Mid-sized businesses usually need 4 to 9 months, especially if the architecture has to be redesigned rather than just moving servers.
Technically, yes, but it is better not to do it that way. Split the systems into groups and migrate them in stages. First test the process on non-critical services, then move on to the key ones.
Not always. If resources are not controlled, costs can rise. The cloud reduces capital spending, but it requires constant monitoring of consumption. Without cost management, there will be no savings.
Security depends not only on the provider but also on your configuration. Enable two-factor authentication, restrict access, and regularly verify backups. The cloud can improve protection if it is configured correctly.
Plan your response in advance. Store backups separately from the main site, if needed with another provider. Check how long it takes you to restore services.
Yes. The cloud does not eliminate IT work, it changes it. Instead of maintaining servers, the team focuses more on automating processes, configuring infrastructure, and controlling costs.
When you have fully shut down the old infrastructure, kept costs under control, the team is working confidently in the new environment, and users are no longer facing constant issues.
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