Migrating Applications to Azure Cloud : Steps, Strategies, Benefits, Best Practices & Cost

Microsoft Azure has emerged as one of the preferred cloud platforms for moving data applications & other business components to a cloud environment. It is highly suitable for enterprise IT environments with stringent compliance and data protection requirements. It helps improve scalability and efficiency while cutting the company’s IT expenses. Over the years, it has evolved into a sophisticated cloud ecosystem.

Did you know:

• Microsoft Azure usage surpassed that of Amazon Web Services (AWS), according to the Flexera 2025 State of the Cloud Report.

Azure Cloud Migration helps organizations secure their assets, optimize costs, and achieve resilience. And Azure-managed services can help reduce operational overheads and free up time for development & operations teams. Microsoft Inc. offers a structured step-by-step process to migrate workloads to Azure. It is because of automated tools and guidance created especially for migration projects.

This article will discuss proven approaches, strategies, tools, benefits, cost considerations, and best practices.

Why Microsoft Azure for Cloud Migration?

For many organizations, cloud migration is not just a big-bang strategy it’s a wake-up call to rethink how value is created and delivered. Microsoft Azure enables businesses to realize near-term value through scalable services, embedded security, and a platform that stands out for its ability to adapt to complex, bespoke needs. In an age of volatility, where impatient market expectations tend to override long-term planning, Azure becomes central to delivering value consistently.

Those who set out on this path aren’t merely shifting infrastructure they’re unlocking untapped potential in areas such as digitization and sustainability. Azure helps enterprises hone their edge, offering tools that empower them to modernize responsibly without neglecting performance, governance, or control.

Azure Cloud Migration Steps

Migrating your resources to Azure Cloud requires a 4-step approach that requires considerable experience and thorough planning.

Assess

Start the Azure Cloud migration process by conducting a feasibility study & evaluate the existing apps to see if they are suitable for the cloud environment.

The key factors to consider include:

• Compatibility: Determine which parts of your infrastructure will benefit from migration. Identify what changes will be needed (pre-migration modifications or modernizations) for them to perform efficiently on the cloud. Utilize Azure Migrate, Azure Backup & Site Recovery tools for the same.
• Scope: Document the scope of Azure migration, including project requirements, app & server dependencies, expected outcomes, risks, and cost.
• Storage: After analyzing the storage requirements, evaluate Azure storage services and choose the best-suited solution.
• Networking: Determine virtual network creation needs to ensure high stability & performance on Azure Cloud. Use Azure DNS service or Active Directory the finalize the required number of subnets and how to manage the DNS.
• Deployment Model: Finalize the deployment model for the project from the Azure public, private, or hybrid cloud options.

Migrate

At this stage, you must choose the best-suited Azure cloud migration strategy. We have discussed them in detail in the section below. It will help you define the right tech stack for the project.

The key factors to consider include:

• Determine if you want to run apps using serverless functions, containers, or traditional Virtual Machines.
• Identify the workloads to migrate to Azure Cloud and define their order.
• Create the app architecture design & recognize required rearchitecting & refactoring activities.
• We recommend starting with a smaller POC (Proof of Concept) of applications that provide high value to the business and are easier to migrate. And then continue migrating complex applications to Azure Cloud.
• Test & validate apps on the testing & staging environments before moving them into the production environment.

Optimize

After successful application migration to Azure, monitor their performance and look for ways to optimize them.

The key factors to consider include:

• Document all the updated configurations and app changes post-migration
• Track expenses and look for ways to optimize them using an intelligent mix of Azure services
• Monitor performance to ensure you meet the migration goals & even surpass them
• Identify automation & other opportunities like rightsizing Azure resources for enhancing capabilities

Secure & Manage

Robust security, maintenance, and compliance help you reap the right migration benefits.

The key factors to consider include:

• Security: Improve the Cloud apps’ security using Azure’s security tools. Check for the functioning of security measures and respond to incidents and anomalies promptly.
• Data Protection: Safeguard your data & avoid business risks by implementing Azure’s services concerning encryption, disaster recovery, and backup. Align them with your compliance requirements.
• Monitoring: Set up Azure’s monitoring & analytics tools like Azure Monitor, Azure Application Insights, and Azure Log Analytics to track the performance of data services and compute resources in real time. It helps take the right action to ensure performance.

Strategy for Migrating Applications to Azure Cloud

For CTOs and CIOs, the choice of the right cloud migration strategy is the key to success. The migration strategy you adopt determines your choice of cloud services and the steps needed to deploy applications to them. Listed below are the four alternative strategies advised by Microsoft for migrating an application to the Azure cloud.

Rehost

Migrate applications with no modifications.

Ideal for: Legacy migrations, teams with limited cloud or Azure skills.

Benefits:

• Immediate cloud ROI
• Reduced app operational cost
• Free data center space

Pros

• Faster and easier migration with limited to no risk of application breaking at any stage

Cons

• Potentially high risk with increased costs.
• Disruption to business services is conceivable

Repackage

Moving the application to Azure with minimal code changes but not a major overhaul.

Ideal for: Applications that require modernization because of their sensitive and business-critical nature where disruption of ongoing functionality is a concern.

Benefits:

• Enhanced cloud efficiency (cost, speed & resource use)
• Improved code portability

Pros

• Fast and relatively easy, but lets you improve your infrastructure ( by adding DevOps automation tools or moving to container-based deployment)

Cons

• Not able to make any architectural changes (by splitting the application into microservices that allow addressing substantial cloud efficiencies)

Rearchitect

Revamp the application codebase while moving it to a cloud-native architecture.

Ideal for: Applications that require maximum agility, scalability and flexibility.

Benefits:

• Reduces cost of Ownership
• Drive agility with the cloud
• Achieve application resilience
• Enable scalability

Pros

• Allow the creation of a highly scalable, resilient, easily deployable application to leverage the full power of the Azure cloud

Cons

• Complex & expensive migration
• High risk of faults and service disruption during early deployment stages

Rebuild

Creation of same functionality from scratch by discarding the older application using the Azure’s Platform as a Service (PaaS) capabilities.

Ideal for: Applications with relatively low complexity and limited dependencies on related business processes.

Benefits:

• Freedom to innovate with readily available cloud services such as AI, IoT, blockchain, etc.
• Reduced app operational cost
• Fast & frequent app updates & feature enhancements

Pros

• Inexpensive and helps avoid the complexity of software licenses
• No dependency on middleware or existing infrastructure

Cons

• Custom-built apps will typically not get the same level of functionality therefore advanced evaluation of the application is required in the Azure environment

Replace

Substitution of an existing application with a commercially available Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, eliminating the need to manage infrastructure or maintain custom code.

Ideal for: Standardized business functions such as CRM, ERP, HR, or productivity tools where customization is minimal or unnecessary.

Benefits:

• Faster deployment with minimal IT effort
• Built-in scalability, security, and compliance from the SaaS provider
• Reduces long-term maintenance and upgrade responsibilities

Pros

• Low upfront cost and quicker ROI
• Regular vendor-driven feature enhancements and updates
• Frees up internal IT resources for strategic initiatives

Cons

• Limited customization and flexibility compared to bespoke applications
• Potential data migration and integration challenges
• May require business process adjustments to fit the SaaS model

Read this blog to learn more about the 6 R’s of Cloud Migration Strategy, and the listed strategies would essentially answer all your questions about moving your IT assets to the cloud.

Azure Migration Tools

The commonly used services from Microsoft Azure are listed below to ensure a seamless migration. At Rishabh, our team has the skills & experience to utilize them immediately.

• Azure Migrate: This fully-loaded tool helps monitor, manage, and execute all the front-end work.
• Azure Data Box: It assists in data migration while maintaining robust security even in scenarios with limited network availability or time constraints.
• Azure Database Migration Service: This self-guided tool with easy-to-follow steps aids a seamless migration.
• Data Migration Assistant (DMA): Analyzes on-premise SQL servers to identify incompatibilities and errors, enabling necessary adjustments for quick & efficient data migration.
• SQL Server Migration Assistant: It helps transfer data to SQL Server or Azure Synapse Analytics.
• Azure Synapse Pathway: It moves existing data warehouses to Azure Synapse Analytics through automatic code translation.
• Azure Backup: This scalable, secure & cost-effective backup solution protects a wide range of enterprise workloads.
• Azure Site Recovery: It helps deploy replication, failover & recovery processes to keep apps running during outages.
• Microsoft assessment and planning (MAP) toolkit: It assesses environments & provides workload readiness input.

Azure Cloud Migration Benefits

Whether you want to have a hybrid cloud infrastructure or migrate to the cloud entirely, Azure is the intelligent choice. And here are 10 more reasons why it’s one of the preferred cloud platforms.

Intelligent Cost Discipline

The tight-margin environment, intelligent cloud adoption is now about financial control at core. Azure empowers enterprises to shift from fixed infrastructure costs to a variable model, giving leaders the flexibility to align IT investments with real business demand. Decision-makers can pull a range of levers: auto-scaling, serverless architectures, reserved instances, and container orchestration, to reduce waste and manage spend dynamically.

Example: A global logistics company re-platformed 40% of its legacy workloads on Azure Kubernetes Service. By implementing automated scale rules and moving to Azure Functions for event-driven tasks, they cut compute costs by 38% annually, freeing budget for AI and analytics initiatives.

Technical Levers That Drive This Discipline:

• Azure Advisor and Cost Management for continuous optimization insights
• PaaS adoption (like App Services and Azure Functions) to reduce maintenance overhead
• Auto-scaling policies and spot VMs to match resource use with actual demand
• FinOps dashboards for real-time cost accountability across departments

Business Impact:

• Reduction in infrastructure TCO over 3 years
• Builds a predictable, elastic cost structure aligned with usage
• Enables better long-term spending commitments with cloud providers
• Frees up capital for innovation without compromising operations

Modernization of the Technology Core

No industry, business vertical, or enterprise wants to stagnate in a market that demands constant reinvention because as the saying goes, evolve or dissolve. Migrating from legacy infrastructure to Azure Cloud lays the groundwork for modernization by enabling access to advanced tools and architectures that traditional systems simply cannot support.

How Azure enables modernization:

• Microservices & containerization (via Azure Kubernetes Service) allow businesses to break down monolithic applications into modular, scalable components.
• Serverless computing and Azure App Services help rapidly rebuild or rehost applications with minimal operational overhead.
• Integration tools like Logic Apps and API Management simplify connecting legacy systems with modern SaaS solutions.
• AI & analytics services (e.g., Azure Synapse, Cognitive Services) bring intelligence into existing workflows for real-time insights.
• Built-in governance & security ensure compliance even during rapid transformation.

Together, these capabilities allow enterprises to digitize core operations, unify siloed workflows, and respond faster to market shifts without ripping out everything they’ve already built. Azure turns modernization into a stepwise, scalable process aligned with business goals.

Enterprise-Grade Security and Risk Management

From application development to day-to-day operations and reputation management, security remains the pressure point where a single failure can unravel years of enterprise value and more. At $4.45M per breach (IBM, 2024), outdated security is a ticking time bomb. Azure fights back with military-grade Zero Trust, AI-powered threat hunting, and airtight compliance turning vulnerability into unshakable trust. Migration to Azure clous is your last line of defense.

• Implements Zero Trust by default, reducing lateral threat movement through continuous identity, device, and network verification.
• Enables threat anticipation via Microsoft Defender for Cloud, leveraging global telemetry for real-time detection and automated remediation.
• Drives policy-led governance, ensuring consistent security posture across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Secures data across lifecycle, with encryption in transit and at rest, aligned with enterprise-grade confidentiality standards.
• Strengthens identity architecture, minimizing attack surfaces through least-privilege access and multifactor authentication.
• Simplifies regulatory compliance, with native support for global frameworks including ISO, NIST, HIPAA, and GDPR

Cloud as a Platform for Growth and M&A Integration

In this deal-driven environment, migration to Azure cloud go beyond to infrastructure we can say it strategic enabler for rapid M&A execution. It simplifies IT consolidation, accelerates post-deal integration, and reduces time-to-value. Organizations leveraging cloud platforms can align operations faster, standardize systems, and minimize the friction typically seen in mergers.

Beyond integration, cloud unlocks scalable growth. It provides the agility to modernize legacy systems, unify data, and deploy innovation across the newly combined entity. This not only supports operational efficiency but also drives new revenue opportunities post-merger.

Key Benefits of Cloud in M&A

Faster Path to Business Value

By abstracting away, the constraints of traditional infrastructure, Azure enables organizations to compress delivery timelines with service-native tooling think Azure DevOps, managed containers, and declarative infrastructure-as-code. Instead of provisioning servers or waiting on manual approvals, teams orchestrate full environments in minutes.

The result? Less time spent on scaffolding, more time engineering outcomes that move the business forward.

Azure Cloud migration provides immense advantages to businesses. However, you could encounter specific challenges during the process. Please read this blog to understand the Cloud migration challenges and their solutions.

Azure Migration Cost Considerations

At Rishabh, we recognize the unique challenges of every vertical and know the great opportunities that lie untapped. We will work with you to determine the best path to cloud transformation with a proof of concept. Our cloud consulting services are inclusive of readiness assessment, support services, and azure cost optimization.

Listed below are the essential cost consideration factors for MS Azure migration:

• Scope of migration (cost of offshore resources) per server
• Target app deployment option & timelines (Azure public cloud, Amazon Stack, or hybrid).
• Testing effort estimate
• Average application life span and its migration readiness – it would also cover the scope of infrastructure, code and configuration changes.
• Complexity of applications with their dependencies.
• Volume of data to transfer.
• Extent of migration automation with software licensing cost.

Post-migration considerations;

• Hiring an IT support team with Azure proficiency
• Training of in-house IT teams
• Recurring Azure infrastructure charges based on storage and compute resources, network bandwidth usage, the physical location of data centers

Best Practices for a Seamless Azure Cloud Migration

Here are the best practices that help you to make sure smooth azure cloud migration:

Start with Strategic Foresight and Capability Mapping

A successful Azure migration begins by knowing where you’re headed and what’s standing in the way. Before moving workloads, businesses need clarity on why they’re migrating: to cut costs, scale faster, improve uptime, or modernize service delivery. These goals should guide every technical decision ahead.

At the same time, teams must evaluate current systems, identify what stays, what goes, and where complexity lives especially around app dependencies, licensing, and regulatory needs. Just as important is knowing your people: what skills exist today, where gaps lie, and how to fill them either through internal training or outside help.

This step is not just technical prep it’s alignment. Getting leadership, IT, and operations to rally behind shared outcomes builds momentum and helps avoid mid-migration drift. A clear plan grounded in both vision and capability sets the tone for every stage that follows.

Design for Resilience and Operational Excellence

True resilience in the context of Azure cloud migration transcends the traditional notion of uptime; it requires the deliberate integration of architectural patterns that anticipate failure and adapt dynamically whether through fault-tolerant design, autoscaling mechanisms, or geo-redundancy woven directly into the application.

By utilizing Azure-native constructs such as Availability Sets, Load Balancers, and Site Recovery, organizations can do more than meet service-level expectations they gain the confidence to operate under pressure, even as conditions shift. What follows is not just stability but operational maturity, underpinned by infrastructure as code, intelligent monitoring, automated policy enforcement, and cost optimization tools that ensure governance without impeding agility or innovation.

Lead with Purpose-Driven Change and Cross-Functional Collaboration

Transformation unfolds when technology and intent move in sync. Migration to Azure often becomes a wake-up call an inflection point where organizations must reexamine how siloed teams work, how leadership aligns, and how deeply change is rooted in the culture. It’s less about implementing features and more about setting out with shared purpose, where cross-functional teams, from IT to operations, move in step with a clear and evolving business narrative.

Embed a Culture of Continuous Learning and Empowerment

Organizations that thrive post-migration often adopt a growth mindset backed by upskilling initiatives. Empowering frontline teams to experiment and contribute reinforces organizational health and creates an innovation engine. Remember: only the adaptable thrive, and lasting change comes from within.

Use Migration as a Lever for Business Reinvention

Don’t treat migration as a one-time IT project. View it as a digital inflection point to reimagine the enterprise. Tap into new value pools, enhance customer-centricity, and unlock share of wallet opportunities by modernizing experiences and reducing friction in high-impact moments of truth.

Why Partner with Rishabh Software for Azure Migration Services?

Rishabh Software is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner offering end-to-end Azure Consulting Services. With 20+ years of experience, we set up and scale smart, cloud-first strategies encouraging enablement across teams while delivering end-to-end Azure-driven migrations, including lift-and-shift, workload transitions, app refactoring, and infrastructure re-architecture.

Whether setting up a hybrid cloud model or migrating your apps & data from other cloud platforms to Azure, you can rely on us. Our team of cloud migration specialists modernizes your legacy application to the cloud while building cloud-native apps to meet your business requirements.

Here are some case studies showing how our Migration Services helped our clients’ businesses:

Case Study: E-Learning Platform Modernization with Azure Cloud Migration

An Australian EdTech company wanted to expand its presence & modernize its web-based eLearning platform. Identifying scalability as their priority, our consulting team recommended using MS Azure as the cloud computing platform. This modernization & migration helped them better leverage Microsoft’s ecosystem capabilities. For cloud scalability, we consulted them to migrate from on premise to azure cloud as the cloud computing platform for data management across the connected portals. It allowed them to leverage Microsoft’s ecosystem capabilities better.

Key takeaways;

• 50% cost reduction
• 2X increase in new student registrations
• 40% improvement in learning outcomes

Read more about this case to learn how this revamped and fully responsive cloud-based e-learning platform today supports schools to enable students with an engaging curriculum that is aligned and targeted to their individual needs.

Case Study: Mobile Money Transfer App Development Utilizing Azure Cloud

A European digital services company serving banking & financial services was pursuing a cloud services partner to develop an all-inclusive money transfer platform. Their end customer wanted to build a money transaction platform that simplifies currency distribution to its global users. And further, it should be scalable and meets the international compliance norms for fraud detection, tax evasion & anti-money laundering. Our team leveraged Microsoft Azure capabilities and SQL Server to manage mission-critical database workloads for this platform. The client received limitless scalability, performance, and security to handle fund transfer transactions.

Key takeaways;

• 100% transparency and traceability of transactions
• 5x increase in operational efficiency
• Highest customer satisfaction achieved to date

Take a glance at this case study to learn more about our development approach, the technology stack of using Azure and Xamarin, and the value delivered in fund transfers and payment processing.

Concluding Thoughts

Businesses chose to move to the cloud to reduce cost & complexity and improve agility, security & scalability. Microsoft Azure is a preferred Cloud platform for web servers, virtual machines, storage & other integrated services. You can partner with a reliable company for a smooth migration to Azure Cloud.

And, while the article provides an exhaustive outlook of Azure cloud migration with an outline, your cloud journey would likely require more customization along the way. And with an accurate migration plan, Rishabh’s Azure consulting services team can help take your business from on-premise into the cloud.

FAQs

1. What’s the fastest way to migrate to Azure?

For those looking to pick up the pace in their journey to the cloud, the lift and shift approach is the go-to. It sidesteps the growing pains of refactoring by moving existing workloads with minimal changes. By leaning heavily on tools like Azure Migrate, businesses can chart dependencies, streamline the process, and get well on their way without slowing down operations.

2. Which Azure migration strategy works best for enterprise applications?

When dealing with large-scale systems, the strategy often boils down to balancing stability with innovation. A mix of replatforming and selective refactoring helps enterprises embrace the shift without disrupting what already works. This path delivers sky-high value over time modernizing where it matters most while preserving critical functionality.

3. How secure is migrating to Azure?

Security in Azure isn’t an afterthought it’s woven into every layer of the migration journey. Built on zero trust principles and real-time monitoring, the platform ensures every interaction is verified. For businesses aiming to embrace cloud transformation without compromise, Azure offers a foundation designed to adapt and defend as you scale.