Cloud migration services are the playbook for moving digital assets, like apps, data, and entire workloads, out of old on-prem servers and into the cloud. A proper service covers the whole arc: figuring out what to move, planning how to do it, running the migration with tools that cut downtime, and then staying on top of costs and performance afterward. The point is to lower risk and keep compliance boxes checked, whether that’s NIST CSF 2.0 or ISO/IEC 27001.
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The Scope of Services
Cloud migration unfolds in stages. Each step matters, and missing one usually shows up later as downtime, ballooning costs, or both.
Discovery & Assessment
The first move is figuring out what you have. That means scanning workloads, spotting dependencies, and admitting which old systems are tangled together. Tools like Azure Migrate hub or AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) dig into the details, things you might overlook if you rely only on spreadsheets.
Planning & Strategy
Once the map is clear, it’s time to choose a path. AWS calls it the “6 Rs”: rehost, replatform, refactor, repurchase, retire, and retain. Not every workload deserves the same treatment, so this is where priorities, budget, and risk tolerance start to collide.
Execution & Migration
Here’s where stress levels rise. The trick is keeping systems in sync until you flip the switch. Continuous replication tools, such as AWS DMS with change data capture or Google’s “Migrate to VMs,” stream updates so cutover barely causes a hiccup.
Optimization & Management
Landing in the cloud isn’t the finish line. Today, 59% of enterprises have FinOps teams because spend keeps spiraling. Add in the fact that 83% are experimenting with GenAI, and optimization becomes an everyday job, not an afterthought.
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Who Provides These Services?
Many players offer migration help, but not all of them come with the same focus. Knowing the differences helps companies choose wisely.
Cloud Service Providers (CSPs)
The big names, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, push their own frameworks. AWS MAP (Migration Acceleration Program), Azure CAF (Cloud Adoption Framework), and Google’s migration tools streamline the process. They’re powerful, but naturally, they point you toward their ecosystems.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
For businesses that want someone to run the whole show, MSPs step in. Adoption has climbed fast: 48% of SMBs and 62% of enterprises already use MSPs for migration and day-to-day cloud management, according to Flexera’s 2025 survey.
Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)
Some moves require a security-first lens. Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) are designed for that purpose. These providers can assist and help companies mitigate risk and bake compliance into migrations. With enforcement of PCI DSS v4.0.1, companies benefit from identifying non-compliance issues ahead of their eventual migration rather than conducting a patching exercise afterward.
Specialized Partners Like OTAVA
At OTAVA, we guide clients across public, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud environments. Right now, many businesses face tough calls after VMware’s ownership changes. Our agnostic stance helps them move without feeling locked in.
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The Critical Benefits of Using Professional Services
So, why lean on outside help? Because migrations are risky, expensive, and rarely forgiving. Professional services stack the odds in your favor.
Risk Mitigation
World Kinect had 22 data centers to shift. With AWS MAP, downtime dropped, and mean time to recovery was cut in half. Commerzbank also managed to move 135 Oracle databases in under nine months. That kind of precision doesn’t happen without experts.
Cost Control
Cloud waste is brutal. In 2024, companies admitted that nearly 27% of their IaaS and PaaS spend went unused. That’s why FinOps teams exploded, growing from just over half to nearly 60% of enterprises by 2025.
Expertise & Experience
There’s also the skill gap. Internal IT teams are sharp, but many haven’t handled large, multi-cloud migrations. Throwing them in alone often means delays, missed configs, or worse.
Ongoing Optimization
Cloud isn’t static. According to Gartner, cloud spend has already hit $723 billion. That scale demands constant tuning. Without ongoing governance, costs and security risks creep back in.
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Key Components of a Service Offering
A migration is a bundle of smaller jobs, each meant to stop things from breaking when you finally flip the switch. Here’s what usually makes up a solid service.
Technical Assessment
First comes the detective work. You dig into systems, trace dependencies, and ask the awkward question: What goes down if we move this?
Tools like Azure Migrate and AWS MGN are useful here because they spot things a spreadsheet never would. It is better to find weak links before the cutover, not during.
Cloud Readiness Analysis
Then it’s time to ask where workloads belong. That could be public, private, or maybe both. About 70% of companies are already hybrid, which says a lot. Not everything fits neatly in one bucket, and readiness analysis helps sort that out.
Security & Compliance Planning
Skipping this step can be painful later. NIST CSF 2.0 added a new Govern function to reinforce oversight, while ISO/IEC 27017 and 27018 lay out controls for cloud and PII. If you’re handling sensitive data, this part is non-negotiable.
Post-Migration Support
Migration ends, but operations don’t. Standards like SOC 2 set expectations, and many enterprises bring in MSPs to keep watch because workloads still need care after the move is over.
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Common Challenges Services Help You Avoid
Cloud migrations go wrong in predictable ways. The point of bringing in help is to dodge those landmines.
Unplanned Costs (Cost Sprawl)
In 2024, companies admitted to wasting about 27% of their IaaS and PaaS spend. That’s a whole chunk of budget disappearing. Good partners build guardrails to stop the sprawl.
Extended Downtime
Downtime is another killer. Flip the switch too fast and users notice. Services avoid this by using continuous replication, like CDC-based database syncs or staged cutovers, so you can cut over quietly instead of making headlines.
Security Gaps & Compliance Failures
Then there’s compliance. PCI DSS v4.0.1 took effect on March 31, 2025, and healthcare still has HIPAA breathing down its neck. If security isn’t planned in, audits become nightmares.
Performance Issues
Even if systems come online, they don’t always perform. Misconfigurations drag things down. Frameworks like AWS MAP or Azure CAF exist for a reason because they keep workloads sized and structured properly.
Internal Skill Gaps
Finally, people. Flexera surveys keep showing the same thing: not enough staff with migration experience. That shortage slows projects and piles stress on IT teams already stretched thin.
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The Otava Approach: A Tailored, Managed Migration
At OTAVA, we don’t push one platform or vendor. Our role is to guide clients into the mix that works, whether public, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud. That flexibility has been crucial lately, especially as companies rethink strategy after the VMware shake-up. Nobody wants to be cornered, and we make sure they aren’t.
We also follow a phased methodology. It’s structured like the big provider frameworks but customized to the client. We move step by step: assessment, replication, cutover, and finally optimization. Each phase lowers risk while keeping the project moving forward without paralyzing teams.
Security is baked in from day one. Our projects line up with HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, and the upcoming PCI DSS v4.0.1 deadline.
Migration is only part of the story. Ongoing management matters just as much as the initial move. We stay engaged, handling governance, FinOps, and tuning long after cutover.
Ready to see where you stand? Schedule a free cloud migration assessment. We’ll show what’s working, what isn’t, and how to get cloud right the first time.
