They worry about how to generate value and not just “migrate for the sake of migrating.” They wonder where to start and how to proceed. This paper lays out a smart cloud-migration strategy. The first step is to establish clear business goals. The second step is to group applications into “clusters,” which leads to a 6-step sequential migration plan, treating different clusters in different ways. To execute, start migrating pre-production applications, and then the smallest and least sophisticated clusters. This is the “canary-based” approach to migration, which first migrates less complex apps and software and tests for any negative effects. (See Exhibit 1.). A cloud migration should directly embrace IT-process automation for repeatability and re-use, and prioritize pre-production environments. It is essential to keep an open mind about cloud innovation; just looking for cost reduction is short-sighted. Balance the need for cost-efficiency against the upside of disruptive cloud capabilities, such as machine learning or natural-language processing.
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EXHIBIT 1: SMART MIGRATION STRATEGY
