Choosing the right cloud migration strategy: Lift and shift vs. modernization

Whether they’re established corporations or brand-new ventures, businesses of all sizes are embracing the power of the cloud. However, with so many cloud options and migration strategies, deciding which approach is best can be overwhelming. When making a decision, it pays to consider the two common cloud migration strategies: the lift and shift and modernization.

There are pros and cons of both strategies to help organizations choose the right fit for their needs.

Lift and shift: A quick move

Imagine packing your belongings for a new apartment. You carefully box everything up, move across town, and unpack it all in the new space. This "as-is" approach is similar to a lift and shift cloud migration. In this approach, your existing applications and data are simply transferred from your on-premises servers to the cloud platform.

This approach is popular for its speed and simplicity. It minimizes downtime and requires minimal changes to your existing infrastructure. Think of it as a cost-effective way to dip your toes into the cloud and gain some immediate benefits such as scalability and remote access.

Note that lift and shift isn't without drawbacks. For one, legacy applications might not be optimized for the cloud, which could potentially lead to inefficiencies and higher long-term costs. Additionally, you might miss out on the full potential of cloud-based features and security enhancements.

Modernization: A transformative journey

Continuing with the moving-out analogy, the modernization approach to cloud migration involves a full home renovation instead of simply moving your belongings to your new apartment.

In this approach, first, you review your applications. Then, check which ones you can optimize for the cloud. This might involve restructuring code, adopting cloud-native features such as containerization, or even completely rebuilding applications.

While modernization takes more time and resources than lift and shift, the payoff can be substantial. This is primarily because modernized applications, which leverage the cloud’s agility and scalability, can perform better, deliver enhanced security, and are easier to manage.

The right choice for your business

So, which strategy should you choose? Here’s a brief summary of each approach to guide you:

Lift and shift is ideal for applications that are near the end of their life cycle and/or don't require significant optimization. It's also a good choice if you need a quick and cost-effective cloud migration to gain immediate benefits such as scalability and remote access.
Modernization is perfect for applications that are critical to your business and require long-term scalability and security. It lets you benefit from cloud-native features, improve performance, and potentially reduce costs over time.

Consider a hybrid approach

Some organizations may find a hybrid approach to be effective for their needs. This involves using lift and shift for applications that don't require significant changes and reserving modernization for core applications that benefit most from cloud optimization. In this way, businesses can maintain stability and minimize disruption while also taking advantage of the latest cloud technologies.

In addition to considering your current business needs, make sure to keep future growth in mind when deciding on a cloud migration strategy. Scalability is an important factor that should not be overlooked. With lift and shift, you may find yourself limited in terms of scalability options, whereas modernization allows for easier scaling as your business expands.

Next step: Seek guidance from a cloud migration expert

Understanding the pros and cons of lift and shift versus modernization is a start. It’s often helpful to have technical experts guide you through this decision-making process to assess the long-term impacts based on your business strategy.

IntelligIS has a wealth of experience migrating businesses to the cloud — we help simplify the process, reduce complexity, and guide them along their transformation journey.