What is Cloud Migration? — UK Software Development Guide

4 min readJune 2025ClickMasters Technical TeamReviewed by James Whitmore, CTO
what is cloud migration

Direct Answer

Cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications, or IT resources from on-premises infrastructure (physical servers in your office or data centre) to cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) or from one cloud to another. The main migration strategies are: rehost (lift and shift), replatform, refactor, and rebuild.

Cloud-migration in the UK

UK cloud migration has specific GDPR and Cyber Essentials considerations. Data residency: migrating to AWS must use eu-west-2 (London) for UK personal data; Azure must use UK South or UK West. Cyber Essentials: the new cloud infrastructure must meet all 5 CE controls — particularly important for network security groups (acting as firewalls) and patch management. HMRC and NHS have specific cloud security requirements for organisations handling tax data or health records. ClickMasters manages the full cloud migration process — architecture, security, data migration, and UK compliance documentation.

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