Cloud Migration Readiness Guide

78%Of Australian SMBs using cloud report cost savings within 12 months

40%Average reduction in IT infrastructure costs after cloud migration

$0Cost of downtime during a well-planned cloud migration

1. Is Cloud Right for Your Business?

Cloud migration isn't right for every workload or every business at every stage. Use this assessment to determine your cloud readiness.

Cloud is likely a strong fit if:

You have staff working remotely or across multiple locations
Your on-premise servers are more than 3 years old
You're experiencing unpredictable IT costs or surprise hardware failures
You want to scale up or down quickly without capital expenditure
Business continuity and disaster recovery are a concern
You use or plan to use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace

Approach with caution if:

You process highly sensitive data with strict sovereignty requirements
Your internet connectivity is unreliable or limited
Specific software you rely on doesn't support cloud deployment

    Important: Even if some workloads aren't suited for public cloud, a hybrid approach (some on-premise, some cloud) is often the best outcome for Brisbane SMBs. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.
  

2. Choosing the Right Cloud Platform

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Microsoft Azure

Best for businesses already using Microsoft 365, Active Directory, or Windows-based applications.

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Amazon AWS

Best for businesses with complex infrastructure needs, developers, or running multiple applications.

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Google Cloud

Best for businesses heavily using Google Workspace, data analytics, or AI/ML workloads.

    Our recommendation for most Brisbane SMBs: Microsoft Azure + Microsoft 365 is the most cost-effective and manageable starting point, particularly for businesses of 10–100 staff. The integration between Microsoft 365 and Azure is seamless and the local support ecosystem is strong.
  

3. Pre-Migration Readiness Checklist

Complete these steps before any migration work begins.

Business Readiness

Migration goals are clearly definede.g. "Reduce server costs by 30%" or "Enable reliable remote work for all staff"

Key stakeholders have signed off on the migrationFinance, operations, and department heads are aligned on timing and budget.

Budget is allocated including contingency (20% buffer recommended)

Staff communication plan is in placeStaff know what's changing, when, and how it will affect their daily work.

Technical Readiness

Full inventory of all applications and workloads existsEvery application is documented with its dependencies, data volumes, and usage patterns.

Application compatibility has been assessedEach application has been assessed for cloud compatibility — cloud-native, lift-and-shift, or refactor required.

Internet bandwidth has been assessed and upgraded if neededCloud-dependent workflows require reliable, fast internet. Minimum 100Mbps recommended for 10+ staff.

Data backup of all existing systems is complete and verifiedBefore migrating anything, ensure you have a verified backup of all data.

Data sovereignty requirements have been reviewedConfirm which data must remain in Australia. Ensure your cloud provider's Australian data centres are selected.

4. The Migration Process — Step by Step

Discovery & Assessment (Week 1–2)

Catalogue all applications, data volumes, dependencies, and user requirements. Identify what can move, what needs modification, and what stays on-premise.

Design & Architecture (Week 2–3)

Design the target cloud architecture. Define network topology, security controls, identity management, and backup/DR strategy. Get sign-off before any migration begins.

Proof of Concept (Week 3–4)

Migrate one non-critical workload first as a test. Validate performance, connectivity, security, and user experience before committing to the full migration.

Phased Migration (Week 4–8)

Migrate workloads in priority order, typically starting with collaboration tools (email, file storage) then business applications. Never migrate everything at once.

Testing & Validation (Ongoing)

After each migration phase, test thoroughly before cutting over. Run old and new environments in parallel for at least one week before decommissioning on-premise systems.

Optimisation & Handover (Week 8+)

Review cloud spend, right-size resources, implement monitoring, and train staff. Establish ongoing management processes.

5. Common Migration Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Impact	How to Avoid
Migrating everything at once	Catastrophic failure, extended downtime	Always use a phased approach
Not testing bandwidth requirements	Slow systems, user frustration	Assess and upgrade internet before migration
Skipping the proof of concept	Unforeseen compatibility issues mid-migration	Always run a PoC on a non-critical workload first
Not planning for data sovereignty	Compliance and legal risk	Confirm Australian data centre selection upfront
Over-provisioning cloud resources	Unnecessary ongoing costs	Right-size after 30 days of real usage data
No staff training	Low adoption, shadow IT, security risks	Include change management and training in the project plan
Forgetting about licensing	Unexpected costs or compliance issues	Audit all software licences for cloud compatibility before migrating

6. Expected Costs & ROI

Cloud migration involves upfront investment but delivers ongoing savings. Here's a typical model for a 20-staff Brisbane business.

Item	On-Premise (Current)	Cloud (Post-Migration)
Server hardware (amortised)	$1,800/month	$0
Cloud infrastructure	$0	$1,100/month
Microsoft 365 licences	$600/month	$600/month
IT management & monitoring	$2,200/month	$1,400/month
Backup & DR	$800/month	$350/month
Total Monthly IT Spend	$5,400/month	$3,450/month
Annual Saving	$23,400/year (43% reduction)