Application Migration Services
Move applications to Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, or hybrid environments with the right migration strategy, secure execution, validated cutover, and post-migration optimisation.
Years
Cloud migration specialists
Application, database, VM, container, and legacy workload migration
Built across the major agent ecosystems
Copilot Studio
Azure AI Foundry
AWS Bedrock
Google Vertex AI
OpenAI
LangChain / LangGraph
Cloud Migration Challenges That Need the Right Strategy
01
Data centre lease expiring or hardware reaching end of life?
02
Applications running on unsupported Windows Server or SQL versions?
03
Want cloud scalability and cost flexibility but don’t know where to start?
Concerned about downtime when migrating business-critical applications?
What We Do
The Right Migration Strategy for Every Workload
01
Right strategy for every app
Assess each application across rehost, re-platform, refactor, rebuild, or replace.
02
Cloud landing zone first
Establish networking, identity, security, governance, monitoring, and cost controls before migration.
03
Databases migrated cleanly
Migrate databases using the right cloud service, migration path, validation, and tested cutover.
Minimal disruption
05
Cost-governed from day one
We right-size, apply reserved instances, and set up FinOps from the start — not as an afterthought when the first bill shocks you.
06
Security & compliance maintained
Carry security, encryption, backup, logging, and compliance requirements into the target environment.
Our Services & Capabilities
01
Portfolio Discovery
Application portfolio discovery, dependency mapping, and 5 Rs assessment.
02
Cloud Foundation
Cloud landing zone planning across Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, or hybrid environments.
03
Workload Migration
M, database, web application, container, file server, and legacy LOB workload migration.
04
Security & Continuity
Security, identity, networking, DNS, firewall, backup, DR, monitoring, and rollback planning.
05
Cutover & Optimisation
Pilot migration, wave planning, cutover execution, data validation, and post-migration optimisation.
The 5 Rs: Which Migration Strategy Fits Each Application?
01
Rehost (Lift-and-Shift)
Move the application as-is to a cloud VM. No code changes. Fastest, lowest risk, but limited cloud-native benefit.
Best when: the app is stable, migration is urgent, or you want to get off on-prem now and modernise later.
02
Re-platform
Best when: you want managed services and cost benefits without a full rewrite.
03
Refactor
Modify the application to use cloud-native services — containers, serverless, managed databases. More effort, more cloud benefit.
Best when: the app will run for years, and you want scalability, resilience, and lower long-term cost.
04
Rebuild
Rewrite the application cloud-natively from scratch. Maximum cloud benefit, highest cost and effort.
Best when: the current app is unmaintainable, and the business case justifies a fresh build
05
Replace
Retire the application and replace it with a SaaS or M365 equivalent. No migration — just adoption of a better alternative.
Best when: a SaaS product (e.g., D365, Power Apps) does what the custom app does, better and cheaper.
Technology Stack & Technical Capabilities
| Your application | Typical strategy | Possible cloud destination |
|---|---|---|
|
Windows Server VMs |
Rehost → cloud VMs |
Azure VMs / Amazon EC2 / Google Compute Engine |
|
SQL Server databases |
Re-platform → managed SQL |
Azure SQL / Amazon RDS for SQL Server / Google Cloud SQL where applicable |
|
.NET web applications |
Re-platform → managed app hosting |
Azure App Service / AWS Elastic Beanstalk or ECS / Google App Engine or Cloud Run |
|
Legacy LOB apps (stable) |
Rehost (then modernise later) |
Azure VMs (initially) |
|
Legacy LOB apps (unmaintainable) |
Rebuild or Replace |
Cloud-native or SaaS |
|
Containerised apps |
Re-platform → managed Kubernetes |
AKS / Amazon EKS / Google Kubernetes Engine |
|
File servers |
Azure Files / Amazon FSx or EFS / Google Filestore / SharePoint Online where appropriate |
Azure Files or SharePoint Online |
|
Dev/test environments |
Rehost → Azure VMs |
Azure VMs (with auto-shutdown) |
|
Custom app that a SaaS replaces |
Replace |
D365, Power Apps, Salesforce or SaaS |
The estimator above sizes your portfolio migration; a free consultation discovers your applications and recommends the strategy for each.
Our Application Migration Methodology
Free consultation & discovery
We discuss your application portfolio, data centre timeline, and priorities — and give an honest scope estimate. No cost, no obligation.
Application discovery & assessment
Cloud landing zone
We build or validate the target cloud foundation — accounts/subscriptions/projects, networking, identity, security baseline, governance, monitoring, backup, and cost management — before any workload moves.
Pilot migration
We migrate a representative set of applications to validate the approach, test networking, and confirm performance before scaling.
Wave migration
We migrate applications in prioritised waves — low-risk first, business-critical later — with tested cutover plans and rollback options.
Database migration
We migrate databases using the right toolset for the target platform, such as Azure Database Migration Service, AWS Database Migration Service, Google Database Migration Service, native backup/restore, replication, and schema validation.
Post-migration optimisation
We right-size resources, configure monitoring and alerts, validate performance, apply cost controls, and tune the environment so the production migration is measurable and supportable
It starts with a free application migration assessment. No obligation.
Why Star Knowledge
| Criteria | Star Knowledge | Lift-and-Shift-Only Vendor | In-House IT |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Strategy per app |
5 Rs — right fit for each |
Lift-and-shift everything |
Default to VMs |
|
Landing zone |
Built before migration |
Skipped |
Partial |
|
Database migration |
Minimal downtime, validated |
Basic backup/restore |
Risky |
|
Cost governance |
FinOps from day one |
Cloud bill surprise |
Reactive |
|
Security |
Defender, baselines, compliance |
Basic |
Variable |
|
Post-migration optimisation |
Right-sized, monitored |
Hand-off |
Neglected |
|
Modernisation path |
Clear, per application |
Not offered |
Not planned |
|
Track record |
100+ organisations migrated |
Variable |
First-time |
Case Studies - Industries & Proof Points
Global marketing communications organization, deployed for a Fortune 100 entertainment & media company
ASP.NET, MS IIS Web Server, MS SQL Server, Aspose, Cells
Four key data entities, with no room to change how data was maintained
A Chronos application built on ASP.NET, IIS, and SQL Server, reading data straight from spreadsheets
Leading payment gateway services provider — worldwide merchant processing
Microsoft Azure IaaS, Azure Virtual Network, Azure DNS, Azure Backup Service, Azure Storage
A 15+ year old, non-PCI-compliant system with no scaling capability
A modern, load-balanced Azure IaaS architecture with mirrored, redundant databases
Professional services firm, legacy .NET LOB application
Legacy .NET → Azure App Service + Azure SQL, containerised
A critical LOB application was running on a single on-prem server with no DR and outdated .NET framework.
Refactored to Azure App Service with Azure SQL backend, containerised for portability, and added DR.
Industries We Serve
Manufacturing
ERP integration, multi-site LOB apps, data centre exit
Financial Services
Compliant database migration and regulated workloads
Professional Services
Client-facing apps and internal tools
Healthcare
HIPAA-aligned application and database migration
Retail
E-commerce platforms and inventory systems
Technology & SaaS
Product workload migration and modernisation
Logistics
Operational applications and real-time systems
Education
Administrative and student-facing application migration
From a single critical application to a 100+ application data centre exit, we scale to fit.
Insights
Data Centre Exit & Cloud Migration Drivers
For many organisations, the business case for staying on-premises is harder to justify as hardware refresh, support, security, compliance, and disaster recovery costs increase. Windows Server 2012 R2 and SQL Server 2014 are out of support. Cloud platforms offer stronger options for elasticity, managed services, resilience, monitoring, and cost governance — but the migration path must be planned workload by workload.
01
02
03
Lift-and-shift is the start, not the end — get to cloud fast, then modernise incrementally; don’t let perfect be the enemy of moved
Should we lift-and-shift everything, or modernise as we go?
For most organisations, the pragmatic answer is: rehost first for speed and risk reduction, then modernise the applications that benefit most from cloud-native architectures. Trying to modernise everything before migration delays the data centre exit indefinitely. Lift-and-shift gets you off on-prem; modernisation is an ongoing journey after. We plan both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are application migration services?
Rehost, Re-platform, Refactor, Rebuild, and Replace. The right choice depends on each application’s age, dependencies, risk, compliance needs, business value, target cloud, and long-term roadmap.
What are the 5 Rs of application migration?
Do you just lift-and-shift, or actually modernise?
Can you migrate our SQL Server databases with minimal downtime?
Can you migrate to AWS or Google Cloud, not just Azure?
Yes. We assess the workload and recommend the right destination across Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, or hybrid environments based on architecture, licensing, security, compliance, operations, internal skills, and cost.
How much does application migration cost?
How long does a migration programme take?
It depends on portfolio size and complexity. A small migration (5–10 apps) runs 4–8 weeks. A mid-size migration (20–40 apps) runs 3–5 months. An enterprise migration (50–100+ apps, data centre exit) runs 6–12 months. We migrate in waves, not all at once.
What about our on-premises networking — VPN, ExpressRoute?
We design hybrid connectivity based on the target cloud, including VPN or dedicated connectivity, DNS, firewall rules, routing, identity integration, and monitoring so applications can communicate during and after migration.
Book My Free Application Migration Assessment
Tell us the task you have in mind. We’ll assess whether an agent suits it, at what autonomy level, and what the first step should be.
- No cost, no obligation
- Typically responds within 4 business hours
- Confidential — your data isn't shared
- Cloud migration specialists
Typically responds within 8 business hours · Confidential