Thinking about migrating to the cloud? 3 approaches to on-prem-to-cloud migration

As you evaluate your upcoming digital transformation initiatives, moving your on-premises PBX to a cloud service might be the next step in your cloud migration strategy.

With the flexibility to be hyper-responsive to headcount and office changes, cost-effective access to innovative new features, and the opportunity to outsource routine operational tasks, cloud communications gives your team the ability to focus on other strategic priorities to grow your business. 

Some cloud service providers may force you to go all-in with them on day one, which often means abruptly migrating away from your current carrier and on-premises PBX solution to the provider’s native PSTN VoIP service. But migrating to the cloud doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing initiative. 

If you want to reap the benefits of cloud communications while moving at your own pace, here are a few options to consider.

Hybrid cloud communications

With a hybrid cloud approach, you can maintain your existing on-premises PBX infrastructure while leveraging cloud-based AI for advanced collaboration features. This allows you to seamlessly integrate your on-premises call control with a cloud-based collaboration solution to provide a comprehensive and unified communication experience.

Zoom Workplace’s integrations with providers like Mitel and Avaya are an example of a hybrid cloud approach. Organizations using Mitel or Avaya can bring best-in-class, AI-first collaboration to their teams with Zoom Workplace. This integration allows existing Mitel or Avaya customers to leverage their existing telephony investments within the Zoom Workplace app, providing a softphone, video conferencing, chat, and other collaboration tools, with AI capabilities woven into an integrated, easy-to-use experience.

Consider this approach if:

• You’re looking to consolidate to a cloud-based unified communications platform for cost savings and a reduction in complexity 
• You would like to maximize the value of your existing on-prem investments while transitioning to the cloud at your own pace
• Your organization needs the resiliency and flexibility that come with cloud platforms to meet evolving business demands 

Selective workload migration

With the selective workload migration approach, you can use hybrid cloud infrastructure like Zoom Node to facilitate a gradual transition. This method keeps your critical workloads on premises while moving non-critical ones to a cloud environment. 

Consider this approach if:

• You’re an enterprise organization with unique security, bandwidth, or compliance needs that demand an on-premises solution combined with the flexibility of the cloud
• You need a local survivability solution to maintain certain levels of telephony service or business continuity in the event of an outage  

Site-by-site cloud migration

The site-by-site cloud migration process allows certain sites to remain on premises while other sites adopt a cloud-first approach. This method minimizes disruption by identifying bugs or issues with deployment early on, making it a great choice for organizations with complex infrastructure needs.  

Consider this approach if:

• Your organization has multiple locations and you want to phase your migration by location
• You want to test and refine your cloud deployment strategy before rolling it out to all locations 

If you’re considering upgrading your communications infrastructure, download our free checklist to see if a cloud migration might be right for you. You’ll learn about the potential benefits of cloud-based communications, like cost savings, increased reliability, and access to the latest innovative features. 

Editor's note: This blog was originally published in January 2021 and was updated on November 26, 2024, to include new product information and content.