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Discovery and assessment
an inventory of servers, sizes, dependencies and licences, with a monthly cloud cost estimate per server.
Services · Migration · Servers to cloud
Lift-and-shift cloudmigration
Move the servers you run today to Azure, Google Cloud or AWS with the same operating system, apps and data, then improve them once they are there.
Open (9)
MG-14
Inventory shared mailboxes
In progress (4)
MG-09
Bulk copy of older email
Closed (12)
MG-02
Target layout agreed
Who runs your migration
Microsoft Solutions Partnerand Google Cloud Premier Partner. We deliver on Azure, Huawei Cloud, Google Cloud and AWS.
Since 2007with 1,500+ active cloud customers across the Middle East.
Offices in Dubai, Muscat and Dohawith English and Arabic support.
350,000+ users migratedsince 2007.
Lift-and-shift migration moves your existing servers to the cloud as they are, with the same operating system, applications and data, and no code changes. Gulf Infotech has planned and run server-to-cloud migrations to Azure, Google Cloud and AWS for businesses in Oman, the UAE, Qatar and the wider Middle East since 2007.
MG- Mail, files and servers · 120 users
What is lift-and-shift, and who is it for?
Lift-and-shift, also called rehosting, copies a running server into a cloud virtual machine and switches users over to it. Nothing is rewritten. It is the fastest route out of a server room, and a common first step before modernising later.
It suits you if:
It suits you less if an app depends on local hardware such as a licence dongle, a scanner or machine control, or if most of the server's work could move to a SaaS tool such as Zoho, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. In that case we say so during the assessment.
- Your servers or storage are near the end of their warranty or support. Windows Server 2016 reaches the end of extended support on 12 January 2027.
- You run line-of-business apps (ERP, accounting, file servers, SQL Server databases) that the vendor will not rewrite.
- You want a disaster recovery site, or to close a branch-office server room, without changing how staff work.
What do we deliver?
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Landing zone
subscriptions or accounts, network, VPN to your office, identity, backup and security policies set up before any server moves.
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Replication
continuous copying of each server's disks to the cloud while it keeps running, using Azure Migrate, AWS Transform MGN or Google Migrate to Virtual Machines.
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Test copies
each server is started in an isolated test network so you can check the app before the real cut-over.
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Cut-over
final sync, DNS and network changes, and app checks in an agreed evening or weekend window.
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After the move
right-sizing, backup, patching and monitoring, plus a plan for what to modernise next. See cloud cost optimisation.
Azure, AWS or Google Cloud: which tool and region?
Each provider has a free or low-cost native tool for rehosting, and each has regions in the Gulf.
| — | Microsoft Azure | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native migration tool | Microsoft AzureAzure Migrate | Amazon Web ServicesAWS Transform MGN | Google CloudMigrate to Virtual Machines |
| Sources | Microsoft AzureVMware, Hyper-V, physical servers, other clouds | Amazon Web ServicesPhysical, virtual and cloud servers | Google CloudVMware vSphere, AWS, Azure |
| How it copies | Microsoft AzureAgentless (VMware) or agent-based replication | Amazon Web ServicesContinuous block-level replication | Google CloudVM and disk replication |
| GCC regions | Microsoft AzureUAE North (Dubai), UAE Central (Abu Dhabi), Qatar Central (Doha); Saudi Arabia East due from Q4 2026 | Amazon Web ServicesMiddle East (Bahrain), Middle East (UAE); Saudi Arabia region announced, not yet live | Google CloudDoha, Dammam |
| Strong fit | Microsoft AzureWindows Server and SQL Server estates, Microsoft 365 customers | Amazon Web ServicesMixed Linux and Windows estates, AWS-native services | Google CloudData and analytics workloads, Google Workspace customers |
There is no hyperscale region in Oman yet, so Omani workloads usually run in the UAE, Qatar or Bahrain. See in-country cloud hosting and data residency and the full Azure vs AWS vs Google Cloud vs Huawei Cloud comparison.
How are licences and running costs handled?
The migration tools themselves cost little or nothing; the cost is the cloud servers, storage and network you run afterwards. Azure Migrate is a free service. On Azure, Windows Server and SQL Server licences covered by Software Assurance can be reused through Azure Hybrid Benefit, which lowers the monthly price of those servers. On every platform we size servers from measured use, not from the old hardware, and quote the migration project and the expected monthly cloud bill separately.
Server migration in your country
Cloud services in Oman
Learn more: Cloud services in OmanCloud services in the UAE
Learn more: Cloud services in the UAECloud services in Qatar
Learn more: Cloud services in QatarGoogle Cloud in Saudi Arabia
Learn more: Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia
Frequently asked questions
What is a lift-and-shift migration?
A lift-and-shift migration moves an existing server to a cloud virtual machine without changing its operating system, applications or data. The server's disks are replicated to Azure, Google Cloud or AWS while it keeps running, then users switch to the cloud copy in a short cut-over. It is the quickest way to leave a server room, and you can modernise the app later.
Which servers can be moved as-is?
Most Windows Server and Linux servers running on VMware, Hyper-V or physical hardware can be moved as-is, including file servers, application servers, web servers and SQL Server databases. The exceptions are servers that need local hardware (licence dongles, scanners, machine controllers), very old operating systems outside the cloud provider's support list, and apps whose licence is tied to a hardware ID. The assessment flags these.
How much downtime should we expect?
Expect a short planned cut-over per application, not days of downtime. Disks replicate continuously while the server keeps running, so the cut-over only covers the final sync, start-up and DNS changes. AWS describes its cut-over windows as typically minutes. Allow extra time for app testing, which is why we schedule cut-overs for an evening or weekend and agree each window with you.
Azure, Google Cloud or AWS for lift-and-shift?
Azure is usually the best fit for Windows Server and SQL Server estates, because existing licences can be reused through Azure Hybrid Benefit and it has regions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. AWS suits mixed Linux estates and has regions in Bahrain and the UAE. Google Cloud, with regions in Doha and Dammam, suits data workloads. We compare monthly costs for your servers before you choose.
Is there a cloud region in Oman?
No. Azure, Google Cloud and AWS do not operate a public cloud region in Oman as of October 2026. Omani companies typically use the UAE, Qatar or Bahrain regions, which are close enough for normal business apps. If your requirements call for data to stay in Oman, we look at local hosting options instead. See cloud services in Oman.
What happens to our servers after the migration?
The cloud servers need the same care as before: patching, backup, monitoring and security. We can run these under a managed IT support contract, set up server backup and review the monthly bill to right-size servers. Your old hardware stays in place, switched off or read-only, until you confirm everything works.
Start with a short cloud assessment
Send us a list of your servers and what runs on them. The short cloud assessment is free and suggests a provider and region; the full migration plan, with cut-over dates and a monthly cost estimate per server, is a paid service.
