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A gradual move of IT infrastructure to the cloud is now a matter of course for most companies. It’s no wonder, really, as the deployment model promises a wide range of benefits. As well as providing easy access to innovative technologies and the ability to quickly implement new use cases, cloud infrastructure also creates opportunities to become more cost effective. While all of this is true, the cost of the migration itself is often underestimated or completely overlooked when evaluating these financial benefits. This is partly because cloud providers do not focus enough on the expense required to complete this switch.

AWS wants to change this. To give companies an early indication of the cost of their migration, AWS uses the Migration Cost Bubble to show the costs typically incurred along the cloud migration journey. These include:

  • Costs associated with understanding the cloud and gathering the necessary expertise
  • Costs for implementing suitable use cases
  • Costs for detailed planning
  • Costs for POCs
  • Costs associated with organizational changes
  • Costs for parallel environments to use during the initial phase
  • Costs for the migration itself
  • Other costs

When companies calculate these costs honestly and then sum them up, the result can often become a blocker in their cloud migration journey. The ideal goal of a flexible infrastructure where companies only pay for what they use can quickly seem out of reach. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

AWS wants to prevent the huge Migration Cost Bubble from becoming an obstacle for companies when making the switch. For this reason, the cloud provider has developed three tools to help manage costs:

1. AWS Cloud Value Framework

The AWS Cloud Value Framework helps organizations to compare the cost of migration with the positive cost and value effects offered by the cloud. These include:

  • Savings in total cost of ownership
  • Improvements in employee productivity
  • Improvements in operational resilience
  • Improvements in business agility
  • Improvements in sustainability

2. AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF)

Migrating to the cloud is primarily an organizational change and must be managed as such. Because this represents a significant challenge for many companies, AWS has identified six key dimensions within the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF): business, people, governance, platform, security, and operations.

Using these dimensions, it is possible to examine where a company already possesses the required capabilities and where questions or concerns arise from the various stakeholders. The result of this systematic assessment can then be actively addressed.

3. AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)

The AWS Migration Acceleration Program breaks down the entire cloud migration process into three phases:

  • During the Assess phase, an organization’s readiness to migrate is assessed using the six dimensions of the AWS Cloud Adaptation Framework. Any gaps will be noted.
  • These gaps are then closed in the Mobilize phase to create a solid foundation for migration. A migration plan is also created during this phase.
  • The migration plan is then carried out during the Migrate & Modernize phase. This involves help not only from AWS Migration Services and AWS Professional Service Teams, but also AWS Migration Partners like MHP!

Companies that migrate as part of the AWS Migration Acceleration Program with an AWS Migration Partner gain valuable expertise, which helps them to enjoy a streamlined and successful migration. On top of this, their migration costs are directly reduced, because AWS bears a significant proportion of the costs incurred during all three phases of the process – i.e. when working with an AWS migration partner. For example, up to 40 per cent of the ARR for activities the mobilize phase. This funding essentially bursts the Migration Cost Bubble – MHP is happy to advise on the extent of the available funding.

Comprehensive AWS expertise from MHP

As mentioned above, MHP is one of the AWS Migration Partners that enable organizations to secure the benefits offered by the AWS Migration Acceleration Program. MHP and AWS have been successfully working together since 2019, and a Strategic Collaboration Agreement was agreed in May 2022. Our consultants have already received over 400 certifications, proving just how familiar we are with the AWS’s technologies and methods. In addition to this, MHP employees have been awarded a Migration Blackbelt seven times. It’s impossible to find a partner more qualified for a successful migration!

About our author

Sven Leiß

Senior Manager, MHP

LinkedIn

About our author

Stanko Petkovic

Manager, MHP

LinkedIn