Cloud migration is more than a technical upgrade, it’s a strategic move that impacts costs, efficiency, and long-term business agility. While 75% of organizations are expected to transition to cloud-based infrastructure by 2026, many struggle to choose the right migration strategy. A well-planned approach ensures not only a smooth transition but also measurable business value.
Whether you’re moving decades of data and workloads or migrating to keep up with your company’s rapid growth, choosing the right cloud strategy is critical. The 7 R’s framework provides a structured way to assess which migration path aligns best with your organization’s goals. Whether you prioritize speed, cost savings, or long-term innovation, selecting the right strategy is key to maximizing cloud benefits while minimizing risks.
This guide will help you navigate cloud migration decisions, ensuring a seamless transition that supports your business growth and operational needs.
The 7 R’s of Cloud Migration: Strategies & Business Outcomes
Each migration strategy serves a distinct business need. Some focus on fast adoption with minimal disruption, while others drive long-term digital transformation. Understanding their impact enables your organization to make informed decisions that align with its growth objectives.
Rehosting (Lift & Shift): Fast and Low-Risk Migration
Rehosting involves migrating applications to the cloud without modifying their architecture. It is often the quickest and least expensive migration method, making it ideal for organizations that need to move fast, such as those facing data center lease expirations. This approach works well for applications that perform well in their current state but require cloud scalability.
Although rehosting delivers immediate cost savings, it does not take advantage of cloud-native features. You may later need to optimize workloads to fully leverage your cloud benefits. This makes lift-and-shift a starting point rather than a long-term solution for many organizations.
Replatforming: A Step Towards Optimization
Replatforming, sometimes called “lift, tinker, and shift,” involves making slight modifications to applications during migration to improve their performance, cost efficiency, or scalability. This allows you to move to the cloud while benefiting from some cloud optimizations, such as using managed databases or auto-scaling features.
This approach is often used by companies that want cloud benefits without the complexity of full modernization. It is particularly effective for databases and applications that require some enhancements but don’t need a complete rebuild.
Repurchasing: Embracing Cloud-Native Solutions
Repurchasing replaces on-premises applications with cloud-native alternatives, often in the form of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. A typical example is moving from a custom-built CRM to Salesforce or replacing an on-premises ERP system with a cloud-based platform.
While repurchasing eliminates the burden of software maintenance and infrastructure costs, it often requires staff training and operational adjustments. Businesses choosing this route should ensure that the new cloud-based solution aligns with their long-term business needs and does not limit critical functionalities.
Refactoring (Re-Architecting): Maximizing Cloud Potential
Refactoring is the most transformational cloud migration approach. It involves rebuilding applications from the ground up to fully leverage cloud-native features such as serverless computing, microservices, and advanced automation.
This strategy is best suited for you if you focus on long-term digital transformation and business agility. Companies that rely on highly scalable, data-intensive applications, such as those in finance, e-commerce, and AI-driven industries, often benefit from refactoring.
While refactoring requires higher initial investment and longer timelines, the long-term benefits include lower maintenance costs, improved performance, and greater operational efficiency. Businesses should consider this approach if they aim to future-proof their technology stack and drive innovation.
Retiring: Eliminating Unnecessary Costs
Not all applications are worth migrating. Some legacy systems no longer serve a critical business function and can be retired to reduce IT complexity and costs. Identifying and decommissioning these applications can free up resources for more strategic initiatives.
Companies should conduct a detailed assessment of their application portfolio to determine which systems are no longer needed. Eliminating redundant software can lead to significant cost savings, especially when licensing and maintenance expenses are high.
Retaining: Keeping Certain Workloads On-Premises
While cloud migration offers numerous advantages, some applications may need to remain on-premises due to compliance, security, or performance requirements. Industries such as healthcare, finance, and government often have strict data residency laws that prevent certain workloads from moving to the cloud.
Organizations should take a hybrid approach, retaining critical applications on-premises while gradually moving other workloads to the cloud. This allows you to balance cloud scalability with regulatory compliance.
Relocating: Bulk Migration with Minimal Effort
Relocating involves moving entire workloads (multiple servers and applications) to the cloud without modifying their architecture. This strategy is often used when businesses need to migrate large-scale infrastructure quickly, such as during a data center consolidation.
Unlike rehosting, which moves applications one by one, relocating allows you to move interconnected systems simultaneously, reducing downtime and simplifying the migration process. However, like lift-and-shift, this approach does not optimize applications for cloud efficiency and may require future adjustments.
|
Migration Strategy |
What It Is |
Best For |
Key Benefits |
Considerations |
|
Rehosting (Lift & Shift) |
Moving applications to the cloud without changes. |
Fast, low-risk migration with minimal effort. |
– Quickest migration with minimal disruption. – Immediate cost savings. |
– No cloud-native optimizations. – May increase long-term costs. |
|
Replatforming (Lift, Tinker & Shift) |
Migrating with minor optimizations for better efficiency. |
Businesses seeking cloud benefits without major redesigns. |
– Improves performance & cost efficiency. – Faster than full modernization. |
– Requires some technical adjustments. |
|
Repurchasing (Drop & Shop) |
Replacing legacy apps with cloud-based SaaS solutions. |
Companies wanting to reduce IT management & costs. |
– Lower costs & faster adoption. – Eliminates maintenance overhead. |
– Requires user training. – Less customization than legacy systems. |
|
Refactoring (Re-Architecting) |
Rebuilding applications to leverage full cloud capabilities. |
Long-term digital transformation & scalability. |
– Future-proof & highly scalable. – Lower operational costs over time. |
– High initial investment & longer migration. |
|
Retiring |
Shutting down outdated applications. |
Reducing complexity & freeing up resources. |
– Immediate cost savings. – Simplifies IT environment. |
– Requires thorough assessment before removal. |
|
Retaining |
Keeping certain workloads on-premises. |
Compliance, security, or operational constraints. |
– Ensures regulatory compliance. – Preserves recent IT investments. |
– Limits cloud adoption & requires hybrid integration. |
|
Relocating |
Moving entire workloads to the cloud as-is. |
Bulk migrations with minimal effort. |
– Faster than rehosting. – Reduces downtime & simplifies large-scale moves. |
– May not optimize cloud cost savings. |
How to Choose the Right Cloud Migration Strategy
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to cloud migration. Most successful transitions combine multiple strategies based on your business priorities and workload complexity.
When selecting a migration path, you should consider:
- Technical expertise – Does the IT team have the skills to manage cloud-native applications?
- Workload complexity – Are the applications highly customized or relatively simple?
- Cost vs. value – Does the chosen strategy align with the company’s budget and long-term growth plans?
- Compliance requirements – Do regulations require keeping certain workloads on-premises?
For companies needing quick migration with minimal changes, rehosting or relocating might be the best option. Businesses looking to enhance cloud efficiency without extensive modifications may choose replatforming. Meanwhile, organizations focused on long-term innovation will consider refactoring or repurchasing.
The Business Impact of a Well-Planned Cloud Migration
A successful cloud migration goes beyond just moving applications—it optimizes your business operations and enhances long-term scalability. Companies that implement a well-planned migration strategy see:
- Reduced IT costs through optimized cloud resource management.
- Increased agility, enabling faster responses to market changes.
- Improved security with cloud-native compliance and monitoring tools.
- Enhanced customer experience through more reliable, scalable services.
Choosing the right migration path ensures that your cloud adoption is not just an IT project but a business transformation.
Final Thoughts: Making Cloud Migration a Strategic Success
Cloud migration is a pivotal moment for any business. The 7 R’s framework provides a structured approach to help organizations align migration strategies with their specific goals. Whether the focus is on quick adoption, cost efficiency, or long-term innovation, selecting the right approach is crucial for ensuring a seamless, impactful transition.
At Cloudflow, we help businesses design and execute migration strategies that maximize ROI, minimize risks, and drive operational excellence. Whether you’re looking to lift-and-shift, modernize, or fully transform your cloud infrastructure, our expertise ensures a strategic, business-focused migration process.
Ready to build your cloud migration strategy? Let’s get started.
