In today’s fast-paced digital environment, businesses can no longer afford to rely on outdated infrastructure and legacy applications. Organizations embrace cloud modernization to stay competitive—a strategic transformation beyond simple lift-and-shift migrations.
Modernizing for the cloud unlocks agility, scalability, and innovation. But it’s not just about moving to the cloud; it’s about transforming how your business works, delivers, and evolves.
According to the Foundry Cloud Computing Study 2024, 63% of enterprise CIOs were accelerating cloud migrations, up from 57% in 2023. Here’s how a successful cloud modernization strategy comes together:
Assessment & Planning: Building the Foundation
Before diving into the cloud, organizations need to understand where they stand—and where they’re going.
Assessment involves:
- Inventorying existing applications, infrastructure, and dependencies
- Identifying business goals, compliance needs, and performance gaps
- Evaluating current costs and projecting cloud ROI
Planning includes:
- Selecting the right cloud model (public, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud)
- Prioritizing workloads for migration or modernization
- Defining a phased roadmap with clear KPIs and milestones
Key Outcome: A data-driven strategy that aligns IT transformation with business value.
Application Modernization: From Legacy to Cloud-Native
Legacy apps weren’t built for the cloud. To fully realize the benefits of the cloud, applications must be re-architected, refactored, or replatformed for modern environments.
Modernization strategies may include:
- Breaking monolithic applications into microservices
- Integrating APIs and containers (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Leveraging serverless functions and managed services
Benefits:
- Improved scalability and performance
- Faster deployment cycles (CI/CD)
- Enhanced user experiences and agility
Key Outcome: Applications that are flexible, scalable, and built for continuous innovation.
Infrastructure Migration: Moving with Precision
While some apps require complete modernization, others can be migrated with minimal changes. Infrastructure migration involves moving virtual machines, databases, and services to the cloud with minimal downtime.
Migration considerations:
- Choosing between lift-and-shift, replatforming, or complete rebuilds
- Ensuring workload compatibility and performance optimization
- Managing data transfer, networking, and security
Tools used: Azure Migrate, AWS Migration Hub, Google Cloud Migrate, CloudEndure, etc.
Key Outcome: A stable, cloud-optimized infrastructure that supports current and future workloads.
Cloud Platform Expertise: Navigating with Confidence
Cloud modernization isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Expertise in specific platforms and technologies is required to architect and manage effective solutions.
Cloud platform expertise includes:
- Deep understanding of leading platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud
- Governance and security best practices
- Cost optimization and FinOps strategies
- Cloud-native development and DevOps integration
Why it matters:
Skilled cloud engineers and architects ensure your cloud environment is secure, resilient, and cost-efficient so that you can focus on innovation, not infrastructure.
Key Outcome: A well-architected, future-ready cloud environment managed by certified experts.
Case Study: Infrastructure Enablement
ClearBridge provided a team of cloud modernization consultants for our client, a large luxury goods retailer. Our client was in the middle of a large global cloud modernization project and had skillset gaps, specifically expertise in IaC and ASW Cloud Development Kit (CDK). Our subject matter experts were responsible for infrastructure enablement and unlocking the ability of the entire organization to provision its own infrastructure without the support of Infrastructure and Operations.
Final Thoughts: Cloud Modernization is a Journey
It’s not just about moving to the cloud—it’s about unlocking new value. Companies that invest in cloud modernization see measurable improvements: faster time to market, lower infrastructure costs, strong security and compliance posture, and increased employee and customer satisfaction. An innovative, structured approach that includes assessment, application modernization, infrastructure migration, and cloud expertise will help you future-proof your business and stay ahead in a digital world.
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