Maciej Kuś – Blog – Future Processing

How to migrate from Google Cloud to AWS?

Maciej Kuś — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 08:16:41 +0000

Why would a business migrate from Google Cloud to AWS environment?

Many businesses choose to change their cloud provider and, for example, move from the Google Cloud Platform to AWS for strategic reasons that align with their growth and performance goals.

One of the primary motivators is AWS’ environment’s expansive suite of services, which caters to a broader range of enterprise needs. With a larger global infrastructure footprint, AWS often delivers lower latency and superior performance, especially for businesses with a global customer base.

Additionally, the vibrant AWS ecosystem – rich in community support, third-party integrations, and certified experts – makes it easier to find guidance and solutions tailored to specific challenges. A significant factor in this shift is the greater availability of professionals with AWS expertise compared to those skilled in Google Cloud, as AWS competencies are more prevalent among engineers in the market.

AWS’s flexible pricing structures, Saving Plans, reservations, tiered storage, as well as special offers and incentives, can help companies optimise their budgets.

In many cases, this transition allows businesses to streamline their cloud infrastructure while unlocking greater agility, scalability and resource utilisation.

We use these tools to proactively create AWS Cloud saving plans for the client who now saves up to 50% a month.

See our case study Talk with us

What are the cost implications of Google Cloud to AWS Cloud migration?

GCP (Google Cloud Platform) to AWS migration involves upfront investments, but the long-term savings and benefits often outweigh the initial costs.

By leveraging built-in cost management tools like AWS Cost Optimization Hub, AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Budgets, organisations can gain insights into usage patterns and identify opportunities for optimisation. Ultimately, while the initial cloud migration requires planning and resources, the move often results in more predictable and efficient long-term operations within the AWS Cloud.

What are the biggest challenges in migrating from Google Cloud to AWS?

Migrating to a new cloud provider like AWS comes with its own set of challenges, but each one can be addressed with proper planning and tools.

Here are key challenges along with strategies to mitigate them:

Migration complexity – moving applications and services to other cloud providers can be technically demanding and time-consuming. To mitigate it, break the migration into smaller phases and use services like AWS Migration Hub for better tracking and coordination.
Downtime risks – system downtime during migration can impact operations and user experience. To mitigate it, schedule migration during low-traffic hours, implement failover strategies, and conduct dry runs before going live.
Skill gaps – teams may lack experience with AWS architecture and tools. To overcome this issue, invest in AWS training or partner with certified migration experts and cloud architects to guide the transition.
Compatibility issues – not all GCP services have direct AWS counterparts. Make sure you evaluate service mappings early, and refactor applications where necessary to fit into the AWS environment.
Cost overruns – without proper oversight, migration costs can escalate quickly. You can, however, use AWS pricing calculators and monitoring tools to manage and control expenses throughout the project.

The most effective ways to reduce AWS costs

How to migrate from GCP to AWS?

A successful migration from Google Cloud Platform to AWS involves a structured and well-orchestrated approach.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:

Assessment and planning

Begin by analysing your current workloads, usage patterns, and dependencies. Establish clear goals for your migration, whether it’s performance, cost reduction, or modernisation. This phase also includes reviewing application architectures and mapping them to AWS equivalents.

Selecting the right AWS services

Explore AWS resources to find the best fit for your current infrastructure. Use AWS documentation and expert consultations to align services with your business operations and needs. Be mindful of differences in networking, storage, and compute options between platforms.

Data migration

For effective data migration, choose the strategy that best suits your needs. For small datasets, manual export/import might work, but it’s important to handle any sensitive data with extra care, ensuring encryption and secure transfer protocols are in place.

For larger or more complex data environments, tools like AWS DataSync, AWS DMS (Database Migration Service), or AWS Snowball offer efficient and secure transfer options that minimise disruption and support compliance requirements.

Application migration

Replicate your application architecture on AWS using services like Elastic Beanstalk, ECS, or EKS for containers. If you’re migrating virtual machines, leverage AWS Server Migration Service or Application Migration Service (MGN) for automated, real-time replication.

Testing and optimisation

Thorough testing is essential before the final cutover. Validate performance, integration, and compatibility of all systems. Fine-tune configurations based on test results to ensure peak performance and security.

Final cutover and validation

After successful testing, execute the final migration with minimal downtime. Closely monitor systems to ensure data integrity, application availability, and user accessibility are fully intact.

Post-migration optimisation

Once you’re live on AWS, focus on refining your setup. Use tools like AWS Trusted Advisor to optimise cost, security, and performance. Implement robust backup solutions, ensure high availability, and establish a comprehensive disaster recovery plan to safeguard your data and applications.

Adopting monitoring best practices will help you maintain a resilient cloud computing environment, ensuring your systems remain secure and performant in the long run.

What AWS tools are useful for migrating from Google Cloud?

AWS provides a comprehensive set of tools to simplify and accelerate the move from GCP:

AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) – use to seamlessly migrate databases across platforms with minimal downtime.
AWS Server Migration Service (SMS) – use to automate the migration of virtual machines to AWS.
AWS Snowball – use to transfer large-scale data physically for faster, secure delivery.
CloudEndure Migration – use for real-time workload replication for fast cutovers.
AWS DataSync – use for high-speed data transfer from GCP or on-prem to AWS storage.
AWS Data Pipeline – use to orchestrate and automate data movement and transformation.
AWS Application Discovery Service – use to identify app dependencies and resource usage for planning.
AWS CloudFormation – use infrastructure as code to deploy consistent environments.
AWS Migration Hub – use to centralise migration progress tracking and management.
AWS Well-Architected Framework – use to follow best practices to build a robust and cost-effective environment.

In addition to these, AWS offers a wealth of whitepapers, tutorials, and partner solutions to guide your team throughout the transition.

Cloud Cost Optimisation – pay a fee only on savings.

Many of our clients see a return on investment within the two-week assessment, with savings of up to 70% on cloud costs thanks to our AWS Partner statuses.

Maximise your savings Contact us

How can businesses minimise downtime during migration?

Reducing downtime is crucial to maintaining service availability and customer trust. Start by using real-time replication tools such as AWS Application Migration Service or CloudEndure to sync workloads before cutover. Perform staged migrations beginning with non-critical workloads to minimise risks.

Create thorough test environments that mirror production to validate functionality before going live. Use load balancers and failover setups to keep services running during the switch.

Lastly, communicate transparently with internal teams and external stakeholders about scheduled maintenance or brief interruptions to set expectations and reduce disruption.

How can Future Processing help with GCP to AWS migration?

Migrating from GCP to AWS is a significant but rewarding undertaking that can enhance your organisation’s agility, scalability, and efficiency in the cloud. With the right planning, tools, and support, your business can make the transition smoothly – while reducing risks and unlocking new opportunities for innovation.

At Future Processing, we specialise in providing expert migration services tailored to your unique business needs. Our team will guide you through every step of the migration process, from initial assessment and planning to the final cutover, ensuring minimal disruption and optimised performance.

Ready to take the next step? Start planning your migration today and build a future-ready foundation on AWS with confidence. Get in touch!

Why is Cloud Computing important and will get even more vital in the future?

Maciej Kuś — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 09:31:46 +0000

Cloud services market spendings and revenue

All three cloud computing segments – software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) – are projected to see revenue growth in the near future.

What is Cloud Computing?

Microsoft, as a provider of one of the best-known cloud computing platforms, Azure, keeps the cloud computing definition simple:

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services – including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence – over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Why is cloud computing important? The most innovative aspects of cloud computing are the pay-as-you-go pricing model and the enormous economy of scale, as well as the agility, elasticity and high availability that cloud solutions offer.

It is no surprise that more and more companies are moving different areas of their business to the cloud and searching for cloud consulting.

Cloud operations, commonly called CloudOps, help lower operating costs, run infrastructure more efficiently, and flexibly scale when a business needs to change. These are just a few cloud computing technology basics to start with.

Read more about Cloud based services for companies:

What are the types of Cloud Computing services?

Customers’ needs may differ, thus cloud providers offer various models, types, and services to match solutions with the requirements. A type of cloud deployment model and architecture to implement solutions must be determined initially.

There are 4 main types of cloud services to choose from: public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud.

Public cloud – includes freely available cloud systems, such as Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
Private cloud – a cloud solution based on local resources, dedicated specifically to a person or company.
Hybrid cloud – a mix of on-premises infrastructure with cloud storage and computing services.
Multi-cloud solution – a combination of multiple cloud providers; a solution that allows companies to cherry-pick the best features of many different cloud systems to optimise their needs.

Read more about them in our article: “Public Cloud vs Private Cloud vs Hybrid Cloud: What are the differences?“

The impact of Cloud Computing on the IT departments

Cloud computing has significantly cut IT costs, with committed organisations seeing a significant spending drop. The shift has minimised the need for physical servers, resulting in savings in space and maintenance costs, which means that IT teams can redirect their efforts from infrastructure management to addressing critical business issues.

Moreover, the agility of cloud technology has sped up tasks like server setup, boosting productivity and innovation.

One of the biggest advantages of cloud adoption is that it has simplified operations and made applications more accessible, improving efficiency. Access from different devices promotes smoother workflows and collaboration, reducing data centre expenses and cutting IT personnel costs.

Cloud Computing: the most sought after IT skills

While skills like IT security and software development solutions were in demand in the past, cloud computing has become the hottest skill in the IT job market. CIOs and IT Directors have identified Cloud knowledge as the most valuable asset for career progression and advancement. Most of them express intentions to hire additional personnel to support their cloud initiatives.

Despite widespread cloud computing services, many organisations struggle with their cloud strategies due to a lack of skilled personnel. In 2023 the top skills gaps identified by leaders include cloud security management, cloud architecture, data analytics, engineering and storage.

To keep up with talent needs, employers, schools, and training providers need to work together to make cloud training accessible. If we don’t, we risk falling behind and losing out on the benefits of cloud computing.

Reasons why Cloud Technology is important for business growth

Cloud computing shows increasing competitiveness through cost savings, flexibility, elasticity, and optimal resource use. As a technology, cloud computing is a complex solution for businesses that want to benefit from digital transformation.

Cloud computing enables cloud-native technologies, supports more efficient work, and unlock capabilities of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI).

Here’s how organisations use cloud computing to increase business value:

Lowered complexity of IT infrastructure management

With cloud-based infrastructure solutions, managing IT facilities can be made easier. Engineers and other IT professionals take control of their cloud environments by using management tools designed specifically for the cloud architecture they’re working with.

At the same time, smaller teams can take on larger workloads and provide services seamlessly by relying on cloud service providers for management and upgrades.

Increased collaboration and innovation

Cloud environment helps develop new offers, evaluate a company’s place on the market and fulfil new needs quicker than the competition. It is way easier to experiment with new ideas with faster user feedback and automated processes that enable the development of new digital services.

Employees want to develop their skills on new, available technologies, and modern candidates search for employers that offer authentic growth.

Cloud solutions help automate repetitive processes, leaving space for more innovation and development.

Easier development and testing

The cloud creates a great environment for software development as DevOps teams can invent, test, secure and produce solutions for specific needs. It is way faster, easier and more flexible compared to in-house testing and development.

Cloud Computing speeds up processes with cloud-based development tools, apps and software.

Big Data analytics

Thanks to the numerous opportunities cloud computing technology brings, businesses get invaluable information that helps optimise different processes.

Big Data analytics helps transform large volumes of data into useful insights and bring out true business value.

Pros:

Easier extraction of useful information e.g. consumers’ segmentation or behavioural patterns.
Detailed insights thanks to using Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in cloud computing services.
Better business decisions based on data.

Cloud Storage services

Files being saved automatically to the cloud is what cloud data storage is about. All documents can be accessed, stored, opened or downloaded from any device with an Internet connection.

As far as sensitive data is concerned, companies can store it on-premises as part of a hybrid or private solution. Companies pay only for the amount of cloud storage they actually use.

Boosted speed & agility

Cloud computing technology helps respond faster and more accurately to changing business conditions. Different resources are available in a few minutes or even seconds, which enables companies to respond with a higher speed to customers’ needs and catch up with the market.

Increased focus on core business

When businesses use cloud infrastructure, they can better concentrate on what matters most to their success: their core competencies, customers, and employees.

This laser-like focus on fundamentals is what helps businesses expand, create new products and gain an edge in their marketplaces.

How Cloud Computing could help your organisation? Let’s find out!

As the rapid development of cloud computing services shows, the future indeed is in the cloud. High expectations towards companies will grow on many different levels, and unexpected changes may occur, so there is no time to waste.

Cloud technology drives innovation and business agility, allows scaling and faster adaptation to dynamic changes, improves business operations, and decreases costs. If you want to prepare for the implementation of cloud solutions and choose the best partner to do it, use our free RFP template for Cloud Services.

Those who already took the step towards the cloud, save resources and grow bigger faster. It becomes essential to step into the future that is already here.