Cloud Migration Guide for Indian SMEs

Cloud Migration Steps

1. Assess: Inventory current systems, data volumes, and dependencies
2. Plan: Choose cloud provider, define migration approach (lift-and-shift vs re-platform)
3. Prepare: Set up cloud accounts, configure security, establish connectivity
4. Migrate: Move data first, then applications, then users
5. Test: Verify functionality, performance, and security
6. Optimise: Right-size resources, implement auto-scaling, optimise costs

What to Migrate First

• Email (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) — easiest, lowest risk
• File storage (Google Drive, OneDrive) — straightforward
• CRM (Zoho, Freshsales) — vendor handles migration
• Helpdesk (Workro Desk) — cloud-native, no migration needed