• Running Windows Server workloads on ageing hardware with a licence renewal coming that costs more than migrating to Azure would?

  • Azure environment provisioned manually through the portal with no infrastructure-as-code, no version control, and no way to reproduce it if something goes wrong?

Azure Migration Services

For organisations already running Windows Server, Active Directory, MSSQL, and Office 365, Azure is the natural cloud destination. The integration between Azure and Microsoft's enterprise tooling is tighter than any other cloud provider. Existing licensing agreements translate into meaningful cost savings on Azure that do not exist on AWS or GCP.
We migrate businesses to Azure: Azure Virtual Machines, Azure SQL Database, App Service, Azure Kubernetes Service, and the identity and networking infrastructure that ties the environment together. From assessment and planning through phased migration and post-migration cost optimisation.

  • Cloud readiness assessment scoped around your Microsoft ecosystem -- Windows Server, Active Directory, MSSQL, and Office 365 integration requirements

  • Lift-and-shift and re-platforming options assessed for each workload so you move at the right speed without over-engineering the first migration

  • Azure Active Directory integration so your existing identity infrastructure extends cleanly into the cloud environment

  • Post-migration cost management using Azure Cost Management plus reserved instance and licensing optimisation specific to your Microsoft agreements

RaftLabs migrates businesses to Microsoft Azure -- including lift-and-shift migrations to Azure VMs, re-platforming to App Service and AKS, SQL Server to Azure SQL Database migration, and Active Directory to Azure AD integration. Migrations include a cloud readiness assessment, phased execution, and post-migration cost optimisation. Azure migration projects typically cost $20,000 to $80,000 for focused environments and $80,000 or more for complex multi-application migrations.

Vodafone
Aldi
Nike
Microsoft
Heineken
Cisco
Calorgas
Energia Rewards
GE
Bank of America
T-Mobile
Valero
Techstars
East Ventures

The Microsoft ecosystem is not a vendor relationship that ends cleanly. Active Directory, Group Policy, MSSQL, and Windows Server authentication are woven through most enterprise IT environments that have been running for more than five years. Moving to a cloud that does not understand that dependency graph creates integration work that the migration cost estimate never accounts for.

Azure is built for this environment. Hybrid identity with Azure AD Connect, Windows Admin Centre for server management, Azure SQL Managed Instance for near-complete SQL Server compatibility, and Azure Virtual Desktop for remote access -- the Microsoft cloud is the one where the existing tooling integrates without force-fitting it.

What we build

Azure lift-and-shift migration

Lift-and-shift migration from on-premises Windows and Linux servers to Azure Virtual Machines. Azure Migrate assessment of your existing server estate to identify VM sizing, compatibility issues, and migration dependencies. Azure Site Recovery for replication-based VM migration with minimal downtime cutover. Network Security Groups and Azure Firewall configuration with least-privilege access rules. Virtual Network design with public and private subnet separation. DNS migration and cutover coordination. Post-migration validation against a defined test plan before on-premises servers are decommissioned. The migration that exits on-premises hardware without requiring application changes.

Azure App Service re-platforming

Re-platforming of IIS web applications and API services to Azure App Service for managed runtime hosting without VM administration overhead. Deployment slot configuration for blue-green deployments with zero-downtime releases. Auto-scaling rules based on CPU and request queue metrics. Custom domain and SSL certificate configuration. Application Insights integration for performance monitoring and error tracking. Azure Functions migration for scheduled jobs and event-driven workloads that fit the serverless execution model. The re-platforming that removes VM management overhead while keeping the application code unchanged.

SQL Server to Azure SQL Database migration

SQL Server migration to Azure SQL Database or Azure SQL Managed Instance using Azure Database Migration Service. Compatibility assessment to identify SQL Server features not supported in Azure SQL Database and the options for resolving them. Continuous replication during the migration window for near-zero downtime cutover. Data validation comparing row counts and checksums before cutting over production traffic. Azure SQL Managed Instance for migrations where full SQL Server compatibility is required. Automated backup configuration, geo-redundant backup storage, and point-in-time restore. The SQL Server migration that arrives in Azure with the same data and better availability than the on-premises instance it replaced.

Active Directory and Azure AD integration

Identity integration between on-premises Active Directory and Azure Active Directory using Azure AD Connect -- single sign-on across on-premises and cloud resources without separate credential sets. Hybrid identity for organisations maintaining both on-premises and Azure workloads during and after migration. Password hash synchronisation or pass-through authentication based on your security requirements. Conditional Access policies for cloud application access control. Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication rollout. Privileged Identity Management for just-in-time elevated access. The identity architecture that extends your existing directory into Azure without forcing a cut-over of every application on day one.

Azure Kubernetes Service deployment

Containerised application deployment to Azure Kubernetes Service for workloads that need orchestrated container management. Dockerfile creation and container image build pipelines via Azure Container Registry. AKS cluster configuration -- node pool sizing, autoscaling, availability zones, and node OS selection. Ingress controller configuration with Azure Application Gateway or NGINX. Secrets management with Azure Key Vault integration. Horizontal Pod Autoscaler configuration for variable load workloads. Azure Monitor and Container Insights for cluster visibility. The Kubernetes environment on Azure that is configured for your workload requirements rather than left with default settings.

Azure cost management and optimisation

Post-migration cost analysis and optimisation to prevent the Azure bill from exceeding your on-premises equivalent. Azure Cost Management configuration with budget alerts and cost anomaly detection. Right-sizing analysis from Azure Advisor recommendations validated against actual CPU and memory metrics. Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances for stable workloads -- 1- and 3-year commitments delivering 40-72% savings over pay-as-you-go. Azure Hybrid Benefit applied to all eligible Windows Server and SQL Server workloads using your existing licences. Storage account lifecycle management to move cold data to Archive tier automatically. The cost management setup that gives you visibility and control from the first month rather than a bill surprise at month-end.

Already in the Microsoft ecosystem -- how much would Azure Hybrid Benefit save on your migration?

Bring us your current server estate and licensing details. We will model the migration cost and the ongoing Azure spend with licensing savings applied.

Talk about your Azure migration

  • DevOps -- CI/CD pipelines on Azure DevOps post-migration

  • Compliance Automation -- automated compliance evidence collection for Azure environments

Frequently asked questions

Azure is the strongest fit for organisations already in the Microsoft ecosystem. If you are running Windows Server, SQL Server, Active Directory, and Office 365, Azure gives you tighter integration and real licensing cost savings through Azure Hybrid Benefit -- you can use existing Windows Server and SQL Server licences on Azure VMs at a significant discount compared to on-demand pricing on AWS or GCP. Azure is also the natural choice when your team has Microsoft expertise and Azure DevOps is your existing CI/CD platform. AWS is the better default for organisations without a strong Microsoft relationship -- it has the broadest service selection and the largest third-party ecosystem. GCP is worth considering when data processing and managed AI services are the primary workloads. We assess your existing infrastructure, team expertise, and licensing agreements before recommending a platform. The recommendation is based on what fits your situation.

Azure Hybrid Benefit lets you use existing Windows Server and SQL Server licences on Azure VMs, reducing compute costs by up to 40-85% compared to Azure's standard on-demand Windows VM pricing. If you have active Software Assurance on Windows Server and SQL Server, those licences carry over to Azure at no additional licence cost -- you pay only for the compute. For organisations with large Windows Server estates, this is often the single biggest cost factor in the AWS vs Azure comparison. We model the licensing savings as part of the cost assessment so the comparison between platforms includes the full picture rather than just compute list pricing.

Most Windows workloads -- IIS web applications, Windows services, scheduled tasks, and SQL Server databases -- migrate to Azure without any application changes. Azure VMs run Windows Server, IIS applications deploy to App Service without code changes for most standard configurations, and SQL Server databases migrate to Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance using Azure Database Migration Service with near-zero downtime replication. Active Directory extends to Azure AD Connect for hybrid identity, or migrates fully to Azure AD for cloud-only identity management. The typical Windows estate migration follows a lift-and-shift approach: move the workloads as they are, validate them running on Azure, then retire the on-premises servers. Re-platforming specific components to App Service, Azure Functions, or AKS is a separate decision made after the initial migration, not a prerequisite for it.

Focused Azure migrations -- a single application or a small cluster of related services -- typically run $20,000 to $80,000. This covers the assessment, migration execution, infrastructure-as-code delivery with Terraform or Bicep, and post-migration validation. Complex environments with multiple applications, large SQL Server migrations, Active Directory integration requirements, and hybrid networking between cloud and remaining on-premises systems typically run $80,000 or more. The assessment engagement that precedes the migration quote is what makes a fixed price possible. Licensing cost savings through Azure Hybrid Benefit are identified during assessment and factored into the total cost of ownership comparison.