Infrastructure and cloud built around the workloads you actually run
Not every workload belongs in the cloud, and not every server belongs on-premises. We help you decide where each workload should run across Azure, Azure Local, Nutanix and your own infrastructure, then design, migrate and operate it.
Infrastructure refresh, cloud migration and workload placement
Most conversations start with one pressure: ageing hardware, a VMware renewal, a stalled migration, rising cloud costs or doubts about recovery.
Infrastructure Refresh is for organisations with ageing servers, VMware exit, unsupported hardware, backup uncertainty or HCI decisions.
It isn't only about replacing hardware. It's about deciding which workloads still need local infrastructure, which should move to cloud, and what can be retired. The work can include:
Managed Cloud and Migration is for organisations moving workloads, users, data or access into a better cloud or hybrid model. The real question isn't what can move, but what should move, in what order, under which identity model, and with what backup and recovery design.
The work can include:
A migration isn't complete when workloads are online. The environment still needs to be operated after cutover.
Workload Placement is for organisations that need to make better decisions before committing to cloud migration, hardware refresh, VMware exit or another platform direction.
It starts with workload behaviour:
Some workloads belong in Azure or Microsoft 365, some are better kept local, and some are best retired. This step prevents refreshing hardware for workloads that should move, or moving workloads that should have stayed local.
We design cloud, servers and recovery as one decision
We plan infrastructure and cloud together, because your users, identity and backups already span both.
Users work across Microsoft 365, SaaS, cloud applications and local systems. Identity controls access across both. Backup and recovery depend on understanding dependencies across platforms. Cost can drift in cloud while local infrastructure still carries critical workloads. A VMware exit can reshape the cloud and infrastructure path. A cloud migration can expose weak identity, backup and governance.
Cloud
Once workloads move to Azure, someone has to run them: monitoring, access, cost and change. We plan that before the move.
Explore Managed Cloud and Migration →Local infrastructure
Servers, VMware, Azure Local, Nutanix, storage, local applications and site-dependent workloads need to be assessed on performance, ease of support, recovery and cost.
Explore Infrastructure Refresh →Recovery
Cloud, local systems and Microsoft 365 data have to come back together after an incident, so we design recovery around application dependencies and prove it with restore testing.
Explore Backup and Disaster Recovery →Cloud and infrastructure at a glance
Move to cloud, keep local, retire or replace, based on workload behaviour, latency, data size, dependency, recovery, licensing, cost and ease of support.
Recovery dependencies considered before migration, refresh or hybrid design is finalised.
Cost, access and monitoring planned before the move and managed after it.
Azure, Microsoft 365, identity, backup, monitoring, documentation and support responsibilities operated after cutover.
What usually prompts the conversation
Most cloud and infrastructure work begins with one visible pressure point. The useful work is understanding what else is connected before the workload direction is locked in.
01Ageing servers and infrastructure lifecycleInfrastructure Refresh or Workload Placement
Hosts age, firmware falls behind, support becomes harder, backup assumptions become older, and recovery confidence weakens. A refresh should clarify which workloads still need local infrastructure, which should move to cloud, what can be retired and what recovery position the business needs.
Best fit: Infrastructure Refresh or Workload Placement →02VMware exit and platform pressureInfrastructure Refresh
A VMware exit can quickly reshape the hybrid model. The question is what the workloads need, what the business can operate, what the support model requires and whether alternatives such as Azure Local, Nutanix or cloud migration are appropriate.
Best fit: Infrastructure Refresh →03Cloud migration uncertaintyManaged Cloud and Migration or Workload Placement
We turn "move to the cloud" into a specific plan: which workloads move, in what order, under which identity model, with what backup and recovery design, and under which cost governance.
Best fit: Managed Cloud and Migration or Workload Placement →04Microsoft 365 growth without governanceManaged Cloud and Migration
Microsoft 365 often becomes where the business runs before anyone owns how it's set up. We sort out permissions, sharing, retention and identity. The environment needs stronger structure around identity, access, data, backup, administration and lifecycle.
Best fit: Managed Cloud and Migration →05Cloud cost driftManaged Cloud and Migration
Cost drifts when services are created without ownership, workloads are oversized, reserved capacity isn't planned, or the business lacks clear reporting. We build cost control into managed cloud from day one: rightsizing, clear owners and regular reviews.
Best fit: Managed Cloud and Migration →06Identity, access and security foundation gapsManaged Cloud and Migration
Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA, administrator roles, device compliance, privileged access, backup access and monitoring all affect how safely the environment can be moved, refreshed and operated. Every future decision depends on this foundation.
Best fit: Managed Cloud and Migration →The platform follows the workload
Not everything belongs in cloud, not every VMware exit needs a full platform replacement, and not every migration should start before identity, backup and cost governance are ready. The decision depends on the workload and the environment around it.
Architecture before migration. Every workload where it serves the business best.
How we work
We start with how people actually use the systems, then shape the platform around them: how users get in, how workloads behave, how Microsoft 365 and Azure are run, how restores work and what it all costs afterwards.
Why clients trust us with platform decisions
Cloud and infrastructure work goes wrong when it's treated only as a platform move. A migration finishes but can't be governed. A refresh replaces hardware without improving recovery. A VMware exit reduces licensing cost but creates a new support problem. We connect assessment, design, migration, refresh and support so the environment can be operated after the change.
01We recommend less change when that is right
Sometimes the right recommendation is to do less than expected. We'll tell you when the platform should stay simpler, or when a workload should stay exactly where it is. We're looking for the project the environment actually needs, not the biggest one.
02Assessment, design, migration and support are connected
The people who design the change also support what comes after it, so the reasoning isn't lost at handover.
03We connect the platform to everything around it
Platform decisions sit beside Entra ID, Conditional Access, device compliance, backup, recovery, endpoint protection, monitoring and vendor escalation. The cloud and infrastructure path is never decided in isolation.
04Local infrastructure still has a role
Local infrastructure isn't automatically legacy. Azure Local, Nutanix, refreshed servers and hybrid infrastructure can be the right answer when workloads need local performance, predictable access, recovery control or site-dependent operations.
05We support the operating model after change
The environment needs to be monitored, patched, documented, recovered and improved after the change. We design with that in mind from the start.
06Straight answers for leadership
We show leadership what should move, what should stay, where money is leaking and where recovery needs work, in plain language and on one page.
Different businesses, different platforms
Cloud and infrastructure questions
What is included in Cloud and Infrastructure services?
Cloud and Infrastructure services can include cloud migration, infrastructure refresh, workload placement, Azure and Microsoft 365 administration, hybrid cloud design, backup and recovery planning, identity integration, monitoring, documentation and ongoing operational support.
How do we decide between Azure, Azure Local, Nutanix and refreshed local infrastructure?
The right platform depends on the workload, not the trend. Some systems suit Azure because they need cloud scale, remote access, integration with Microsoft 365 or reduced dependency on ageing hardware. Other workloads may need Azure Local, Nutanix or refreshed local infrastructure because of performance, latency, data size, licensing, application dependencies, recovery requirements or operational control.
What should be reviewed before a cloud migration?
Before a migration, we review what you actually run: workloads, applications and their dependencies, identity, data, security, backup, licensing and network paths, and who looks after each.
This avoids moving existing problems into a new platform, and clarifies what should migrate, stay local, be replaced or be retired.
How do backup and recovery dependencies affect platform decisions?
Backup and recovery can materially change the right platform decision. A workload may be technically suitable for cloud, but recovery time, recovery point, data volume, identity dependency, application dependency or restore complexity may make a different architecture more appropriate.
Recovery planning should consider Microsoft 365 backup, Azure Backup, immutable backup, local infrastructure recovery, identity recovery, administrator access, restore testing, RTO, RPO and the sequence required to bring systems back online. Platform decisions should not be finalised until recovery dependencies are understood.
Where does VMware transition fit into Cloud and Infrastructure planning?
VMware transition usually sits inside a broader infrastructure and workload placement review. It isn't only a renewal or replacement question. We look at it alongside core-based licensing, hardware age, support contracts, host capacity, backup and application dependencies.
The outcome may be a VMware refresh, migration to Azure, use of Azure Local, movement to Nutanix, replacement of specific workloads, or a staged hybrid approach. The important point is to avoid treating VMware transition as a product swap when it may be an opportunity to simplify, retire or re-platform parts of the environment.
Is cloud always better than on-premises infrastructure?
No. Cloud can be the right answer for many workloads, especially where remote access, scalability, Microsoft integration, resilience or reduced hardware dependency matter. But some workloads are better kept on local infrastructure or private cloud because of performance, latency, data size, specialised systems, cost, licensing or recovery requirements.
What is the difference between cloud migration and infrastructure refresh?
Cloud migration moves selected workloads, data or services into a cloud platform such as Azure or Microsoft 365. Infrastructure refresh updates or replaces local platforms such as servers, storage, virtualisation, backup, switching or private cloud.
In practice, the two decisions often overlap. A refresh may reveal that some workloads should move to cloud, while others should remain local. A cloud migration may reveal that identity, backup, networking or retained local systems still need attention. We treat migration and refresh as one decision, because they usually are.
What happens after the cloud or infrastructure project is complete?
After migration or refresh, the environment still needs to be operated. That includes monitoring, patching, backup checks, restore testing, identity administration, access control, documentation, vendor coordination, cost review, security review and support escalation.
Planning a platform decision?
Tell us what's driving the change: a server refresh, VMware exit, Azure migration or cloud cost drift.
Prefer email? contact@inlightit.com.au