Moving your virtual machines (VMs) from on-premises to AWS helps address several practical challenges:

• Eliminating hardware cycles and data center overhead
  You no longer need to budget for server refreshes, rack space, power, cooling, or data center leases. AWS turns large capital expenditures (CapEx) into more predictable operating expenses (OpEx).
• Scaling capacity in minutes, not months
  Instead of overprovisioning hardware “just in case,” you can right-size compute on demand. You can add or remove capacity in minutes as workloads grow or shrink.
• Improving availability and resilience
  AWS uses a multi-Availability Zone (Multi-AZ) architecture and global infrastructure designed for 99.99% availability, which is difficult and costly to replicate in most on-premises environments.
• Strengthening security and compliance posture
  AWS provides 300 built-in security, compliance, and governance services, giving you a broad toolkit to meet policy and regulatory requirements.
• Reducing total cost of ownership (TCO)
  Customers typically see a 30–50% reduction in TCO within the first year after migration, driven by lower infrastructure, maintenance, and facilities costs.
• Refocusing IT on business outcomes
  With AWS handling the underlying infrastructure, your IT team can spend more time on applications, data, and innovation instead of hardware and capacity management.

The CloudFirst SMB Migration Pilot is designed as a fully funded program for smaller environments and has clear eligibility and inclusions:

Eligibility

• Between 1 and 40 virtual machines in scope
• AWS Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) between $1 and $99,999

What’s included at no cost

• Funded workload assessment
  A comprehensive assessment of your current environment, including a detailed TCO analysis and a tailored Migration Plan. This gives you a clear, data-backed view of costs and benefits before you move.
• Funded lift-and-shift migration
  Expert-led migration of your VMs to AWS, including:
  • Tooling setup and configuration
  • AWS account setup
  • Guided execution of the migration with a focus on zero disruption to your operations
• 12 months of concierge support
  24/7 partner-led cloud support for all migrated workloads for a full year after the move. This covers stability, performance, and ongoing optimization.
• Post-migration cloud credits
  15% post-migration cloud credits (applied to your AWS bill for 12 months) to help offset operational costs as you settle into the new environment.

All of these components are funded under the pilot, so you can assess, migrate, and stabilize your VMs on AWS without separate professional services fees for these phases.

The CloudFirst AWS migration is structured into three clear phases so you know what to expect at each step:

Phase 1: Assess

• CloudFirst performs a comprehensive TCO analysis of your current VM environment.
• You receive a tailored Migration Plan that maps workloads, timelines, and dependencies to your business objectives.
• The outcome is a clear roadmap and financial view before any changes are made.

Phase 2: Migrate

• A fully funded lift-and-shift migration moves your virtual machines to AWS.
• CloudFirst provides expert guidance and proven tooling, handling the technical heavy lifting.
• The process is designed for zero disruption to your day-to-day operations, so your teams can keep working while the migration happens.

Phase 3: Manage

• After migration, you receive 24/7 partner-led Concierge Support for 12 months.
• The focus is on stability, performance tuning, and ongoing optimization of your AWS environment.
• During this period, you can reimagine how you use infrastructure, shifting more attention to applications and business outcomes.

From first assessment to post-migration optimization, the program is structured to reduce risk, control costs, and make the move to AWS as straightforward as possible.