Cloud Migration: A Practical Playbook for London SMEs

Lift-and-shift, re-platform, or re-architect — choose the right cloud strategy without overspending.

Cloud isn't a destination, it's a decision

Most London SMEs are already in the cloud — M365, Xero, HubSpot, Google Drive. The interesting question in 2026 is what to do with the workloads still running on that ageing server in the cupboard, or that legacy line-of-business app.

The three migration patterns

  • Lift-and-shift. Move the workload to a cloud VM with minimal changes. Fastest, cheapest to plan, most expensive to run long-term.
  • Re-platform. Move to a managed equivalent — SQL Server to Azure SQL, file shares to SharePoint or OneDrive, exchange to Exchange Online. The sweet spot for most SMEs.
  • Re-architect. Rebuild the workload as cloud-native. Highest upside, highest cost. Reserve for genuinely strategic systems.

The questions to answer first

  • What's the actual cost of the current setup, including power, hardware refresh, and engineering time?
  • What's the cost of doing nothing for another 24 months?
  • Where does the data need to live for regulatory reasons?
  • What does the application vendor actually support in cloud?

Hidden costs that catch SMEs out

  • Egress charges. Moving data out of cloud is rarely free. Plan your architecture accordingly.
  • Backup and DR. The cloud doesn't back itself up. Budget separately for it.
  • Identity. Decent SSO and conditional access is a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have.
  • Re-licensing. Some on-prem licences don't transfer to cloud. Audit before you migrate.

A realistic timeline

For a typical 25–50 user SME with one server room:

  • Weeks 1–2: Discovery, dependency mapping, cost modelling
  • Weeks 3–4: Identity and network foundation
  • Weeks 5–8: Workload migration in waves, with rollback plans
  • Weeks 9–10: Cutover, decommission, documentation

What good looks like after migration

Predictable monthly bills. No more emergency hardware orders. Faster onboarding for new starters. A real DR test you can actually pass. And, ideally, a smaller IT footprint to manage.

Want to scope your migration?

We run free 30-minute migration scoping calls for London SMEs. Book a slot on Calendly or message us on WhatsApp to get started.