IT Migration Made Simple: Upgrading Systems with Ease

As businesses expand and technology evolves, migrating from legacy systems to newer platforms has become essential. In fact, more than 98% of companies have adopted cloud computing in some capacity since 2023. With this shift, organizations must ensure their IT infrastructure is modern, scalable, and adaptable to remain competitive—this is where IT migration becomes crucial. 

IT migration involves moving data, applications, and entire IT systems from one platform, environment, or infrastructure to another. This could include transitioning from on-premises servers to cloud-based solutions, upgrading outdated systems, or converting data to different storage formats. Here’s everything you need to know about IT migration and why you should consider embracing it to stay ahead of the curve.

Why Organizations Should Consider IT Migration: Real-World Examples

IT migration offers numerous benefits for businesses, from improving operational efficiency to reducing costs. Here are some real-world examples of how IT migration has positively impacted organizations:

1. Netflix's Cloud Migration

Netflix’s decision to migrate its IT infrastructure to the cloud revolutionized its operations. By moving to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Netflix achieved a scalable, reliable, optimized and cost-efficient cloud solution,  which allowed them to grow their user base to upward of a million viewers across 130 countries: a threefold growth in just 8 years. The migration also gave them better flexibility to deliver content to global audiences, drastically improving customer satisfaction and reducing downtime.

2. Capital One’s Cloud Migration

Capital One, a major financial institution, made a strategic move to the cloud, particularly AWS, to enhance its technology infrastructure. The migration enabled them to increase data security, improve operational efficiency, and offer faster and more innovative services[1] to their customers. By transitioning to the cloud, Capital One has been able to create a more modern data agile system that can quickly adapt to new regulatory standards and changing market demands.

3. General Electric’s Legacy System Modernization

General Electric (GE) underwent a significant IT migration to move from outdated legacy systems to more modern platforms that support its digital transformation strategy. The migration enabled GE to increase operational efficiency, improve data analytics, and reduce maintenance costs associated with older systems. By modernizing its IT infrastructure, GE was able to improve collaboration and streamline its business operations.

Types of IT Migration

There are various types of IT migration, depending on the specific needs of the organization. Below are some common types:

Data migration

Data migration involves transferring large sets of data from one storage system to another. This is typically done when organizations switch to new software, databases, or cloud environments. Ensuring data integrity and minimal downtime during this process is crucial.

Database migration

Database migration involves moving databases from one platform to another, such as from a traditional on-premises database to a cloud-based one. This allows businesses to scale more efficiently and integrate new tools or technologies with their existing systems.

Application migration

Application migration refers to moving software applications to new environments or platforms. This could include rehosting applications on the cloud or upgrading legacy software to modern technologies, enhancing performance and scalability.

OS migration

OS migration involves switching from one operating system to another, often to improve system security, support modern applications, or enhance user experience. Organizations may move from older operating systems to newer versions for improved efficiency and compatibility.

Cloud migration

Cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications, and systems from on-premises infrastructure to cloud platforms, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. Migrating data to the cloud offers businesses more flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

SAP migration

SAP migration involves moving SAP systems and applications to more modern platforms, like the cloud. This migration allows businesses to take advantage of new features, enhances security, and improving system performance.

VM migration

VM (Virtual Machine) migration refers to transferring virtual machines between physical servers or data centers. It can be part of a broader IT migration strategy and helps organizations optimize resource utilization by preventing overprovisioning and improving system performance.

Things to Keep in Mind Before IT Migration

Before starting an IT migration, it's crucial to ensure the process is carried out smoothly without compromising quality. Here are several key factors to consider for a successful migration:

• Size of the migration: Understand the volume of data, the number of applications, and systems that need to be migrated.
• Application compatibility: Evaluate the compatibility of existing applications with the new environment.
• System customization: Determine how much customization is needed for existing systems to work in the new infrastructure.
• User management: Consider how to manage users during and after the migration process to minimize disruptions.
• Number of users: Consider the scale of your migration in terms of the number of users affected, ensuring that the migration process does not disrupt daily operations.

Planning a Successful IT Migration

A successful IT migration requires careful planning to minimize disruptions and ensure smooth transitions. Here are a few tips for planning a successful migration:

1. Run old systems in parallel: Running the old and new systems concurrently can help identify issues early and ensure business continuity.
2. Prioritize operations: Focus on the most critical business operations during the migration process to avoid disruptions.
3. Use microservices for business continuity planning (BCP): Microservices architecture allows for more flexible and scalable systems, which can help maintain business operations during migration.
4. Test extensively: Before fully transitioning, conduct extensive testing to identify potential issues and fix them before migration is completed.
5. Communicate with stakeholders: Keep all stakeholders informed throughout the process to manage expectations and ensure buy-in.
6. Consider data observability: Data observability enables real-time monitoring of data movements, helping detect issues like data loss, corruption, or performance bottlenecks early in the migration. After migration, it continues to provide insights into system performance, ensuring smooth operations, identifying new issues, and supporting ongoing improvements - thus keeping you informed throughout the process.

IT Migration with Acceldata

Acceldata is a powerful tool that can streamline the IT migration process by providing organizations with better data management, monitoring, and optimization capabilities. With Acceldata, businesses can ensure that their data transfer, migration, and management processes are optimized for efficiency, minimizing downtime and disruption. Acceldata offers real-time monitoring and analytics to ensure smooth transitions and quickly address potential migration challenges.

By leveraging Acceldata’s advanced features, organizations can migrate their IT systems with confidence, reducing operational risk and improving overall business performance.

Summary

IT migration is an essential process for organizations looking to modernize their IT infrastructure and stay competitive. By migrating data, systems, and applications to more advanced platforms such as the cloud, businesses can enhance performance, improve scalability, and reduce operational costs. With proper planning, the right migration tools, and careful execution, IT migration can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, security, and business agility.