8 Misconceptions About Cloud Migration Strategies: How to Migrate Your Business
Cloud spending isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In the last quarter of 2024 alone, businesses worldwide poured $17 billion more into cloud infrastructure than the year before—a jump of 22%.
That kind of growth says a lot. More companies are moving to the cloud, but not all of them are getting it right.
Without solid cloud migration strategies, businesses risk downtime, unexpected expenses, or are stuck with systems that don’t perform as they should.
This guide explains what cloud migration actually involves, which strategies work best, and how to avoid common mistakes that slow things down.
What is cloud migration?
Cloud migration is the process of moving digital assets like data, applications, and workloads from on-premises infrastructure to cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or private cloud platforms.
It can also refer to moving from one cloud provider to another, known as cloud-to-cloud migration. This shift allows organizations to use cloud computing power, scalability, and flexibility while reducing the dependency on legacy systems.
Successful cloud migration depends heavily on understanding the different types of cloud migration, choosing the right approach to cloud migration, and aligning it with business goals.
8 misconceptions about cloud migration for businesses
These are the most common cloud migration misconceptions businesses run into—and what you really need to know before making the move.
1. “Migration means downtime.”
Many companies assume that migrating to the cloud automatically results in service downtime. While some legacy applications might need to pause during migration, good cloud migration strategies often use automation, replication, and staging to limit or avoid disruptions.
AWS cloud migration services and third-party tools help businesses transition without halting operations, especially for critical workloads.
2. “Lift and shift is always the best option.”
The lift and shift or rehost strategy moves applications without changes. While it's fast, it isn’t always the right approach.
Businesses must evaluate whether a replatform or repurchase strategy might better optimize cloud service usage. Without proper optimization, cloud costs can quickly add up, making the strategy ineffective in the long run.
3. “Cloud migration is only about moving servers.”
Migration isn't just about moving virtual machines or servers. It includes databases, applications, user data, and system configurations.
A cloud migration process should also account for integration with SaaS platforms, cloud-native tools, and new cloud resources. Infrastructure to the cloud is only one piece of the puzzle.
4. “Once migrated, optimization isn’t needed.”
Some assume that once the migration process is done, the job is over. In reality, cloud environments need continuous optimization.
Workloads may need scaling, cloud server requirements can change, and cloud computing costs can spiral without active management. Strategies may include resizing resources or moving to serverless computing to improve efficiency.
5. “Cloud isn’t secure.”
Security and compliance are common cloud migration challenges, but cloud providers like AWS and Azure invest heavily in secure architectures.
Still, organizations must build trust in the cloud by following best practices, encrypting data, and aligning with regulatory standards. Using tools like Cloud Volumes ONTAP can help manage and secure data in the cloud.
6. “Everything needs to move at once.”
A phased migration approach is often more successful in a cloud migration strategy. Trying to move everything in one big push increases the risk of failure.
Breaking the migration project into manageable stages—based on the types of cloud migration like rehost, re-platform, or repurchase—allows better control and minimizes disruption.
7. “Cloud migration is a one-size-fits-all process.”
Different businesses have different needs. A retail company might benefit from a hybrid cloud model, while a SaaS provider might go fully cloud-native.
The 7 Rs of cloud migration help categorize migration strategies based on workload, cloud adoption goals, and application complexity.
8. “Only large enterprises benefit from the cloud.”
Cloud services offer value to businesses of all sizes. From startups to global corporations, the benefits of migrating include lower infrastructure costs, faster deployment, and greater scalability.
Small businesses can also adopt cloud-based systems to compete more effectively, especially using AWS Cloud or Azure for flexible pricing and performance.
Advantages of applying the right cloud migration strategy
Below are seven key advantages that show why more businesses are leaving behind old infrastructure and choosing the cloud instead.
Your business gains scalability on demand
One of the most significant benefits of cloud migration is scalability. Traditional on-premises infrastructure has physical limits.
When demand spikes, businesses face bottlenecks or must overinvest in unused hardware. Migrating to the cloud, especially platforms like AWS or VMware Cloud, allows organizations to scale resources up or down as needed.
Cloud computing lets businesses handle seasonal traffic, product launches, or unpredictable demand without stressing the system.
For example, an e-commerce company moving applications and data to the cloud can expand its cloud resources during holiday sales and then scale back during quieter periods.
Your applications become more agile
Agility is another core benefit of cloud migration strategies. In a cloud environment, resources can be deployed within minutes. This gives development teams the ability to test, build, and launch faster, which accelerates product cycles and innovation.
Cloud-native features like automation, containerization, and serverless computing support agile development workflows.
When businesses replatform or refactor applications during migration, they can take advantage of continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
Your business cuts infrastructure costs
Cloud migration often leads to cost savings. On-premises infrastructure comes with high capital expenses—hardware, maintenance, energy, and staff.
With cloud services, businesses shift to an operational expenditure model. They pay only for what they use, which is especially useful when workloads vary throughout the year.
However, the savings depend on choosing the right migration strategy and optimizing cloud usage. A poorly planned lift and shift might lead to higher-than-expected cloud costs.
Your operations become more reliable
Cloud environments offer higher availability and reliability than traditional setups.
With the right cloud migration strategies, businesses can use multiple availability zones, automated failovers, and real-time backups. This reduces downtime, improves disaster recovery, and strengthens business continuity.
Tools like Cloud Volumes ONTAP help manage storage reliability across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Your teams can work from anywhere
Cloud migration supports remote and hybrid work environments. With data and applications in the cloud, employees can access what they need from any location.
This is especially important for companies using SaaS tools or those that moved their workloads to the cloud during pandemic-related disruptions.
A good cloud migration strategy ensures secure access through VPNs, identity and access management, and endpoint protection. Businesses that invest in cloud security and compliance can offer flexible work models without compromising safety or productivity.
Your business can innovate faster
Innovation often slows when legacy infrastructure holds teams back.
Migrating to the cloud opens up access to advanced technologies like machine learning, big data analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms. AWS Cloud, Azure, and Google Cloud all provide tools to explore new capabilities with minimal upfront investment.
Your IT team can focus on strategy
Managing on-premises infrastructure can consume an IT team’s time and resources. Cloud migration services allow teams to shift from maintenance tasks to strategic priorities.
Once in the cloud, responsibilities like patching, backups, and monitoring are handled by the cloud provider or automated tools.
This frees IT staff to focus on digital transformation, optimization, and improving cloud readiness across departments.
7 cloud migration strategies explained
Below is a detailed breakdown of the 7 cloud migration strategies and how they work in practice.
Refactor (Re-architect)
Refactoring, or re-architecting, involves rebuilding an application from the ground up to fully take advantage of cloud-native features.
This strategy is ideal when an existing application no longer meets current demands or can benefit from new cloud capabilities like serverless computing or microservices architecture.
This approach to cloud migration typically requires the most effort and time, but it also offers the highest return in scalability, agility, and cost optimization.
Replatform (Lift and Reshape)
Replatforming modifies and optimizes the application during migration without changing its core architecture.
It’s often referred to as “lift and reshape” and is one of the most practical cloud migration strategies for businesses that want performance improvements without a complete overhaul.
For example, moving a workload from an on-premises server to AWS Cloud and switching the database to Amazon RDS without rewriting the application code is a common replatform approach.
Repurchase (Drop and Shop)
The repurchase strategy involves retiring an existing application and replacing it with a SaaS-based cloud service. This “drop and shop” approach is effective when it's more cost-efficient to switch to a new cloud-native application rather than upgrade or move an old one.
A common example is replacing an in-house CRM system with Salesforce or moving an outdated ERP platform to a SaaS version like NetSuite.
Rehost (Lift and Shift)
Rehost, often called “lift and shift,” is one of the simplest types of cloud migration. It involves moving an application and its associated data to the cloud without modifying its architecture.
Many businesses choose this as the first step toward cloud adoption because it offers a quick way to migrate and test cloud performance.
While it's not the most optimized cloud migration strategy, it works well for companies with tight deadlines or limited budgets. AWS cloud migration tools, for example, make rehosting a manageable process.
Relocate (Hypervisor-Level Lift and Shift)
Relocation means migrating applications at the hypervisor level without redesigning or rebuilding. This approach is often used in VMware Cloud environments or when moving large sets of workloads that are already virtualized.
Unlike a rehost, which moves application components individually, relocation transfers entire virtual machines. It’s ideal for businesses looking to move to the cloud quickly without changing how their applications operate.
Retain (Revisit)
Not all workloads need to migrate to the cloud. The retain strategy, sometimes called revisit, means keeping certain applications on-premises because of regulatory, performance, or technical requirements.
These systems may not be cloud-ready or may rely on hardware that doesn’t translate well to a cloud environment.
Businesses with long-term investments in legacy infrastructure may choose to retain specific workloads while migrating others.
Retire
The retire strategy is about identifying outdated, redundant, or unused applications and shutting them down during the migration process. This step helps eliminate unnecessary costs and reduces the complexity of managing systems that no longer serve a purpose.
By auditing existing applications before migrating to the cloud, businesses can decide entirely what to keep, migrate, or retire.
Need help with cloud migration? Choose InfoTank!
The cloud migration process is complex, and no two businesses face the same challenges. From choosing the right cloud migration strategies to optimizing workloads in the cloud, every decision impacts performance, costs, and scalability.
That’s why businesses in Atlanta and across the U.S. rely on InfoTank—a trusted name in cloud migration services, IT strategy, and ongoing support.
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Frequently asked questions
What is cloud migration, and why does it matter for businesses today?
Cloud migration is the process of moving digital assets—such as data, applications, and workloads—from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud environment.
This migration process enables businesses to take advantage of cloud computing by using scalable and flexible cloud services like AWS, Azure, or other cloud providers.
Migrating to the cloud helps reduce operational costs, improves performance, and supports faster innovation in competitive markets.
How do I choose the right cloud migration strategy for my business?
Choosing cloud migration strategies depends on the type of workload, cloud readiness, and long-term business goals. The most common cloud migration strategies include the 7 cloud migration strategies, such as rehost, replatform, repurchase, refactor, relocate, retain, and retire.
Each strategy requires a tailored approach to cloud migration and must consider the current infrastructure, cloud capabilities, and available cloud migration services.
What are the types of cloud migration businesses should know about?
There are several types of cloud migration, including rehosting (lift and shift), replatforming, repurchasing, and cloud-to-cloud migration.
Businesses may also consider hybrid cloud models, where some workloads stay on-premises while others move to the public cloud.
Understanding these types helps organizations create a migration plan that supports the cloud adoption framework and avoids common cloud migration challenges.
What are the benefits of cloud migration for growing businesses?
The benefits of cloud migration include improved scalability, agility, and reduced cloud costs. Migrating applications to the cloud allows businesses to optimize resources, enhance cloud security, and support remote work.
With cloud-native services and cloud-based infrastructure, companies can increase speed, reliability, and resilience—all while preparing for future growth.
What are the biggest migration challenges businesses face when moving to the cloud?
Some common cloud migration challenges include managing legacy systems, ensuring data security and compliance, and handling the complexity of moving applications.
The migration project may also require retraining staff, adapting to new cloud architecture, and selecting the right migration tools.
What tools and services help ensure a successful cloud migration?
Cloud migration services from providers like AWS, Azure, and third-party vendors can support every phase of the migration process.
Tools like Cloud Volumes ONTAP help manage data to the cloud, while migration tools streamline data migration, application migration, and the movement of infrastructure to the cloud.
How do strategies like repurchase, rehost, and replatform differ during cloud migration?
Repurchase replaces an existing application with a SaaS solution, rehost moves applications without changing the architecture, and replatform modifies the setup for better cloud performance. Each strategy is part of the 7 Rs of cloud migration and serves different goals.
For example, a replatform migration strategy allows businesses to take advantage of cloud-native features without fully rebuilding existing applications, while rehosting is faster but may require more optimization later.
Is it necessary to move all workloads to the cloud at once?
No, a phased migration plan often works best. Many organizations looking to migrate to the cloud adopt a hybrid approach, retaining some on-premises systems while shifting high-priority workloads to the cloud.
This staged migration reduces risk, ensures cloud readiness, and gives teams time to adapt to the new cloud environment without making sudden changes to existing applications.
How does AWS cloud migration support organizations looking to migrate?
AWS cloud migration provides tools, documentation, and services that support the entire migration journey. Whether you're moving applications to the cloud, transferring data to the cloud, or dealing with cloud server requirements, AWS offers flexible options.
AWS also supports hybrid models with VMware Cloud, public cloud services, and cloud-native development, making it easier for businesses to migrate without downtime or service disruption.
What is the cloud adoption framework, and how does it impact the migration process?
The cloud adoption framework helps organizations structure their cloud migration plan by defining cloud migration strategies, readiness, governance, and operations.
It ensures that cloud adoption is aligned with business objectives, reduces cloud migration challenges, and supports optimization after migration.
Using this framework during a cloud migration project helps businesses stay on track and avoid common mistakes that can impact cloud costs or security.
Can I optimize my cloud costs after migration?
Yes, cloud costs can be managed and optimized post-migration by monitoring usage, adjusting workloads, and eliminating unnecessary cloud resources.
Strategies may include switching to serverless computing, right-sizing virtual machines, and using analytics tools to track cloud usage.
Businesses that regularly revisit their cloud architecture and use performance metrics can ensure they continue to see the benefits of cloud migration without overspending.
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