Advanced Techniques for Application and Infrastructure Migration

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations face growing pressure to modernize their infrastructure while balancing security, cost-efficiency, and innovation. The migration from on-premises systems to hybrid and cloud environments presents unique challenges, particularly for companies with complex legacy systems, experts say.

“Hybrid cloud solutions offer flexibility and resource optimization, but require strategic planning, proper staff training, and a comprehensive understanding of the technologies involved to ensure successful adoption,” said Marco Antonio Hernández, Chief Data Officer, Prosa. Companies heavily invested in on-premise infrastructure often struggle to embrace hybrid cloud models while ensuring data security and regulatory compliance.

Despite the obvious benefits of the cloud, such as flexibility, scalability and cost reduction, companies must first identify the areas where these types of technologies are needed before migrating, according to Brian Timmeny, CTO, Walmart Mexico & Central America. “We need to strike a balance between securing operations (SecOps) and managing financial costs (FinOps), ensuring that moving to the cloud does not lead to inflated service and operational expenses. The shift requires organizations to rethink how they approach automation and continuous integration pipelines,” he said.

One of the common challenges companies face is that many tools were not initially designed for digital migration, according to Sofía Garrido, Functional Coordinator, Natura Mexico. To overcome this, she recommends workforce training in cloud services and segmented migration. For companies with legacy tools, “segmentation is key, and we must ensure our teams are trained to know where we are and where we are headed.” Ensuring that personnel are equipped with the right knowledge is vital to understanding the regulatory landscape and accurately forecasting the ROI of cloud projects.

“To innovate effectively, you first need to master data governance and application governance,” warns Pablo Lombardero, Commercial Director Mexico & Caribbean, Strata Analytics. If companies migrate all areas without a strategic approach, they risk facing the worst outcome: increased costs coupled with a heightened risk of data breaches. At the same time, not migrating is not an option either. “The key is to strategically and methodically integrate the right tools, such as generative AI technologies,” he said.

The concept of Zero Trust is key to secure data, which needs to be implemented within the cloud architecture. “Zero Trust is not a one-size-fits-all solution but a costly architecture that adds significant value to any organization,” said Garrido. By segmenting, even micro-segmenting, access based on data sensitivity and continuously monitoring internal and external threats, Zero Trust helps ensure a higher level of security in the cloud.

As innovative technologies are widely implemented across all sectors, sustainability is a growing concern for businesses as they seek to reduce their carbon footprint through cloud adoption. To address this, companies in Mexico are implementing a green IT approach. “Measuring carbon emissions is now a part of cloud migration, and organizations must demand their providers adopt this concept,” said Garrido.

Aligning technology and industry needs with the human factor is key for infrastructure migration. “In Mexico, the demand for migration exceeds the available resources. But with the right combination of strategy, automation, and human capital, we can achieve a smooth transition to the cloud,” concluded Lombardero.