Cloud Foundation & Migration

(includes Azure Landing Zone + Cloud Migration Factory)

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Cloud Foundation & Migration

Move to Azure on a foundation built to scale — not a shortcut you'll rebuild later

Many cloud migrations start with the workloads, not the foundation — and the result is a subscription structure, network, and security model that has to be rebuilt six months in, usually under pressure, once governance gaps or cost overruns surface. SiS builds the Azure foundation first, then migrates workloads onto it at scale using a repeatable, factory-based process — so what you land in Azure is ready for growth from day one, not a bigger version of the problem you started with.

This is not a one-off lift-and-shift project. It's a structured program covering landing zone design, governance, and a repeatable migration factory — delivered by a Microsoft Solutions Partner with an Azure Infrastructure specialization.

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The problem organizations run into

• Migrating before the foundation exists. Workloads get moved to Azure using a single subscription and default settings, with no real network design, identity model, or governance — problems that compound as more workloads land.
• No consistent migration process. Each application gets migrated ad hoc, by whoever has time, with no repeatable runbook — so timelines are unpredictable and quality varies workload to workload.
• Cost surprises after go-live. Without budgets, tagging standards, and cost governance built in from the start, the first Azure bill after a large migration is often far higher than expected, with no easy way to see why.
• Security and compliance gaps. Ad hoc migrations often skip network segmentation, identity governance, and policy enforcement — creating exposure that only gets discovered during an audit or, worse, an incident.
• Unclear ownership. Without a defined landing zone structure, it's unclear which team owns which subscription, workload, or cost center as the environment grows.

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Our approach

We run this as one connected program across three phases, each with clear deliverables — so you always know what stage you're at and what you're getting.

Phase 1 — Cloud Foundation Design (typically 3–6 weeks)

We design the Azure environment your workloads will land on, before any migration begins.

• Azure landing zone design aligned to the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework — subscription structure, management group hierarchy, and network topology
• Identity and access governance model in Microsoft Entra ID, including role-based access control design
• Policy-as-code guardrails using Azure Policy, so security and compliance are enforced automatically, not manually
• Cost governance foundation: budgets, tagging standards, and alerting configured before workloads land
• A landing zone architecture document and implementation plan

You leave this phase with a governed, secure Azure environment ready to receive workloads — before a single VM moves.

Phase 2 — Migration Assessment & Wave Planning (typically 3–5 weeks)

We build the roadmap for what moves, in what order, and how.

• Full workload discovery and dependency mapping across your current environment
• Migration strategy per workload — rehost, replatform, or refactor — based on business value and technical fit
• Wave planning that sequences migrations to minimize business disruption and manage risk
• A total cost of ownership model comparing current-state and projected Azure costs

Phase 3 — Migration Factory Execution (typically 8–20 weeks, scales with workload count)

We execute the migration using a repeatable, factory-based process rather than treating each workload as a bespoke project.

• Standardized migration runbooks applied consistently across waves, so quality doesn't depend on who's executing
• Migration execution using Azure Migrate and workload-appropriate tooling, with testing and validation built into each wave
• Cutover planning and post-migration validation for each workload
• Knowledge transfer and runbook handover so your team can operate the environment independently going forward

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What's included

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What you can expect to gain

• A foundation built for scale — governance, identity, and network design in place before growth makes it harder to fix
• Predictable migration delivery — a repeatable runbook means consistent quality and timelines across every workload
• No cost surprises — budgets and tagging are in place from day one, not retrofitted after the first bill
• Reduced security and compliance exposure — policy enforcement is automatic, not dependent on someone remembering to configure it
• Clear ownership — a landing zone structure that makes it obvious which team owns which workload and cost

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Is this the right fit for you?

This program is built for organizations planning a meaningful move to Azure — whether that's a first major migration or a "re-foundation" of an existing but ungoverned environment. It's especially relevant if any of the following is true:

• You're migrating more than a handful of workloads and need a repeatable process, not a series of one-off projects
• You already have workloads in Azure but no real landing zone, governance, or cost controls in place
• A previous migration attempt stalled or produced an environment nobody wants to build on further
• Leadership wants cost predictability and security assurance before committing to a larger cloud investment

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Built on Microsoft's own platform

Microsoft Azure · Azure Landing Zones (Cloud Adoption Framework) · Azure Policy · Azure Migrate · Microsoft Entra ID · Microsoft Cost Management

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Typical timeline

Phase 3 duration scales directly with the number of workloads in scope — the assessment phase gives us the real numbers for your specific migration.

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What you'll walk away with

• A landing zone architecture document and a live, governed Azure foundation
• A full workload inventory with per-workload migration strategy
• A sequenced wave plan and total cost of ownership model
• Migrated, validated workloads delivered through a repeatable migration runbook
• Knowledge transfer documentation so your team can operate independently

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Common questions

We already have workloads in Azure — do we need to start over?
No. We assess what exists and design the landing zone to absorb it, retrofitting governance around existing workloads rather than requiring a full rebuild wherever avoidable.

How do you decide whether a workload is rehosted, replatformed, or refactored?
It's based on business value, technical constraints, and cost — captured during the migration assessment. Not every workload needs the same treatment, and forcing one approach across everything is usually where migrations go over budget.

What happens after the migration factory finishes?
You receive full documentation and runbook handover. Many clients also continue with our Azure FinOps engagement to keep cost governance active as the environment grows.

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About SiS

SiS is a Microsoft Solutions Partner with an Azure Infrastructure specialization. We don't migrate workloads onto whatever environment happens to exist — we build the foundation first, because that's what determines whether your Azure environment is an asset or a liability twelve months from now.

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Ready to see what your Azure foundation should look like? Talk to SiS about a Cloud Foundation Assessment.