Microsoft Cloud Migration Services

Services

for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure

Move to the cloud and into the future.

Arctic IT provides cloud migration services to transition your business systems and data into Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Azure for unparalleled security and performance.

Business has moved to the cloud because of the many benefits offered by hosted application services. At Arctic IT, we develop and execute Microsoft cloud migration strategies that allow your organization to transfer business systems in full or as a hybrid solution. Our services help you realize the benefits of cloud hosting, which provides immediate application management time-savings and equips organizations to scale for the future.

Microsoft Cloud Migration

3 scenarios for replacing your on-premise infrastructure with our cloud migration services

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Business applications like Microsoft 365 office apps and Dynamics 365 run in a highly secured commercial or government environment, allowing your staff or customers to easily access hosted apps anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

The Azure platform provide highly scalable database management and business intelligence services. Migrating middleware and data applications to the cloud avoids licensing complexity, allowing your teams to focus on the delivery of applications and data.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The virtual machines in Azure act as a replacement for physical hardware, allowing businesses to deploy custom servers and networking systems. This supports the need to migrate legacy business applications to the cloud.

SaaS with Microsoft cloud applications

Microsoft 365 apps transform productivity by providing a collaborative environment to use various applications and of course, the Microsoft Office suite from any device. Arctic IT takes your needs into account and performs a full assessment of your existing network to recommend the best deployment strategy for your Microsoft 365 services. We use specialized migration tools to quickly and accurately transition your business to Microsoft’s platform. Cloud-hosted technologies provide the flexibility to grow and innovate into the future as a modern business.

Using Microsoft 365 applications for business productivity and collaboration

Because its hosted in the cloud, users can securely access Microsoft 365 applications as needed from anywhere on virtually every flavor of device. Administrators can easily manage accounts for team members, providing access to applications and data as well as quickly add accounts for new talent.

Several other applications are available to supplement core Microsoft services for a more personal experience. Microsoft AppSource connects approved third-party applications that greatly improve productivity. Users can take advantage of Microsoft Teams with Microsoft 365 Apps for focused collaboration with a powerful messaging system that also offers calling and conferencing functions.

Microsoft has put an expiration date on last generation’s Microsoft Dynamic products. Today, these ERP and CRM solutions are being replaced by the powerful Dynamics 365 platform (Dynamics 365 Finance, Dynamics 365 Sales, Dynamics 365 Commerce, and more).

Modernize your business applications with the cloud

Dynamics 365 business applications are natively integrated with the Microsoft 365 application suite, making the experience more efficient than ever. Let Arctic IT, a Microsoft Gold Partner, show you how to unlock the best in your business with Dynamics 365.

PaaS and IaaS with Azure cloud services

Onsite systems age over time, requiring continual maintenance and upgrades to ensure proper performance. Even with sufficient maintenance plans and knowledgeable teams, business is tethered to the capabilities of equipment and software between upgrades. The various cloud services by Microsoft provide substantial flexibility at cost-effective price points for future-proofing your business.

Intelligence built-in

Businesses can take advantage of cloud services to replace on-premise infrastructure, as well as utilize the intelligent applications and services built-in to the platform.

No Hardware Costs

Our training materials and staff keep your team up-to-date with Microsoft 365 apps and cybersecurity.

Optimized Resources

The cloud offers the flexibility to optimize server resources for your business applications. Just what you need when you need it and nothing more.

Agile Platform

Agility to create test, development, and single use servers quickly and for short or extended periods of time is a huge benefit of cloud. It’s more than just servers in the cloud; the Microsoft platform has all kinds of services that make your team more efficient, secure, and free to focus on what you do best.

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heightened Security

Not only is the cloud more efficient, it also provides a higher level of security. It eliminates the need for physical security and provides better access control.

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Best Fit

Arctic IT can help you navigate which cloud or multi-cloud solution is best for your organization. If you’re a Microsoft shop wanting to leverage some of your existing investments in software and knowledge with Azure, Arctic IT is your trusted partner for cloud migration.

Cloud Managed Services for Microsoft 365

Microsoft Azure as a hybrid or multi-cloud

Some businesses choose to leave certain systems in place for a variety of reasons. A hybrid cloud refers to a mixture of systems that exist in a public or private data center that interface with onsite technology. Azure can securely work with systems that remain on premises to deliver a highly custom experience.

Interested in moving to the cloud but don’t want all your eggs in one basket? We can help you implement a multi-cloud solution that combines both Azure and AWS to create a redundant cloud system.

Cloud Migration Services FAQs

Why leverage cloud migration services for business growth?

Cloud migration involves moving the digital assets, resources, and services of your applications to the cloud.

For most organizations today, migration to the cloud is no longer a concept for debate. Instead, it is a necessity – and for obvious reasons. Deployment of your applications and infrastructure in the Microsoft cloud offers your business a number of benefits, ranging from

  • Enhanced security with advanced Identity and Access management as well as reporting that gives visibility across the entire footprint of apps, services, and resources within your cloud tenant
  • User-friendly applications and services with artificial intelligence built-in
  • Ease of access from any web-enabled device
  • Simplified maintenance and updates with proactive alerts of all cloud resources
  • Automation of resource deployment
  • High availability and scalability
  • Relief from the costly and disruptive on-premises hardware lifecycle refresh
  • Better visibility and control over resource cost

In case you’re wondering if cloud migration is the best decision for your company, Arctic IT is here to help. Our team will help you understand what our cloud migration services entail and how they can benefit your business, so you can decide on the best strategy to achieve a seamless transition to the cloud.

Why Arctic IT for cloud migration services?

At Arctic IT, we have a comprehensive cloud migration framework that allows you to optimize your operational processes by bringing all industry-specific tools and services your team needs into a unified platform. We can accomplish this across all cloud models and methods (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS).

We are experts in digital transformation. With our cloud migration services, we can help you create the right digital strategy, roadmap, and workflow model, and smoothly transition your business to a highly secure and reliable managed cloud platform on Microsoft Azure.

Arctic IT takes a customer-centric approach to fulfill our clients’ cloud migration needs. While the process varies by organization, we utilize a proven cloud migration methodology and other resources to facilitate a smooth migration – minimizing impact on your daily operations.

What is Arctic IT’s cloud migration services approach?

Below is our typical process for helping you migrate all your business data, services, and applications into Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Azure, or any other preferred cloud solution for unparalleled security and performance.

Planning and Strategy

Our planning sessions with your team will focus on why you need the transition to a cloud platform. We will define and establish your cloud strategy and objectives based on your business goals and operational needs.

Infrastructure Assessment

Our team will also identify and establish a detailed inventory of your current infrastructure, including applications, and determine the cloud resources you need to achieve your business goals.

Migration Plan Development

Once we have established your business needs, migration strategy, workload priorities, essential resources, and budget, we will proceed to build a comprehensive migration plan that is most suitable for your operations.

Migration Prep

To ensure a smooth transition to the cloud (as part of our cloud migration services), Arctic IT will help your team understand the process and timelines to complete the project. We also communicate with you if you are required to perform any action. We keep your internal IT team informed while defining the cloud technologies, migration tools, and operational processes that we will be implementing.

Performing the Migration

Based on the pre-determined cloud migration strategy, our cloud migration experts will migrate your applications, services, business data, and other resources in waves to a secure Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, or Azure cloud environment.

Post-Live Support and Management

Our cloud migration services typically don’t stop after implementation. Arctic IT’s team of experts can manage and support your resources, data, and applications across all Microsoft cloud environments. We work closely with your internal IT and development teams to ensure you’re up and running securely at all times with no hitches.

What factors into the cost of cloud migration services?

It is important to understand the various factors that contribute to the cost of cloud migration services. This will help you plan your budget and set realistic expectations for your project. Arctic IT is committed to working with you to assess your environment and provide a comprehensive pricing and project plan for a successful cloud migration.

Number of Servers and Services to be Migrated

One of the key factors that impacts the cost of cloud migration services is the number of servers and services being moved. When assessing your environment, consider how many servers you have and their utilization. Arctic IT can help you identify which servers can be transitioned to PaaS or SaaS, such as file shares or SQL server services, in order to save money and create more reliable systems. By moving your on-premises solutions away from servers or virtual machines (VMs), you can often achieve greater efficiency and cost savings.

Downtime Tolerance

Another factor to consider is downtime tolerance. Does your organization require all services to be available 24×7, or can you tolerate some downtime during the weekend or overnight? Arctic IT can work with you to create a plan that minimizes downtime and ensures that daily operations are not impacted during the migration.

Availability

Availability is another key consideration when it comes to cloud migration services. What are your organization’s expectations for availability once systems are migrated? Do you need multi-geographic regions to account for local disasters? Do you need high availability for one or multiple services? Arctic IT can help you assess your needs and craft a solution that meets your availability requirements.

Security

Security is also an important factor to consider. How many of your systems are open to the internet? Do you require VPN or conditional access to utilize a resource? How will you handle identity and authentication? Does your organization already use MFA or passwordless logins to access services? Arctic IT can help you ensure that your systems are secure and compliant with your organization’s security policies.

Ultimately, the cost of cloud migration services will depend on your specific needs and requirements. By working with Arctic IT, as your partner, to assess your environment and develop a comprehensive pricing and project plan, you can ensure a successful cloud migration that provides faster, more scalable, and more available systems for your organization.

What is a typical timeline for cloud migration services?

The timeline for cloud migration services can vary depending on the complexity of your migration project, the size of the organization, and the resources available for the project. A general timeline for cloud migration services could look like this:

  1. Assessment: This phase involves evaluating the existing infrastructure and applications, and determining the migration strategy. This phase usually takes 2-4 weeks.
  2. Planning: This phase involves creating a detailed plan for the migration, including the design of the new architecture and a roadmap for the migration. This phase usually takes 4-8 weeks.
  3. Preparation: This phase involves preparing the environment for the migration, such as setting up the new cloud infrastructure and making any necessary changes to the existing environment. This phase usually takes 2-4 weeks.
  4. Migration: This phase involves moving the data, applications, and workloads to the new cloud infrastructure. This phase can take several weeks to several months, depending on the size and complexity of the migration.
  5. Validation: This phase involves testing and verifying that the applications and data have been successfully migrated and are functioning as expected. This phase usually takes 2-4 weeks.
  6. Optimization: This phase involves fine-tuning the new cloud infrastructure and applications to optimize performance, security, and cost. This phase can take several weeks to several months.
  7. Maintenance: This phase involves ongoing maintenance and support for the new cloud infrastructure and applications.

It is important to note that this timeline is just an estimate, and the actual timeline for a cloud migration project may be longer or shorter depending on the specific requirements and challenges of your project.

How will a cloud migration project affect day-to-day operations?

A cloud migration can be scheduled to work around your operations, even if you require 24×7 availability. With the help of modern tools, such as those provided by Microsoft Azure and its partners, a well-planned cloud migration can be seamless. Projects that require little or no downtime may still take some extra time and planning, but if you have flexibility, the migration can be completed during off-hours. Whatever your requirements for availability, Arctic IT can create and execute a plan that meets your specific needs for your cloud migration project.

The biggest impact from a cloud migration project happens after the migration. The migration can offer a multitude of benefits, such as the ability to migrate office files to Teams for auto-saving, then accessing them from any device, sharing them internally and externally, and making simultaneous edits with colleagues. These benefits provide your organization with a level of flexibility that is virtually impossible with on-premises solutions. When migrating from on-premises servers to Azure VMs, you gain the ability to scale up or down as your needs change, without requiring capital expenditures, data centers, generators, or backups. This change makes your organization nimbler, allowing you to adjust to changing conditions without worrying about your IT infrastructure.

Overall, a cloud migration project can bring numerous benefits to your organization, making it more efficient and effective in meeting your day-to-day operational needs.

Move to the cloud with an experienced cloud migration partner

Increase your team’s communication and efficiency with the right collaboration and document management tools. Arctic IT can assess your unique business requirements and help you design a system that takes your team’s collaboration to new heights.

If you’re ready to migrate your business applications to the cloud, call us at 844.461.9500 to speak to an expert today.

Arctic IT has been an invaluable resource in helping me run my department whether it’s hardware, software, large projects, future growth, or really anything I need…Usually Arctic IT offers before I bring it up and I believe that speaks to the level of commitment and quality of service they have towards anyone they do business with. Arctic IT is amazing and I would highly recommend them as an IT resource for any business big or small!

Bo Foley

IT Director, City of Bethel

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