7 Rs of Cloud Migration Strategies: Top Cloud Migration Software in 2025

February 12, 2025

Cloud computing is growing faster than ever, with global spending on public cloud services expected to reach an astonishing $723.4 billion by 2025.

More businesses are realizing the benefits of cloud migration, from cost efficiency to enhanced security and scalability. Cloud migration offers organizations the ability to scale, improve efficiency, and reduce infrastructure costs. 

However, transitioning to a cloud environment requires a well-planned strategy to avoid potential pitfalls. This guide explores various cloud migration strategies, common challenges businesses face, and best practices for ensuring a successful migration. 

Whether you are considering a complete transition or a hybrid approach, understanding the right cloud migration software is essential for optimizing operations and leveraging cloud capabilities effectively. Let’s find out how you can choose one below. 

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What are cloud migration strategies?

Understanding cloud migration and when to consider it

Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data, and workloads to the cloud. Businesses choose to migrate to the cloud to take advantage of cloud computing benefits such as scalability, cost savings, security, and performance improvements.

The migration process involves different cloud migration strategies and multiple steps, including selecting the right cloud provider, assessing cloud readiness, and choosing the best migration strategy for workloads.

Companies should consider a cloud migration plan when their on-premise infrastructure is no longer meeting business needs. Migration to the cloud is beneficial for organizations looking to improve disaster recovery, reduce IT costs, and enhance security.

Using cloud migration software allows businesses to leverage public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud environments depending on their operational requirements.

Most common cloud migration challenges

Thinking about migrating to the cloud but worried about potential roadblocks? Here are some of the most common cloud migration challenges businesses face.

You may face downtime and service disruptions

One of the biggest migration challenges businesses encounter is downtime. The migration process can temporarily disrupt operations, leading to revenue loss and reduced productivity. Planning a smooth transition to the cloud requires a detailed migration plan that minimizes service interruptions. 

Cloud migration strategies include performing thorough testing and setting up backup systems to prevent unexpected downtime.

Your business may struggle with data security and compliance

Migrating data to the cloud introduces security risks, including data breaches and compliance violations. A good cloud migration strategy requires evaluating cloud security measures and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. 

Businesses handling sensitive data must work with trusted cloud service providers that offer advanced security features such as encryption, access controls, and threat detection.

Your migration costs could be higher than expected

Cloud migration costs vary based on the migration strategy, workloads, and cloud provider. Many businesses underestimate the expenses associated with cloud migration projects, leading to budget overruns. 

Organizations must conduct a cost analysis, considering factors such as storage requirements, cloud server costs, and licensing fees. A cloud migration plan should also include cloud migration strategies for optimizing cloud spending and reducing long-term costs.

You might experience compatibility issues with legacy systems

Legacy applications and outdated infrastructure may not be fully compatible with a new cloud environment. Using cloud migration software involves assessing workloads to determine which applications need to be rehosted, replatformed, or refactored. 

The rehost migration strategy, also known as "lift and shift," allows companies to move applications without modifications, while replatforming optimizes workloads for cloud capabilities.

Your IT team may face skills gaps in cloud technologies

Successful cloud migration requires expertise in cloud computing, serverless computing, and cloud infrastructure management. 

Many organizations lack the necessary skills to manage complex cloud environments, leading to migration failures. Investing in cloud training programs, hiring cloud professionals, and working with cloud migration consultants can help bridge the skills gap.

Best cloud migration software in 2025

7 Rs in cloud migration strategies

Not sure which cloud migration strategy suits your business needs? This breakdown of the 7 Rs will help you decide the best approach based on your current infrastructure, budget, and long-term cloud goals.

Rehost: The lift-and-shift approach

Rehosting is the simplest migration approach, involving the transfer of applications to the cloud without modifications. This migration strategy is best for businesses looking to move to the cloud quickly without restructuring their applications. 

AWS Cloud and VMware Cloud offer tools that streamline rehosting, making it a cost-effective solution for legacy systems.

Replatform: Optimizing applications for the cloud

Replatforming involves making minor adjustments to applications to take advantage of cloud migration software while maintaining its core functionality. 

This migration approach is suitable for businesses that want to leverage cloud capabilities such as automation, scalability, and managed services without fully refactoring applications.

Refactor: Rebuilding applications for cloud-native benefits

Refactoring requires businesses to redesign applications to maximize cloud computing benefits. This cloud migration strategy is ideal for companies adopting serverless computing and microservices architectures. 

While refactoring demands significant development effort, it enhances application performance and ensures future-proof cloud migration.

Repurchase: Moving to a cloud-based SaaS solution

Repurchasing involves replacing an existing application with a cloud-based alternative, such as switching from an on-premise CRM to a cloud version. 

Businesses that want to simplify the migration process and reduce infrastructure costs can benefit from repurchasing commercial SaaS solutions.

Retire: Eliminating unnecessary applications

Retiring applications means decommissioning outdated or redundant systems that are no longer needed. 

Businesses conducting a comprehensive migration framework should assess their workloads and retire applications that do not add value. Having cloud migration software reduces migration costs and optimizes cloud infrastructure.

Retain: Keeping some systems on-premise

Retaining certain applications on-premise is a strategic decision for businesses with regulatory, security, or latency concerns. 

A hybrid cloud approach allows companies to move critical workloads to the cloud while keeping sensitive data in a private cloud or on-premise infrastructure.

Relocate: Moving entire systems to the cloud without redesign

Relocation, also known as "lift-and-optimize," is similar to rehosting in cloud migration strategies but includes performance optimizations post-migration. 

Businesses that need a fast transition to the cloud without extensive refactoring can leverage relocation to simplify migration projects.

6 best cloud migration software in 2025

Selecting the right cloud migration software is essential for ensuring a smooth and efficient transition. Here are six top cloud migration solutions in 2025:

AWS Migration Hub

AWS Migration Hub provides centralized tracking for cloud migration strategy projects, ensuring businesses have a clear view of progress across multiple applications. 

It supports various AWS cloud migration services, making it a powerful option for organizations already using AWS infrastructure.

Cloud Volumes ONTAP

Cloud Volumes ONTAP helps businesses move workloads to the cloud while maintaining high-performance storage capabilities. It is ideal for organizations looking to optimize cloud storage costs while ensuring data security and efficiency.

Google Cloud Migrate

Google Cloud Migrate simplifies migrating applications, virtual machines, and databases to the Google Cloud environment. With built-in automation and analytics, businesses can minimize risks and ensure successful cloud adoption.

Azure Migrate

Azure Migrate offers a comprehensive set of tools to help businesses transition from on-premise infrastructure to Microsoft’s cloud environment. This cloud migration software supports rehost, refactor, and replatform cloud migration strategies, making it a versatile choice.

VMware HCX

VMware HCX is designed for large-scale workload migrations, making it an excellent choice for enterprises moving to hybrid cloud environments. It supports live migrations and ensures minimal downtime during transitions.

Carbonite Migrate

Carbonite Migrate provides secure and automated cloud migration solutions. It offers businesses a way to move to the cloud while ensuring continuous data replication and risk mitigation.

Best cloud migration techniques

What happens if your business migrates to the cloud?

Migrating to the cloud brings numerous benefits, such as improving operational efficiency and security. Here’s what businesses can expect after a successful cloud migration:

You improve security and compliance

Cloud migration software offers advanced security measures, including data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with industry regulations. This reduces the risk of cyber threats and data breaches.

You cut infrastructure costs

By moving to the cloud, businesses eliminate the need for costly on-premise infrastructure, reducing capital expenditures and shifting to a more flexible, pay-as-you-go model.

You gain scalability and flexibility

Cloud migration strategies allow businesses to scale resources up or down as needed, ensuring they only pay for what they use. This flexibility supports business growth and adapts to changing demands.

You ensure business continuity

Cloud-based backup and disaster recovery solutions help businesses prevent data loss and maintain operations even in the face of unexpected disruptions.

Why you need Techlocity for your cloud migration needs

Choosing the right cloud migration service provider can make all the difference. Techlocity offers end-to-end cloud migration solutions designed to help businesses transition smoothly. 

A well-executed cloud migration strategy can transform your business operations, improving efficiency, scalability, and security.

Our team of cloud experts is ready to guide you through the migration process, ensuring a smooth transition. Contact us today to start your cloud journey with confidence.

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Frequently asked questions

What is cloud migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, workloads, and data to the cloud. This transition allows businesses to leverage cloud computing benefits, such as scalability, cost savings, and improved security.

Cloud migration strategies vary depending on business needs and cloud environment preferences, including hybrid cloud, public cloud, and private cloud options.

What are the 7 cloud migration strategies?

The 7 Rs of cloud migration strategies include Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain, and Relocate. Each migration approach has its use case, helping businesses migrate to the cloud based on their infrastructure, workloads, and goals.

AWS cloud migration and other cloud providers support these strategies to ensure a smooth migration process.

What are the common cloud migration challenges?

Businesses face multiple migration challenges, including security concerns, high migration costs, and compatibility issues.

A strong cloud migration plan with best practices helps overcome these obstacles and ensures a successful cloud migration process. 

Working with cloud service providers minimizes risks and simplifies the transition to the cloud.

What is the best migration strategy for my company?

The best migration strategy depends on your business requirements, cloud readiness, and budget.

Companies moving large-scale workloads to the cloud may opt for rehost or replatform strategies, while others might benefit from a comprehensive cloud adoption approach.

Consulting with cloud migration experts helps determine the right cloud strategy.

How can I ensure a smooth transition to the cloud?

A detailed migration plan, leveraging cloud volumes ONTAP, and following best practices for implementing cloud migration strategies can simplify the migration process.

Businesses should assess migration needs, perform cloud readiness evaluations, and work with cloud service providers to build trust in the cloud and ensure migration success.

What are the benefits of cloud computing for businesses?

Migrating to the cloud allows businesses to take advantage of cloud capabilities, such as enhanced security, reduced IT costs, improved disaster recovery, and greater flexibility.

Companies can move applications and workloads to the cloud without the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades, ensuring a cost-effective and future-proof migration approach.

How do I choose the right cloud provider for my migration?

Choosing a cloud provider depends on factors like cloud server requirements, public cloud resources, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. AWS Cloud, VMware Cloud, and other cloud service providers offer different migration options.

Businesses should evaluate cloud migration costs, security features, and scalability to select the best provider for their needs.