Back from the Cloud? Why Lift & Shift Often Fails and How HWS Gruppe Does It Better
In recent years, many companies have moved their IT infrastructure to the cloud. The promises of greater flexibility, lower costs, and more efficient workflows have convinced many to take this step. However, a countertrend is now emerging: some companies are considering migrating back to their own data centers.
Why Move Back to the Data Center?
Often, an unconsidered “Lift & Shift” approach is to blame.
This method involves moving existing IT structures to the cloud with little to no adaptation to the new environment. As a result, the expected benefits fail to materialize, leading to high costs and technical challenges instead. Many companies initially hoped for cost savings, but due to poor migration strategies, the opposite occurred—costs increased.
At HWS Gruppe, we have successfully migrated countless customers to the cloud—and these companies have no plans to move back. Why? Because we approach cloud migration strategically, economically, and with a future-proof mindset. Our approach goes far beyond simple “Lift & Shift” to ensure that businesses truly benefit from the cloud.
“We have also advised customers against moving to the cloud,” says Glenn Galea, CSO of HWS Gruppe.
“If the cloud doesn’t make sense for a company at a given time, we recommend against it,” Glenn continues.
The Problems of Lift & Shift
Why Our Customers Are Not Moving Back
We, HWS Gruppe, do not rely on a standard cloud migration. Instead, we develop individual cloud strategies tailored precisely to the needs of our customers. Our approach includes:
- Cost Efficiency: We analyze existing licenses and optimize usage to prevent unnecessary costs. Our customers only pay for what they truly need.
- Architecture Optimization: We transform applications to be ideally suited for the cloud and remain fully scalable. This includes modern technologies such as containerization and microservices.
- Performance Enhancement: Through targeted cloud engineering, we eliminate resource waste and improve efficiency, ensuring that workloads always run optimally.
- Long-Term Support: We continuously monitor and optimize to maximize cloud benefits, always keeping up with technological advancements and new opportunities.
Reverse Migration? Only When It Makes Sense!
For some companies, a reverse migration to their own data center can make sense—such as in cases involving highly sensitive data or specific compliance requirements. In these situations, we serve as a reliable partner, supporting the transition back to an optimized on-premises solution.
However, in most cases, the original issues can be resolved simply with the right cloud strategy—without the costly and time-consuming move back.
Feel free to contact us for a personalized consultation. The initial appointment is free of charge, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
Conclusion: Moving to the Cloud with HWS – the Right Way
