Migrating from on-premises to cloud is the most common large-scale IT project in 2026. Getting the readiness assessment right determines success or expensive failure. This guide covers everything you need to assess before the first server moves.
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1. Technical — OS compatibility, 32-bit apps, hardware dependencies. 2. Data — sovereignty requirements, compliance constraints, volume. 3. Network — internet bandwidth, latency requirements, private connectivity needs. 4. Skills — certification gaps, operating model changes. 5. Organisational — leadership commitment, budget, governance.
Before migrating: OS support (Windows 2008/2012 require upgrade), 32-bit applications (not supported on most cloud instances), hardware dependencies (USB dongles, HSMs), network broadcast dependency (cloud uses unicast), and database compatibility (Oracle on EC2 has specific licencing requirements).
Before selecting target region: where can data physically reside (GDPR, data sovereignty laws), which regions are compliant with industry regulations (MAS TRM Singapore, APRA Australia), and are there data classifications that cannot move to cloud. Confirm for each workload individually.
Internet bandwidth (10TB at 100Mbps takes 9 days), latency requirements (applications with under 10ms SLA may need ExpressRoute/Direct Connect), hybrid connectivity (most migrations run hybrid for months — plan private circuit early), DNS and firewall changes requiring careful planning and testing.
Gap assessment: cloud architect certification (AZ-305, AWS SAA, GCP-ACE), FinOps knowledge, DevOps/GitOps operating model, cloud security (CSPM, cloud-native tools). TCOIQ migration readiness assessment includes skills gap analysis with specific certification recommendations for target cloud.
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