Cloud migration that moves your systems without moving your downtime.
Hoop Interactive migrates on-premise, legacy, and cloud-to-cloud workloads to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud — with a tested rollback plan and a parallel run that keeps your systems live throughout the move.
What is cloud migration?
Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data, and infrastructure from on-premise servers, or from one cloud provider, to a new cloud environment such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. The move involves more than copying files: it means mapping dependencies, choosing a migration strategy for each workload, and cutting over without losing data or availability.
Not every workload migrates the same way. Cloud architects group migration approaches into what's commonly called the 7 Rs, with three strategies covering most real projects: rehosting, replatforming, and refactoring. Most migrations use a mix of all three across different applications rather than one approach for everything.
- Dependencies mapped
- Nothing moves before we know what it connects to.
- Wave-based
- Phased in manageable stages, not one high-risk cutover.
- Parallel run
- Old and new validated side by side before the switch.
- Tested rollback
- A verified path back, proven before every cutover.
Rehost, replatform, or refactor?
Three migration strategies — and the workload each one genuinely fits.
| Strategy | What it does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Rehost (lift-and-shift) | Moves the application to the cloud with no code changes. | Fast timelines, legacy apps not worth rewriting yet. |
| Replatform | Makes targeted optimizations during the move, such as a managed database. | Apps that benefit from cloud services without a full rewrite. |
| Refactor (re-architect) | Rebuilds the application to use cloud-native services fully. | Core systems where long-term performance and cost matter most. |
Where migration cost actually comes from.
Why strategy choice outweighs almost everything else, and how to pick per application.
Why migration strategy determines the real cost
Rehosting is the cheapest and fastest strategy upfront, but it can cost more than staying on-premise over three years, since the application still isn't optimized for cloud pricing. Refactoring costs the most to build but produces the biggest long-term savings and performance gains. The right mix depends on which applications are core to your business and which are candidates to retire.
Rehost vs. refactor: which do you need?
Rehost if you're on a tight timeline or the application is a lower priority you'll revisit later. Refactor if the application is core to the business and the cloud's scalability or managed services would meaningfully improve it.
Why move to the cloud?
A well-planned migration replaces fixed, aging infrastructure with capacity that scales on demand and infrastructure your team can actually maintain.
Scales for traffic spikes
Capacity adjusts on demand without pre-provisioning hardware.
Cuts hardware costs
Maintaining and refreshing physical servers stops being a line item.
Better disaster recovery
Cloud-based backup and failover replace a plan nobody has tested.
Access to managed services
Databases, AI, and other cloud-native services become available.
Faster feature launches
Infrastructure stops being the bottleneck on shipping.
Reduced security risk
The provider's built-in compliance tooling raises your baseline.
Cloud migration services we offer.
We scope the engagement around your workloads and timeline, not a fixed migration package.
On-premise to cloud migration
Moving servers, applications, and data from physical infrastructure to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Cloud-to-cloud migration
Moving workloads between cloud providers when pricing, features, or consolidation drive the switch.
Database migration
Moving databases with live replication, keeping source and destination in sync until cutover.
Application refactoring
Rebuilding applications to use cloud-native services: managed databases, serverless, auto-scaling.
Legacy system migration
Moving older systems that need careful dependency mapping before any workload gets touched.
Hybrid cloud migration
Splitting workloads between cloud and retained on-premise systems where full migration isn't the goal.
Signs you need cloud migration.
Four situations send most IT and engineering leads to us for migration work.
- 01
Physical hardware needs replacing
An aging server refresh is coming up, and the cost comparison against cloud is worth running.
- 02
Traffic spikes cause outages
Seasonal or growth-driven demand exceeds what your fixed on-premise capacity can handle.
- 03
You're consolidating cloud providers
Workloads are scattered across providers or accounts, and it's time to bring them under one roof.
- 04
Disaster recovery is a real gap
A hardware failure or site outage would take critical systems down with no fast way to recover.
Common cloud migration mistakes we help you avoid.
These five mistakes account for most of the over-budget or failed migrations we get asked to rescue.
Rehosting everything by default
CriticalLift-and-shift for every workload often costs more than staying on-premise over three years. We match strategy to each application's actual priority.
No tested rollback plan
CriticalMigrating without a way back means a mid-migration problem becomes a crisis. We test the rollback path before every cutover, not after something breaks.
Ignoring data egress costs
HighMoving data out of a cloud provider often costs more than moving it in. We factor egress fees into the plan from the start, not as a surprise later.
Underestimating the parallel-run window
MediumRunning old and new systems together costs more the longer it lasts. We scope the parallel-run period realistically, not optimistically.
Skipping dependency mapping
CriticalMigrating an application without mapping what it connects to breaks integrations nobody remembered existed. We map dependencies before touching anything.
How we run your migration.
Six stages, from workload inventory to a tuned, decommissioned cutover. We work in weekly sprints with a status update every Friday.
Discovery & readiness assessment
We inventory your workloads, map dependencies, and assess which applications are ready to move.
1–3 weeks · DiscoveryMigration strategy & wave planning
We assign a strategy — rehost, replatform, or refactor — to each workload and sequence the migration into waves.
1–2 weeks · PlanningArchitecture design
We design the destination architecture and Infrastructure as Code for each wave before migration begins.
1–3 weeks · ArchitectureMigration execution
We migrate each wave in weekly sprints, with a working demo and status update every Friday.
3–24 weeks · ExecutionTesting & parallel run
We run old and new systems in parallel, validating data integrity and performance before cutover.
1–4 weeks · ValidationCutover & optimization
We complete the cutover, decommission the source where appropriate, and tune costs post-migration.
Ongoing · OptimizationCloud migration cost and timeline.
Three factors drive the price: migration strategy, workload count, and data volume. Ongoing cloud hosting and parallel-run overlap bill separately from your provider.
- Investment
- $15,000–$50,000
- Timeline
- 6–12 weeks
- Scope
- 1–5 applications
- Code changes
- Minimal
- Strategy
- Rehost
- Investment
- $50,000–$150,000
- Timeline
- 12–20 weeks
- Scope
- Multi-app, phased waves
- Included
- Managed DB upgrades
- Delivery
- Infrastructure as Code
- Investment
- $150,000–$400,000+
- Timeline
- 20–40+ weeks
- Scope
- Full rearchitecting
- Included
- Auto-scaling, serverless
- Compliance
- Security hardening
The technology behind your migration.
Proven, well-documented tools, chosen for reliability and minimal migration risk.
AWS
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud
Terraform
PostgreSQL
Prometheus
GrafanaWays to work with us.
Pick the model that fits your project and team. All four include weekly demos and full infrastructure ownership.
Fixed-Scope Project
A defined workload list, timeline, and price agreed before we start. You know the exact cost up front.
Best for fixed budgetsDedicated Team
Migration engineers working as an extension of your team through cutover and beyond.
Best for large programmesStaff Augmentation
A senior cloud migration engineer added to your existing team to close a skills gap.
Best for existing IT teamsPost-Migration Retainer
Ongoing monitoring, cost optimization, and support after cutover, billed monthly.
Best after cutoverEvery migration engagement comes complete.
No hidden gaps. Each engagement includes everything you need to migrate and stabilize on the new platform.
- Readiness assessment
- A clear inventory and dependency map before any workload moves.
- Migration strategy plan
- The right approach assigned to each workload, not a one-size-fits-all move.
- Wave-based execution
- Migration phased in manageable waves instead of one high-risk cutover.
- Data validation
- Record counts and integrity checked after every transfer stage.
- Parallel-run testing
- Old and new systems validated side by side before cutover.
- Tested rollback plan
- A verified path back to the source system if something goes wrong.
- Cost optimization
- Right-sized resources configured post-migration, not left on defaults.
- Documented handover
- Version-controlled infrastructure code you own outright.
Cloud migrations we deliver across every sector.
The process stays the same. The compliance and workload needs change by industry.
Financial Services
Migrations built around PCI DSS and audit requirements.
Healthcare
HIPAA-aligned migration of patient and operational systems.
Manufacturing
ERP and operational system migration with minimal downtime.
Retail & Ecommerce
Migrations timed around seasonal traffic and peak periods.
Professional Services
Document and client system migration with data continuity.
Logistics
Real-time tracking system migration with zero-downtime cutover.
Media & Entertainment
Content and delivery infrastructure migration at scale.
Enterprise IT
Multi-application, multi-year migration programs.
Explore more software services.
Cloud migration is one of six services we cover under Cloud & DevOps.
Cloud & DevOps Services
The full cloud service this sits under.
ExploreCloud Solutions
The strategy layer deciding what to migrate and why.
ExploreCloud Integration
Connecting cloud services to each other and to on-premise.
ExploreCloud Infrastructure Setup
Provisioning networks, compute, and storage as code.
ExploreCloud Application Development
Applications architected for the cloud from the start.
ExploreDevOps
CI/CD pipelines and release automation after the move.
Enterprise Software Development
Multi-department platforms often at the centre of a migration.
ExploreSecurity, QA & Maintenance
Hardening and testing the migrated environment.
ExploreCloud migration questions
The questions IT and engineering leads ask us most before starting a cloud migration.
Rehosting moves an application to the cloud with no code changes — the fastest and cheapest path. Replatforming makes small optimizations during the move, such as switching to a managed database. Refactoring rewrites the application to use cloud-native services, the most work but the best long-term performance and cost.
Cloud migration costs $15,000 to $400,000 or more, depending on strategy and scope. A lift-and-shift migration costs $15,000 to $50,000, a replatform migration costs $50,000 to $150,000, and a refactor or cloud-native rebuild costs $150,000 to $400,000 or more.
Cloud migration takes 6 to 40 weeks or more. A lift-and-shift migration takes 6 to 12 weeks, a replatform migration takes 12 to 20 weeks, and a refactor or cloud-native rebuild takes 20 to 40 weeks or longer.
No, if the migration runs the old and new systems in parallel during cutover. We plan a parallel-run period and a tested rollback path, so a migration issue doesn't take your systems offline.
AWS fits teams wanting the widest service catalog, Azure fits teams already invested in Microsoft tools, and Google Cloud fits teams prioritizing data and machine learning workloads. We recommend based on your existing stack, not a default preference.
Yes. We migrate databases using replication tools that keep the source database live and synced until cutover, so data stays consistent and current throughout the move.
A parallel run means operating the old and new systems simultaneously for a defined period before fully cutting over. You need one if downtime or data loss during migration would cause real business harm.
We map data dependencies before migration, transfer data through encrypted channels, and validate record counts and integrity after every transfer before moving to the next stage.
Yes. We handle cloud-to-cloud migrations, such as moving from AWS to Azure, using the same phased approach and parallel-run safeguards as an on-premise migration.
We build a tested rollback plan into every migration before cutover, so we can revert to the source system quickly if validation testing surfaces a problem.
Yes. We offer maintenance retainers covering monitoring, cost optimization, and troubleshooting for the weeks and months after cutover.
Yes. We sign an NDA before the discovery call, before you share any infrastructure or business details with us.