Every year, more companies face the limitations of on-premises server rooms: aging hardware, expensive scaling, and the need for in-house specialists. Cloud-first strategy offers an alternative — build new services directly in the cloud while gradually migrating existing ones.
What cloud-first means in practice
Cloud-first is a decision-making principle: for every new IT project, cloud solutions are preferred when they meet security, performance, and budget requirements. Existing infrastructure migrates in phases, starting with non-critical systems.
A typical plan includes three phases: current state assessment (2–4 weeks), pilot migration of 1–2 services (1–2 months), scaling to the rest (3–12 months).
Provider selection criteria
Microsoft Azure offers the deepest Microsoft 365 and Active Directory integration. AWS leads in service variety and flexibility. Google Cloud is optimal for data analytics and Kubernetes. For Ukrainian businesses, European data centers for GDPR compliance are essential.
Common risks
The most common mistake is lift-and-shift migration without optimization. The right approach is rightsizing — analyzing actual workload and selecting appropriate VM types. Second risk is vendor lock-in. Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform allow workload portability between providers.
How SL Global Service solves this
The SGS team starts every project with an infrastructure assessment. Engineers work with Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, selecting the optimal platform. Azure Migrate, AWS Migration Hub, and Terraform are used for migration. Typical result — 20–40% cost reduction with 99.9% availability.
Transitioning to cloud-first is an investment that pays off within 6–12 months. The key is starting with a clear plan.
“Cloud-first is not about technology — it is about changing mindset. Companies that delay migration lose 15–25% of competitive advantage annually.”
Mykhailo Vihovskyi, member of the Supervisory Board, Intecracy Group