Cloud Migration: Move Software to Cloud

In today's digital landscape, the agility and scalability of business applications is crucial for success.

More and more companies recognize the benefits that bring their software and IT infrastructure to the cloud.

But what exactly does a Software migration mean in the cloud and what steps are needed for successful rollout?

This article highlights the key aspects of cloud migration and shows how companies can benefit from it.

What is a cloud migration?

In today's digital landscape, the agility and scalability of business applications is crucial for success.

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Cloud migration means the process in which digital assets of a company – such as data, applications and IT resources – are moved from a local data center (on-premise) to a cloud environment.

This step allows companies to benefit from the room to adapt, scalability and cost efficiency of the cloud.

The driving forces behind the cloud migration

The decision for a cloud migration is often driven by a combination of business and technical needs. The most common motives include:

• Cost savings: Due to the elimination of investments in expensive hardware and their maintenance, operating costs can be significantly reduced.
• Scalability and room to adapt: Cloud resources can be quickly and easily adjusted as needed, allowing a flexible response to market needs.
• Improved collaboration: Cloud-based applications promote team collaboration across different locations.
• Increased security: Leading cloud providers invest massively in security measures that often go beyond the options of custom companies.
• Automatic updates: Software updates and security patches are usually automatically played by the provider, which reduces internal IT needs.

Strategies for successful software migration

Short: Careful planning is the key to a successful Software migration .

Careful planning is the key to a successful Software migration. There are different strategies that are used according to the specific needs and goals of a company.

The most famous are the "7 Rs of cloud migration":

Strategy	Description
Rehost	Also known as "Lift and Shift". Applications are moved to the cloud without changes.
Relocate	Similar to Rehost, but for larger environments like VMware clusters.
Replatform	Applications are migrated into the cloud with slight adjustments to benefit from cloud functions.
Refactor	Applications are fundamentally reworked or rewritten to optimally use the cloud-native architecture.
Repurchase Change from an existing application to a new, cloud-based solution (SaaS).
Retire

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Method note: External statistics refer to published industry and official data (Bitkom, Destatis) where not otherwise attributed. Company-specific figures: Groenewold IT, 2026.

References and further reading

The following separate references complement the topics in this article:

• Bitkom – German digital industry association.
• German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
• European Commission – Digital strategy.
• MDN Web Docs (Mozilla)
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium.

"Cloud-native only pays off when operations, security, and cost model match the architecture—otherwise you ship complexity faster."

— Björn Groenewold, Managing Director, Groenewold IT Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Here we cover Cloud Migration. Move Software to Cloud — focused on architecture, process, and business outcomes. In short.

In today's digital landscape, the agility and scalability of business applications is crucial for success. More and more companies recognize the benefits that shift their...

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Typical readers are business and IT leaders in Software development who want to secure quality, security, and ease of upkeep over the long term.

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In a digital strategy, prioritize stable core processes first, then extensions. See also professional software development and consulting.

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