Modernize Anything with Cloud 9 Expertise
Leverage Microsoft’s proven Azure Migrate tools to streamline discovery, assessment, and migration with less complexity, risk, and downtime. Where automated migration falls short, our Azure experts re-architect, rebuild, and modernize workloads for a successful cloud transformation.
Moving to Microsoft Azure is more than a datacenter move, it’s an opportunity to reduce costs, strengthen security, and build a foundation for future innovation. Every workload gets the path that fits: fast and automated, or expert-led and custom-built.
Azure Migrate appliances inventory your servers, VMs, and databases, then evaluate Azure readiness and estimate cost.
Performance is confirmed after cutover, then the environment is right-sized and hardened for ongoing use.
Workloads are replicated, test-migrated, and cut over to production with minimal downtime.
Automated. Streamlined. Fast.
Cloud 9 architects evaluate legacy dependencies, hardware ties, and technical debt to determine the right modernization path.
The modernized workload is tuned for performance, cost, and security once live on Azure.
The application is redesigned using cloud-native patterns, microservices, or managed PaaS services as needed.
Expert-Led. Custom-Built. Future-Ready.
Scalable
Secure
Future-Ready
Tap any step to see what happens
Our migration expertise is validated by Microsoft. As proof of our expertise and proven track record, Microsoft recognizes Cloud 9 with multiple Solutions Partner designations, and as an elite Azure Expert Managed Services Provider.
Microsoft's elite managed services designation, earned through an independent third-party audit of our people, processes, and technology.
Multiple designations validating deep, audited technical capability across Azure solution areas.
Procure Azure directly from us with no intermediaries, for greater accountability and faster support.
Cloud 9 leverages this Microsoft-native platform to discover, assess, and migrate supported workloads with minimal disruption, while ensuring a secure, well-governed Azure environment.
Azure Migrate is ideal when workloads can move largely as-is with minimal application change. It provides discovery, dependency mapping, readiness assessments, cost estimation, and migration for servers, databases, and applications.
VMware Virtual Machines
Hyper-V Virtual Machines
Physical Servers
SQL Server Databases
AWS and Google Cloud VMs
Windows and Linux Server Workloads
Web Applications suitable for Azure App Service or Azure Kubernetes Service
01
Deploy Azure Migrate appliances to inventory workloads, map application dependencies, evaluate Azure readiness, and estimate cost and right-sizing. Deliverables include current-state inventory, dependency mapping, readiness assessment, cost recommendations, and migration wave planning.
02
Establish a secure Azure foundation: subscription architecture, identity and access management, networking, security controls, backup and disaster recovery, and governance and compliance policies.
03
Replicate workloads, run test migrations, execute production cutover, and complete post-migration validation and stabilization with minimal downtime.
04
Reduce Azure spend, harden security, enable monitoring and automation, and modernize selected workloads for greater long-term value.
Azure Migrate is powerful, but not every application can simply be moved. Some applications must be redesigned, modernized, or rebuilt from scratch to succeed in the cloud.
When a lift-and-shift would simply move technical debt to Azure, a rebuild may deliver far greater long-term value. Here is an honest look at both sides to support the right investment decision.
True cloud-native benefits
Elastic scale, high availability, and resilience using AKS, App Service, and serverless services.
Eliminates technical debt
Retire obsolete frameworks, unsupported operating systems, and brittle dependencies.
Potentially lower long-term run costs
Pay-for-use, auto-scaling, and managed PaaS can reduce ongoing operational overhead, depending on the final architecture.
Stronger security & compliance
Modern identity, zero-trust, encryption, and built-in governance from day one.
Faster future innovation
Clean architecture makes it easy to add AI, analytics, and new features.
Performance & UX potential
Modernized architectures can improve performance and user experience, depending on the workload.
Higher upfront investment
Redevelopment requires more budget than a simple rehost.
Longer timelines
Design, build, and testing extend the delivery schedule.
Greater change management
New workflows require user training and adoption effort.
Execution risk
Scope creep and requirements gaps must be actively managed.
Business-knowledge capture
Undocumented legacy logic must be rediscovered and re-implemented.
Temporary dual-running costs
Old and new systems may run in parallel during transition.
Cloud 9 evaluates each application individually and recommends the most cost-effective, lowest-risk path.
| APPROACH | BEST FOR | RELATIVE COST | SPEED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rehost (Lift & Shift) | Supported workloads that move with minimal change via Azure Migrate | Low |
Fast |
| Replatform | Workloads that gain efficiency by moving to managed services such as Azure App Service or Azure Kubernetes Service, with limited code change | Low-Medium |
Fast-Medium |
| Refactor | Apps needing moderate modernization for performance, security, or scalability | Medium |
Medium |
| Rebuild | Legacy or business-critical apps requiring cloud-native architecture | Higher Initial |
Longer |
Credentials open the door. What sets the engagement apart is how we run it, one team, one methodology, from first assessment to ongoing support.
Whether a workload takes the fast Azure Migrate route or needs expert-led rebuilding, the same team carries it from start to finish.
Every migration decision is aligned with business outcomes, not technology trends.
Assess, Landing Zone, Migrate, Modernize: the same proven process applied to every engagement, sized to the workload.
From discovery and migration to cloud-native redevelopment and ongoing Azure managed services.
Not sure whether your workloads are ready for a straightforward Azure Migrate move or require a rebuild? Our Microsoft-certified Azure architects will assess your environment, map dependencies, and deliver a clear, prioritized migration roadmap, at no cost.
Typically completed within 5 business days, delivered by Microsoft-certified Azure architects.
Azure Migrate is Microsoft’s native platform for discovering, assessing, and migrating workloads to Azure with minimal disruption, backed by a secure, well-governed environment. It is best suited to workloads that can move largely as-is with minimal application change, and it supports discovery, dependency mapping, readiness assessments, cost estimation, and migration for servers, databases, and applications.
Supported scenarios include VMware virtual machines, Hyper-V virtual machines, physical servers, SQL Server databases, AWS and Google Cloud VMs, Windows and Linux server workloads, and web applications suitable for Azure App Service or Azure Kubernetes Service.
The methodology follows four stages: Discover and Assess, where workloads are inventoried and evaluated for Azure readiness and cost; Design the Azure Landing Zone, establishing a secure foundation for identity, networking, security, and governance; Migrate and Validate, covering replication, test migrations, production cutover, and post-migration validation and stabilization; and Optimize and Modernize, reducing Azure spend, hardening security, and modernizing selected workloads for long-term value.
Azure Migrate is a strong fit for lift-and-shift workloads on standard Windows or Linux servers, legacy line-of-business apps with stable three-tier architectures, datacenter exit initiatives, and supported operating systems that run in Azure VMs without redesign. Modernization, refactoring, or a rebuild may be needed instead for complex legacy applications with tightly coupled architectures, hardware-dependent applications, monolithic applications, end-of-life technologies, or non-cloud-ready architectures that need microservices or API-first design.
The right path depends on the application and is best decided on a case-by-case basis, weighing cost and risk. Rehost, or lift and shift, suits supported workloads that move with minimal change via Azure Migrate, at low relative cost and fast speed. Replatform suits workloads that can gain efficiency by moving to managed services such as Azure App Service or Azure Kubernetes Service with limited code change. Refactor suits apps needing moderate modernization for performance, security, or scalability, at medium cost and speed. Rebuild suits legacy or business-critical apps that require cloud-native architecture, with a higher initial cost and a longer timeline.
The potential benefits include true cloud-native capabilities like elastic scale and resilience, eliminating technical debt, potentially lower long-term run costs through pay-for-use and managed PaaS, stronger security and compliance, and faster future innovation with performance and user experience gains that depend on the final architecture. The trade-offs are a higher upfront investment, longer timelines for design and testing, greater change management, execution risk from scope creep, the need to rediscover undocumented business logic, and possible temporary dual-running costs while old and new systems coexist.
Relevant recognitions include Microsoft Solutions Partner designations for Data & AI (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), Modern Work, and Security, along with Azure Expert Managed Service Provider status, earned through an independent third-party audit of people, processes, and technology, and status as a Microsoft CSP Direct-Bill Partner, allowing customers to procure Azure directly with no intermediaries.
The free assessment includes a workload readiness snapshot, rehost versus modernization recommendations, an indicative Azure cost estimate, and risk and dependency insights. It is delivered by Microsoft-certified Azure architects, typically completed within five business days, at no cost and with no obligation.
Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data, and infrastructure from on-premises datacenters, or from another cloud provider, into a cloud platform such as Microsoft Azure. A typical cloud migration project starts with discovery and assessment, then proceeds through a rehost, replatform, refactor, or rebuild approach depending on the workload, followed by post-migration validation and optimization.
An Azure Migrate assessment uses the Azure Migrate appliance to discover on-premises or other-cloud workloads, map application dependencies, and evaluate Azure readiness, right-sizing, and cost. The output feeds directly into a migration strategy and checklist used to sequence workloads into migration waves.
Yes. Azure Migrate supports discovery and migration of AWS and Google Cloud virtual machines into Azure, alongside on-premises VMware, Hyper-V, and physical servers, making it suitable for cloud-to-cloud and hybrid cloud migration scenarios.
Yes. SQL Server databases are one of the supported Azure Migrate scenarios, alongside servers and applications, as part of a broader Azure data migration effort.
The Solutions Partner for Security designation reflects an audited security capability, and the migration methodology builds identity and access management, networking, security controls, and governance and compliance policies into the Azure Landing Zone from the start rather than adding them after the fact.
Yes. Cloud 9 supports Azure migration and modernization projects for organizations across the United States, including our home base in Illinois, covering Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, Downers Grove, and other Illinois locations.
Yes. We work with organizations across Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, Downers Grove, and other Illinois locations.
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Microsoft’s AI-assisted Azure migration tools are changing how enterprises discover workloads, map dependencies, plan migration waves, and convert legacy database code—reducing manual effort while keeping critical decisions and validation with human experts.
Schedule a meeting with our Microsoft Azure managed services experts or get a free assessment of your Azure and Microsoft 365 environment today.
*Cloud 9 reserves the right for free assessment eligibility.
For over 16+ years, Cloud 9 Infosystems has maintained a strong and enduring partnership with Microsoft—delivering enterprise-grade solutions across cloud, AI, and data platforms. As a Microsoft Designated Solutions Partner, we have consistently enabled organizations to modernize their infrastructure, enhance operational efficiency, and accelerate innovation. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to driving digital transformation with integrity, expertise, and forward-thinking solutions. As we look to the future, Cloud 9 remains dedicated to empowering businesses through trusted technology and measurable outcomes.
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