Azure Cloud Migration for Hong Kong Businesses: What You Need to Know Before You Move
Cloud migration is no longer a question of if but when for most businesses in Hong Kong. Microsoft Azure has become the platform of choice for organisations looking to modernise their infrastructure, improve resilience, and support hybrid work. However, moving to the cloud without a clear strategy can lead to unexpected costs, performance issues, and security gaps. This guide explains what Hong Kong businesses should consider before starting an Azure cloud migration and how to approach the process for a successful outcome.
Understanding Your Cloud Readiness
Before migrating anything to Azure, it is essential to assess your current IT environment. A cloud readiness assessment identifies which workloads are suitable for migration, which may need rearchitecting, and which should remain on-premises for the time being. Key considerations include the age and compatibility of your existing applications, your current network bandwidth and latency to Azure data centres, licensing implications for Microsoft products you already use, and any data residency or compliance requirements specific to your industry.
For businesses operating across Hong Kong and Mainland China, this assessment should also account for cross-border connectivity challenges, since accessing Azure services from within China requires careful network design and may involve using Azure China operated by 21Vianet alongside the global Azure platform.
Choosing the Right Migration Approach
Not every workload should be migrated the same way. For most Hong Kong SMEs, the rehost approach, sometimes called lift and shift, offers the fastest path to the cloud by moving existing servers and applications to Azure virtual machines with minimal changes. This approach reduces hardware dependency and improves disaster recovery without requiring a complete application redesign.
More complex environments may benefit from refactoring, where applications are modified to take advantage of Azure-native services such as Azure SQL Database or Azure App Service. This approach can deliver better performance and lower long-term costs but requires more planning and development effort upfront.
Managing Costs and Avoiding Surprises
One of the biggest risks in cloud migration is cost overrun. Azure offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, which provides flexibility but can also lead to spiralling costs if resources are not properly sized or monitored. Before migrating, establish a clear budget and use Azure cost management tools to set spending alerts and forecast monthly expenditure. Reserved instances can deliver significant savings for predictable workloads, while Azure Hybrid Benefit allows businesses with existing Windows Server and SQL Server licences to reduce their cloud costs.
Getting Started with Azure Migration in Hong Kong
PTS Managed Services helps businesses in Hong Kong plan and execute Azure cloud migrations with minimal disruption. From initial assessment and architecture design to implementation and ongoing optimisation, our team provides hands-on support at every stage. Whether you are moving your first workload to the cloud or optimising an existing Azure environment, we can help you build a cloud strategy that delivers real business value. Contact us to schedule a cloud readiness assessment.
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