Azure Cloud Migration Consulting Services Guide 2026

Microsoft Azure Cloud Migration Consulting Services Guide (2026)

Microsoft Azure cloud migration consulting in 2026 spans VMware-to-Azure replatforming, AWS-to-Azure migration, on-premises modernization, application refactoring, Microsoft Defender for Cloud security posture, FinOps cost optimization, and integration with Microsoft 365 / Microsoft Fabric / Microsoft Copilot. This is the working enterprise Microsoft Azure migration buyer's guide for evaluating consulting partners.

EPC Group has delivered Microsoft Azure consulting since the Microsoft Online Services Beta era (Project BPOS, 2008).

TL;DR — EPC Group Microsoft Azure Migration Catalog

Engagement	Investment	Duration
Microsoft Azure Quickstart Assessment	$40K-$120K	4 weeks
Microsoft Azure Landing Zone Stand-Up	$200K-$800K	8-16 weeks
VMware-to-Azure Migration (mid-market)	$300K-$700K	6-9 months
AWS-to-Azure Migration	$500K-$2M	9-18 months
Fortune 500 Microsoft Azure Migration	$2M-$10M	18-30 months
Microsoft Azure FinOps Program	$200K-$700K	6-9 months
Microsoft Azure Government (FedRAMP)	$700K-$3M	9-18 months
Microsoft Azure Managed Cloud Services	$8K-$120K/month	Ongoing

What Microsoft Azure Migration Consulting Should Cover

1. Discovery and Assessment

• Microsoft Azure Migrate scanning (VMware / Hyper-V / physical / AWS workloads)
• Application portfolio analysis with dependency mapping
• 3-year TCO modeling
• Microsoft Azure Landing Zone gap analysis
• Compliance scope (HIPAA / FINRA / FedRAMP / CMMC / GxP)

2. Microsoft Azure Landing Zone

EPC Group standard Microsoft Azure Landing Zone:

• Hub-and-spoke network topology
• Microsoft Azure Firewall Premium
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud across all subscriptions
• Microsoft Sentinel as central SIEM
• Microsoft Entra ID hybrid identity
• Microsoft Azure Policy for governance
• Microsoft Cost Management for FinOps
• Microsoft Azure Private Endpoints

3. Migration Execution

The 6 R's:

• Rehost (lift-and-shift) — speed-prioritized
• Replatform (lift-tinker-shift) — Microsoft Azure SQL / managed service
• Refactor (re-architect) — containers, serverless
• Repurchase (replace with SaaS) — legacy → Microsoft Dynamics 365
• Retire — decommission unused
• Retain — keep on-premises (regulatory or technical reasons)

4. Modernization

• Containerize for AKS deployment
• Serverless refactor to Microsoft Azure Functions
• Microsoft Azure App Service for web apps
• Microsoft Azure SQL Database for SQL workloads
• Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL globally distributed

5. Security and Compliance

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Secure Score
• Microsoft Sentinel SOC integration
• Microsoft Purview multi-cloud Data Map
• Microsoft Entra Identity Governance
• Industry-specific compliance attestation

6. FinOps Optimization

EPC Group typical Microsoft Azure cost reduction:

• Reserved Instance / Savings Plan: 30-50%
• Right-sizing: 15-25% on overprovisioned VMs
• Storage tier optimization: 30-60%
• Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit: 40-60% on Windows / SQL VMs
• Spot VMs: 60-90% on batch / dev pool

Total typical first-year savings: 25-40% year-over-year.

What to Look For in an Azure Migration Partner

1. Senior Microsoft Azure Architect Depth

10+ year senior architect with Microsoft Azure experience originated from preview era. Red flags: general IT consultant claiming Microsoft Azure expertise, junior-staffed engagement.

2. Microsoft Solutions Partner Status

Verify:

• Microsoft Solutions Partner Infrastructure designation
• Microsoft Solutions Partner Security designation
• Microsoft Solutions Partner Data & AI designation

EPC Group holds all 6 Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.

3. FedRAMP / GCC / GCC High Experience

For federal / government / defense: Microsoft Azure Government FedRAMP Moderate / High, Microsoft 365 GCC / GCC High parity, DoD IL5 / IL6 (where applicable).

4. Microsoft Press Authorship

Errin O'Connor (EPC Group CEO) is a 4-time Microsoft Press author including a Microsoft Azure book.

5. FinOps Practice Maturity

Reserved Instance / Savings Plan portfolio management, right-sizing analysis, chargeback / showback dashboards, Microsoft Cost Management integration.

6. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Depth

Multi-cloud security posture (Microsoft Azure + AWS + Google Cloud), Microsoft Defender CSPM, Microsoft Defender for Containers / Servers / Storage / Databases.

7. Microsoft 365 + Microsoft Fabric Integration

Microsoft Azure migrations integrate with the broader Microsoft Cloud — Microsoft 365 productivity, Microsoft Fabric analytics, Microsoft Copilot family, Microsoft Power Platform business apps.

Common Engagement Patterns

Pattern 1: VMware-to-Azure

Two paths:

• Azure VMware Solution — keep VMware operational model on Microsoft Azure
• Microsoft Azure Migrate to native VMs — full migration to Microsoft Azure VMs

EPC Group fixed-fee:

• Mid-market (50-200 VMs): $300K-$700K
• Enterprise (200-1,000 VMs): $700K-$2M
• Fortune 500 (1,000+ VMs): $2M-$10M

Pattern 2: AWS-to-Azure

• EC2 → Microsoft Azure VM
• RDS → Microsoft Azure SQL
• S3 → Microsoft Azure Blob Storage
• Lambda → Microsoft Azure Functions
• DynamoDB → Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

EPC Group fixed-fee: $500K-$2M (mid-market) to $5M-$10M (Fortune 500).

Pattern 3: Microsoft Azure Government

For federal civilian, DoD, federally regulated contractors:

• Microsoft 365 GCC / GCC High tenant
• Microsoft Azure Government FedRAMP Moderate / High
• DoD IL2/IL4/IL5 deployments
• ITAR-controlled workloads

EPC Group fixed-fee: $700K-$5M depending on classification level.

Pricing

EPC Group fixed-fee Microsoft Azure migration:

• Mid-market: $300K-$700K
• Enterprise: $700K-$2M
• Fortune 500: $2M-$10M

Plus optional Microsoft Azure Managed Cloud Services post-migration: $8K-$120K/month.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Microsoft Azure migration take?

Mid-market: 6-9 months. Enterprise: 9-18 months. Fortune 500: 18-30 months.

How much can we save vs on-premises?

Mid-market migrations typically achieve 25-40% reduction in total infrastructure cost over 3 years. Plus operational efficiency gains.

What about regulated industries?

Healthcare (HIPAA), financial services (FINRA, SEC), government (FedRAMP, CMMC), and pharma (GxP) deploy in Microsoft Azure with appropriate compliance posture.

Who delivers EPC Group Microsoft Azure migrations?

Errin O'Connor (CEO, 4-time Microsoft Press author including a Microsoft Azure book) leads. Senior architects with Microsoft Azure experience since 2008.

Next Steps

Schedule a 30-minute Microsoft Azure migration discovery call at /schedule or call (888) 381-9725. Senior architects (not sales) take discovery calls.

Related reading: Azure Cloud Migration Strategy Enterprise Guide, Best Azure Cloud Migration Consulting, Azure Landing Zone Architecture Enterprise Guide, Azure Cost Optimization Enterprise Guide, and Microsoft Azure Managed Cloud Services.