The cloud has become an indispensable enabler of digital transformation, offering organizations unparalleled agility, scalability, and cost efficiency. For businesses running VMware environments, the decision to migrate to the cloud is not a question of “if,” but rather “when” and “how.” Enter Azure VMware Solution (AVS)—a game-changer that allows you to seamlessly move your VMware workloads to Azure while continuing to leverage your existing investments, skills, and tools.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the top 5 reasons why migrating your VMware workloads to Azure with AVS is a strategic move that can propel your business to new heights.
1. AVS is Native to Azure
One of the key advantages of AVS is its deep integration into the Azure platform. As a fully managed, first-party solution, AVS allows you to run your VMware workloads natively in Azure, providing a seamless extension of your on-premises environment. This native integration brings a host of benefits:
- Continuity: AVS enables you to continue using your familiar VMware tools and skillsets, minimizing disruption and accelerating your cloud adoption journey.
- Scale: With Azure’s global infrastructure and scalability, you can easily accommodate growing demands and rapidly provision new VMware workloads as needed.
- Speed: AVS allows for fast provisioning and deployment of VMware environments, enabling you to respond quickly to changing business requirements.
- Integration: Running your VMware workloads natively in Azure opens up opportunities to integrate with Azure’s rich ecosystem of services, unlocking new possibilities for innovation and growth.
2. Substantial Cost Savings
Migrating to AVS can yield significant cost savings, particularly for Microsoft customers running Windows Server and SQL Server workloads. By leveraging Azure Hybrid Benefit, you can bring your existing licenses to Azure and potentially save up to 85% on the cost of running these workloads in the cloud.
Moreover, AVS eliminates the need for costly refresh cycles associated with maintaining on-premises VMware infrastructure. Gartner forecasts that nearly $600B in end-user spending on public cloud services is expected by 2023, highlighting the growing trend of organizations shifting their IT spend to more flexible and cost-effective cloud models. By embracing AVS, you can transform your IT expenditure from a CapEx-heavy model to a more agile OpEx model, aligning your costs with actual usage and freeing up resources for strategic initiatives.
3. Accelerate Your Cloud Journey
Navigating the complexity of cloud migration can be a daunting task, but AVS provides a clear and predictable path forward. With AVS, you have the flexibility to migrate your workloads at your own pace, minimizing risk and disruption along the way.
According to Approaches to Cloud Adoption from Microsoft, 70% of all enterprise workloads will be deployed in the cloud by 2024. AVS enables you to be part of this cloud revolution by providing a phased migration approach. You can start by moving simpler, low-risk workloads and gradually progress to more complex ones as your team builds confidence and expertise in the cloud.
AVS also serves as a foundation for incremental transformation, allowing you to modernize your applications and infrastructure based on your readiness and priorities. By taking a staged approach, you can steadily realize the benefits of the cloud while ensuring a smooth transition for your organization.
4. Modernize Your Applications
Migrating to AVS opens up new avenues for application modernization. By extending your VMware workloads to Azure, you can begin refactoring and rearchitecting your applications to capitalize on cloud-native services and capabilities.
For instance, you can modernize the front-end and stateless components of your applications while keeping the backend systems running on AVS. This incremental approach to modernization reduces risk and complexity compared to a full-scale rewrite. According to IDC, 46% of enterprises cite faster delivery of new applications as a key benefit of migrating to the cloud.
By leveraging Azure’s PaaS offerings and other native services, you can infuse your applications with advanced capabilities like AI, machine learning, IoT, and more. AVS acts as a catalyst for application modernization, enabling you to innovate faster and deliver enhanced value to your customers.
5. Streamline Your Data Center Footprint
AVS offers a powerful solution for data center consolidation and optimization. By migrating your VMware workloads to Azure, you can significantly reduce your on-premises data center footprint and simplify your IT operations.
With AVS, you have the flexibility to lift and shift your existing VMware-based virtual machines or redeploy them using vSphere-based tools. This enables you to consolidate your workloads, reduce sprawl, and increase operational efficiency. VMware reports that 53% of IT infrastructure teams are nearly 53% more efficient after migrating to the cloud, highlighting the tangible benefits of data center consolidation.
By running your workloads in Azure, you can also take advantage of built-in high availability, disaster recovery, and security capabilities. This further strengthens your IT resilience and compliance posture while reducing the burden on your internal teams.
Embark on Your Cloud Journey with Confidence
Migrating to the cloud is not just a technological shift; it’s a strategic business decision that can unlock new levels of agility, innovation, and competitive advantage. Azure VMware Solution empowers you to embark on this transformative journey with confidence, providing a bridge between your existing investments and the limitless potential of the cloud.
As a trusted Microsoft partner, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Our team of experienced professionals will work closely with you to assess your readiness, design a tailored migration strategy, and execute a seamless transition to AVS. With deep expertise in both VMware and Azure, we ensure that you can maximize the value of your cloud investment and achieve your business goals.
Don’t let the complexities of cloud migration hold you back. Take the first step today and unleash the power of Azure for your VMware workloads. Contact us to schedule a consultation and discover how we can help you navigate your cloud journey with confidence.
Conclusion
Migrating your VMware workloads to Azure with Azure VMware Solution (AVS) is more than just a cloud move—it’s a transformative step towards agility, cost-efficiency, and innovation. Whether you’re looking to reduce your data center footprint, modernize your applications, or streamline operations, AVS offers the flexibility, security, and scalability to make it all possible while maintaining continuity with your existing infrastructure and tools.
At Embee, we are dedicated to helping you make this journey seamless and successful. Our team will provide end-to-end guidance, ensuring your cloud migration strategy aligns with your unique business needs. Embrace the cloud with confidence, tap into Azure’s vast ecosystem, and future-proof your business by migrating your VMware workloads to AVS.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to explore how we can partner with you on this journey.
