As organisations scale, many face challenges with outdated infrastructure, complex compliance demands, and rising expectations for agility and performance. Cloud modernisation addresses these issues by transforming legacy systems, streamlining operations, and unlocking the full potential of cloud-native services.

But what exactly does cloud modernisation involve, and how can it benefit your business? In this FAQ article, we answer the most commonly asked questions to help you better understand the journey to modernising your cloud environment.

What is cloud modernisation?

Cloud modernisation is the process of upgrading legacy IT systems, applications, and infrastructure to take full advantage of cloud-native technologies and services. It enables organisations to improve scalability, resilience, performance, and cost-efficiency by shifting away from outdated, on-premises setups.

This often involves rehosting, refactoring, or rearchitecting applications to run optimally in the cloud, as well as adopting DevOps, automation, and modern security practices. Cloud modernisation is a key step in accelerating digital transformation and maintaining competitive advantage in today’s fast-moving business environment.

What is the modern cloud theory?

The modern cloud theory refers to the approach of designing and operating IT systems using cloud-native principles—such as scalability, elasticity, automation, and continuous delivery—to maximise performance, efficiency, and innovation. It moves away from traditional infrastructure thinking by treating the cloud as a dynamic, programmable platform rather than just a hosting environment.

This theory underpins strategies like microservices architecture, serverless computing, and containerisation, enabling businesses to build resilient, agile systems that can evolve rapidly with changing demands. It also emphasises shared responsibility models, security by design, and infrastructure as code.

What is modern cloud architecture?

Modern cloud architecture is a design approach that uses cloud-native technologies—such as microservices, containers, serverless computing, and managed services—to build scalable, resilient, and efficient applications. It emphasises automation, elasticity, and modularity to adapt quickly to changing business needs.

This architecture typically includes components like API gateways, CI/CD pipelines, observability tools, and infrastructure as code, all orchestrated to optimise performance, security, and developer productivity. Modern cloud architecture supports rapid innovation while reducing operational overhead.

What is modernised cloud infrastructure?

Modernised cloud infrastructure refers to the transformation of an organisation’s IT infrastructure to leverage cloud-native technologies and services. This includes adopting scalable, flexible, and automated cloud resources, such as virtual machines, containers, microservices, and serverless computing, which replace traditional on-premises hardware and systems.

Modernisation of cloud infrastructure often involves enhancing security, optimising resource management through automation, and enabling faster deployment cycles. By embracing these modern cloud technologies, organisations can reduce operational complexity, improve performance, and scale efficiently to meet evolving business demands.

What is a modernisation project?

A modernisation project is an initiative to upgrade or transform outdated IT systems, applications, or infrastructure to align with current technologies, typically by adopting cloud-native solutions. The goal is to improve performance, scalability, security, and maintainability while reducing technical debt and operational costs.

These projects can range from rehosting legacy apps in the cloud to fully rearchitecting systems using microservices, containers, and automation tools. Modernisation projects are often part of a wider digital transformation strategy.

What is cloud enhancement?

Cloud enhancement refers to the process of improving an organisation's existing cloud infrastructure, applications, or services to optimise performance, scalability, security, and cost-efficiency. This can involve adding new cloud-native features, integrating advanced tools, or refining current processes like automation, monitoring, and disaster recovery.

By leveraging the latest cloud technologies and best practices, cloud enhancement ensures businesses stay agile, maximise their cloud investment, and meet evolving business needs.

What is cloud transformation?

Cloud transformation is the process of shifting an organisation's IT operations, applications, and data to the cloud, fundamentally changing how it operates, delivers services, and leverages technology. This can include migrating legacy systems, adopting cloud-native technologies, and restructuring processes to take full advantage of cloud scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency.

Cloud transformation also involves a cultural shift, as businesses embrace new ways of working with cloud platforms, such as DevOps practices, continuous integration, and advanced security measures. The goal is to accelerate innovation, enhance agility, and optimise overall business performance.

What is modern cloud computing?

Modern computing refers to the current era of computing that leverages advanced technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, big data analytics, and high-performance computing. It focuses on decentralised, scalable, and highly efficient systems that allow businesses and individuals to process and analyse vast amounts of data in real time.

Modern computing also includes the use of virtualisation, automation, and distributed architectures like microservices, which enhance flexibility, scalability, and resilience. These technologies are typically integrated through cloud platforms, enabling seamless access to resources, collaboration, and innovation across industries.

What is cloud data modernisation?

Cloud data modernisation is the process of transforming an organisation's data architecture, management, and storage to fully leverage cloud-native technologies. This involves migrating legacy on-premises data systems to the cloud, restructuring data processes, and adopting advanced tools like big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time data streaming to improve performance, scalability, and accessibility.

The goal of cloud data modernisation is to optimise data storage, enhance data security, improve decision-making capabilities, and enable faster insights by utilising the cloud’s flexibility and scalability, while reducing the costs and complexity associated with traditional data management.

What are the 7 R's of modernisation?

The 7 R's of modernisation refer to a set of strategies used to determine the best approach for migrating and modernising applications during a cloud adoption or transformation journey. They are:

1. Rehost (Lift and Shift) – This involves moving an application from on-premises to the cloud with minimal changes, essentially "lifting" the app and "shifting" it to the cloud.
2. Replatform – This strategy involves making minor adjustments to the application (e.g., changing the database or middleware) to optimise it for the cloud without fully redesigning it.
3. Repurchase – This refers to replacing legacy applications with a new cloud-native solution, often through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering, to better meet current business needs.
4. Refactor – Refactoring involves redesigning an application from the ground up, often using cloud-native technologies like microservices and containers, to fully optimise it for the cloud and improve scalability, performance, and efficiency.
5. Retire – This involves identifying and decommissioning legacy applications that are no longer needed or valuable, thus simplifying the IT environment and reducing costs.
6. Retain – Retaining refers to keeping certain applications on-premises or in a hybrid environment, typically due to regulatory, security, or technical reasons, rather than migrating them to the cloud.
7. Revisit – This approach involves taking a fresh look at applications and deciding whether a new migration or modernisation strategy should be applied later, based on changing business needs or technology advancements.

What is the difference between cloud migration and modernisation?

Cloud migration refers to the process of moving an organisation's data, applications, and workloads from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud. This typically involves rehosting or lifting and shifting existing systems to a cloud environment without significant changes to the underlying architecture.

In contrast, cloud modernisation goes beyond just migration—it involves optimising and redesigning applications and infrastructure to fully leverage cloud-native technologies, such as microservices, containers, and serverless computing. Modernisation aims to improve scalability, performance, and agility while reducing technical debt and enhancing security.

What is the difference between cloud and legacy systems?

Cloud systems are modern, scalable, and flexible IT environments that leverage cloud computing platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. They are designed to offer on-demand resources, automated management, and high scalability, with the ability to easily integrate new technologies and adapt to changing business needs.

In contrast, legacy systems are older, traditional IT infrastructures often hosted on-premises or on outdated technology stacks. They are typically rigid, expensive to maintain, and may require manual intervention for updates or scaling. Legacy systems can struggle to meet modern demands for agility, scalability, and innovation, making them less efficient compared to cloud systems.

What is an example of application modernisation?

An example of application modernisation is migrating a legacy monolithic application—originally built to run on on-premises servers—into a set of microservices deployed in containers using Kubernetes in the cloud. This shift improves scalability, reliability, and deployment speed while reducing infrastructure costs.

For instance, a retail company might modernise its e-commerce platform by refactoring the codebase, moving to a cloud database like Amazon RDS, and implementing CI/CD pipelines to accelerate feature delivery and updates.

What are the benefits of modernising infrastructure with cloud technology?

Modernising infrastructure with cloud technology offers several key benefits, including increased scalability, enhanced security, and improved operational efficiency. Cloud-based solutions allow businesses to scale resources on-demand, reduce infrastructure costs, and leverage advanced cloud services like AI, automation, and analytics.

Additionally, modernising with the cloud enables faster time to market, greater flexibility in deploying applications, and a more resilient infrastructure that can quickly adapt to changes or disruptions in the business environment.

What is replace in cloud migration?

 In cloud migration, replace refers to the approach of replacing legacy systems or applications with cloud-native solutions rather than simply lifting and shifting existing systems to the cloud. This involves rethinking the application or infrastructure, rebuilding or redesigning it to take full advantage of cloud capabilities like scalability, flexibility, and performance improvements.

For example, a company might replace an old on-premises database with a fully managed cloud database service, such as Amazon RDS or Azure SQL Database, to improve efficiency and reduce maintenance overhead. This approach typically aligns with cloud modernisation strategies, where the goal is not just to migrate, but to enhance the system for better performance and future scalability.

What is modernisation in AWS?

Modernisation in AWS refers to the process of transforming legacy applications and infrastructure to leverage AWS cloud-native services, tools, and architectures. This includes moving from monolithic to microservices-based systems, adopting containers or serverless functions, and automating operations with DevOps practices.

AWS provides a range of services—such as Amazon ECS, Lambda, RDS, and DynamoDB—to support modernisation efforts, helping organisations increase agility, reduce technical debt, and optimise costs. By modernising on AWS, businesses can build scalable, secure, and high-performing applications that are future-ready.

What is Azure Migration and Modernization Program?

The Azure Migration and Modernization Program (AMMP) is an initiative by Microsoft designed to assist organisations in migrating their workloads to Azure and modernising their applications to fully leverage cloud capabilities. This comprehensive program offers a range of tools, resources, and expert support to streamline the migration and transformation process. ​

Key Features of AMMP:

• Expert Guidance: Organisations receive assistance from Microsoft's experts and specialised partners throughout the migration journey, ensuring best practices are followed and potential challenges are proactively addressed.
• Financial Incentives: AMMP provides funding options to help offset migration costs, making the transition to Azure more cost-effective for businesses. ​
• Comprehensive Tools: The program includes access to tools like Azure Migrate, which offers assessment, migration, and optimisation capabilities, facilitating a smooth transition to the cloud.
• Modernisation Support: Beyond migration, AMMP aids in modernising applications to utilise cloud-native features such as AI, analytics, and scalable infrastructure, enhancing performance and innovation. ​

By participating in the Azure Migration and Modernization Program, organisations can accelerate their cloud adoption journey, optimise their IT operations, and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation in the cloud.

‍

Deimos is your trusted partner in cloud modernisation—empowering businesses to upgrade legacy systems, boost agility, and unlock the full value of the cloud. As a leading cloud partner, we work with all major providers, including Google Cloud, AWS, Azure, and Huawei,to modernise infrastructure with the right solutions for your goals. We also integrate best-in-class tools from partners like Datadog, Zoho, JumpCloud, and Cloudflare to strengthen security, observability, and operational efficiency. Whether you're just beginning your modernisation journey or scaling cloud-native operations, Deimos brings the expertise to help you succeed. Click here to learn more.