Server to cloud migration projects in Adelaide
The old server in the cupboard is out of warranty, the backups are a worry and staff can't reach files from home. We plan and run the move of your files, email, logins and business apps to the cloud, test it before the switch, do the cut-over outside business hours and switch the old server off only when everything has moved.
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The short answer
A server to cloud migration moves what an office server does into cloud services. WaTo Consulting in Adelaide audits what's on the server, works out where each part should go (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for files and email, cloud hosting for apps that still need a server), moves the data in stages, switches over outside business hours, checks everything with your staff and then retires the old server.
What actually moves?
An office server usually does more than people remember. It holds shared files, sometimes runs email, controls logins and passwords, runs a line-of-business application or database, shares printers and handles backups. A migration project finds every one of those jobs and gives each a new home. Files often go to SharePoint, OneDrive or Google shared drives. Logins move to Microsoft Entra ID or Google. Applications that can't go to a cloud version move to a cloud server. The job is only finished when nothing still depends on the old box.
What we deliver
Server audit
A list of everything the server does, who uses it and what depends on it, including the things nobody remembers until they break.
A plan for each part
Where files, email, logins and each application should go, with costs, written down and agreed before anything moves.
Files reorganised on the way
Folders cleaned up and permissions tidied as they move, so staff find things faster in the new setup.
Weekend cut-over
The final switch done outside business hours, with the old server left untouched as the way back.
Staff ready on Monday
PCs pointed at the new locations, short how-to notes and someone on hand on the first morning.
Old server retired properly
Once everything is confirmed, the server is backed up one last time, wiped securely and removed.
Who it's for
- Offices with an ageing server that's out of warranty or support.
- Businesses whose staff work from home or site and struggle to reach files.
- Teams already paying for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace but still using the server.
- Anyone facing a big bill to replace a server and wondering whether they need one at all.
How the job runs
- We audit the server. Every share, application, login and scheduled job, plus who uses what.
- We agree the plan. Where each part goes, the order of the move, the cut-over date and a fixed price.
- We move in stages. Data copied ahead of time and kept in sync, so the final switch is quick.
- We cut over. Outside business hours, with checks against a list before staff start on Monday.
- We tidy up. A few weeks of watching for anything missed, then the old server is retired and you get a written record of the new setup.
Why WaTo for cloud migrations
- We find everything the server does before we move it, not after something breaks.
- The old server stays as the way back until you're confident.
- Honest advice when part of your setup is better left on a server.
- Adelaide-based since 2001, on site for the cut-over and the first morning.
- Ongoing support for the new setup if you want it.
Server to cloud questions
Do we still need a server after moving to the cloud?
Often not. Files, email and logins move to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. The exception is an application that only runs on a server, which can move to a cloud server or stay on a small local one. We tell you which applies after the audit. See cloud vs on-premises.
Will staff lose any files?
No. Data is copied and checked before the switch, and the old server stays untouched until you're confident everything is there.
How long does it take?
A small office is usually a few weeks from audit to retiring the server, with the actual switch done over a single weekend. Larger setups or awkward applications take longer.
What happens to our business software?
We check with the vendor whether there's a cloud version, whether it can run on a cloud server, or whether it needs to stay local. See Azure and cloud hosting.
Services behind these jobs
- Microsoft 365
- SharePoint and OneDrive
- Google Workspace
- Azure and cloud hosting
- Email migration
- Cloud and collaboration
Guides on this topic
- Cloud, on-premises or hybrid: what suits a small business?
- Microsoft 365 migration checklist for small business
- Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 end of life: what to check now
Ready to retire the server?
Tell us what the server does and how old it is, and we'll tell you what a move would involve and what it would cost.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
