Cloud Migration: Choosing the Right Strategy for Your Business

Understand the difference between a Lift & Shift and Optimized Migration strategy and why it matters to your business outcomes.

Cloud migration is not just a technical step, but a strategic decision. For many businesses, it comes down to a speedy migration using a Lift & Shift approach or the more time-consuming optimization of workloads for future-proofed success.

The cloud offers tangible advantages as pressure mounts to cut costs, upgrade legacy systems, and bolster agility. But the path you take there matters. This is where EPI-USE’s SHIP methodology (Safe Harbor Inclusive of Passage) assists by offering a clear, secure framework to choose the right migration strategy for your business.

The 7 Rs of Cloud Migration — Explained and Categorized

An optimized cloud migration strategy is never a one-size-fits-all journey.

With that in mind, the 7 Rs framework offers a systematic approach to choosing the right migration strategy for each unique application.

Foundational Migrations (Quick Wins)

These strategies put speed and simplicity first; ideal for tight deadlines or low-complexity systems.

1. Rehost: Lift & Shift: transfers systems “as-is” with minimal changes.
2. Relocate: Move infrastructure to VMware Cloud without modifying workloads.
3. Retire: Decommission redundant or outdated systems to simplify the environment.
4. Retain: Keep some systems on-premises, usually temporarily, due to compliance or technical reasons.

Optimization-Focused Migrations (Transformative)

These approaches offer more extensive cloud value, focusing on agility, scalability, and innovation.

5. Replatform: Modify underlying infrastructure, often leveraging managed services to improve security,  performance, and/or resilience.
6. Refactor: Redesign systems to run natively in the cloud (e.g., decoupling applications and removing reliance on expensive licensing).
7. Repurchase: Replace existing systems with SaaS alternatives.

Foundational migrations put speed first; optimization strategies prioritize long-term ROI.

Where Are You Today? AWS Greenfield vs. Brownfield

• Greenfield Migration: A fresh start in the cloud — ideal for businesses with little or no current AWS footprint but ready to embrace the cloud for the future. Usually aligned with Rehost or Replatform, but sometimes with Refactor, too.
• Brownfield Migration: Add to existing AWS infrastructure by migrating more workloads from on-premises and/or re-architecting what you already have in the cloud. Typically aligns with Refactor or Replatform.

SHIP: Safe Harbor Inclusive of Passage

Clients have saved up to 77% on licensing by leveraging SHIP for workload right-sizing before migration.

EPI-USE’s SHIP methodology (Safe Harbor Inclusive of Passage) is a strategic framework created to minimize risk and maximize business value during cloud migrations.

It is key for organizations that want to move to AWS with confidence, control, and cloud cost optimization.

SHIP Delivers the Following:

• Security-first planning and governance
• Step-by-step migration strategy planning with set timelines and risk visibility
• W.H.A.L.E. (Workload Holistic Assessment and Licensing Evaluation) across your entire environment.
• Right-sizing and cost modeling to eliminate waste and improve budget predictability.

Organizations can rely on SHIP to lead the way to a secure, optimized cloud transition.

If you want to turn your migration strategy into a business-aligned advantage rather than a high-risk undertaking, SHIP will help you sail through complex migration-related challenges.

Spartan Camera: A Real-World Example of Choosing the Right Strategy

An optimized cloud migration strategy provides measurable business outcomes, especially when backed by the right strategy.

Spartan Camera, a provider of wireless trail camera solutions, required a more scalable, secure, and affordable infrastructure to support its expanding operations.

The Challenge and the Solution

Challenged by rising license costs and limited scalability, Spartan Camera needed a more dynamic infrastructure. Working off EPI-USE’s framework, the team guided Spartan Camera through a Hybrid migration strategy — rehosting essential systems while selectively modernizing others.

The Results

1. Improved scalability with elastic cloud resources.
2. Improved security posture using AWS-native services.
3. Continuous improvement backed by 24/7 managed AWS services.
4. Significant reduction in operational costs through architectural optimization and AWS-native efficiency gains.

Spartan Camera now operates in a seamless, secure AWS environment curated for growth and efficiency.

Decision-Making Framework: Choosing The Right Strategy

Technical landscapes, goals, and risk tolerance differ from organization to organization.

That’s why there is no “one right” strategy to rule them all — only the one that is right for YOUR organization.

Here are four key questions to ask yourself when making a migration strategy decision:

• Are we constrained by time or budget?
• Is our current stack modern or supremely legacy?
• Are licensing or compliance costs holding us back?
• Are we wanting business continuity or innovation more?

SHIP is precisely the methodology that helps answer these questions through discovery and workload prioritization.

Quick Recommendations by Strategy Type

If you’re still unsure where to begin, here’s a speedy guide to help you align your migration strategy with your business needs:

Choose Greenfield Migration if:

• You want a clean slate and modern cloud-native design
• Your legacy systems are too complex, costly, or outdated
• You’re consolidating or upgrading to SaaS (e.g., S/4HANA Cloud)

Choose Brownfield Migration if:

• You need to migrate quickly with minimal disruption
• Your workloads are mainly modern but need cloud agility
• You want to “lift and shift” to minimize data center overhead

Note: These strategies aren’t mutually exclusive; all three may be used across various parts of your landscape. That’s why opting for a tailored approach is best and better done with the cloud migration expertise of a partner like EPI-USE.

Find a Trusted Partner: Migrate with Purpose, Not Pressure

Cloud migration shouldn’t be treated as a lift-and-hope exercise.

It doesn’t matter if you’re focused on speed, cost, or innovation: The best, most successful approach to an optimized AWS cloud migration will align with your business goals, beginning with strategy rather than infrastructure.

Our SHIP methodology assists organizations in avoiding missteps and building scalable, cost-effective AWS environments.

Our W.H.A.L.E Assessment provides a comprehensive view of your legacy workloads, identifying right-sizing, licensing, and modernization opportunities before migration to AWS.

Ready to get started? Request a comprehensive no-cost W.H.A.L.E. Assessment