Cloud Migration Guide: Moving Your Business to the Cloud

Cloud migration is one of the most impactful IT decisions a business can make. Moving from on-premises servers to cloud platforms reduces hardware costs, improves reliability, and enables remote work.

Common Cloud Platforms

Microsoft 365 is the most popular choice for Canadian businesses — it bundles email (Exchange), file storage (SharePoint/OneDrive), and collaboration (Teams). Google Workspace is a strong alternative. For servers and infrastructure, AWS and Microsoft Azure are the leading platforms.

Planning Your Migration

Start with an inventory of what you have: email accounts, file servers, line-of-business applications, databases, and printers. Identify which systems can move to cloud, which need to stay on-premises, and which need hybrid solutions.

Data Migration

Email and file migration typically takes 1-4 weeks for a small business. Your IT provider will migrate mailboxes, shared drives, and permissions. Plan for a cutover weekend where email routing switches to the new platform.

After Migration

Train your team on the new tools. Set up proper backup for cloud data (cloud providers protect infrastructure, not your data). Review security settings, enable MFA, and configure conditional access policies.

Costs

Microsoft 365 Business Basic starts at $8 CAD per user per month. Migration project costs depend on complexity — expect $2,000-$10,000 for a small business. The long-term savings from eliminating on-premises server hardware and maintenance usually pay for the migration within the first year.