Azure Cloud Migration, Done Right the First Time, For Businesses Across Canada
Moving workloads to Microsoft Azure reduces your on-premises hardware costs, improves resilience, and unlocks productivity tools that are difficult to run on local servers. But a poorly planned migration can result in higher costs, performance problems, or data loss. North Star plans and executes Azure migrations for BC and AB businesses with a fixed-scope approach: we agree on what moves, when it moves, and what it will cost before anything is touched.
Moving workloads to Microsoft Azure can reduce your on-premises hardware costs, improve resilience, and give your team access to productivity and security tools that are difficult to operate on local servers. But a migration planned around the cheapest lift possible tends to produce Azure environments that cost more than expected, perform worse than on-premises, and leave security gaps that take years to identify.
North Star IT, based in Prince George, BC, approaches Azure migrations differently: we scope the project fully before touching anything, design an architecture you can understand and manage, and apply security baselines during the migration so you land in Azure in a better security posture than you left.
We serve SMBs across British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon with fixed-scope Azure migration projects and optional ongoing managed services after cutover.
What Is Involved in an Azure Migration?
An Azure migration starts with a discovery and assessment phase: North Star documents your current environment, servers, applications, data volumes, dependencies, and network configuration, and produces a target Azure architecture based on your actual workloads and business requirements.
The target design covers virtual machine sizing based on actual utilisation, storage account configuration, networking (virtual networks, subnets, NSGs, peering), identity integration with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), and licensing optimisation through Azure Hybrid Benefit where applicable.
The migration is executed in phases with tested rollback procedures. Parallel running keeps your existing environment operational during the migration period, and the final cutover is scheduled, communicated, and monitored. After cutover, North Star monitors the Azure environment for performance and cost anomalies and delivers right-sizing recommendations in the first 30 days.
Security is integrated throughout: Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Entra ID Conditional Access policies, and appropriate resource locks are configured as part of the migration, not proposed as follow-on work.
What North Star Delivers
Assessment
Discovery and readiness assessment before a dollar is committed. We document what you have, what it costs to run on-premises, and what equivalent Azure resources will cost. You see the business case before committing to the migration.
Architecture Design
A documented Azure landing zone: virtual machines, storage, networking, identity, and licensing. Built to Microsoft's Cloud Adoption Framework standards, sized to your actual workloads, and reviewed with you before provisioning begins.
Migration Execution
Phased migration with parallel running. Critical workloads migrate last, after the process is proven on lower-risk systems. Every step has a documented rollback. Cutover windows are agreed with you in advance and staffed by North Star throughout.
Identity Integration
Azure Active Directory (Entra ID) integration, Conditional Access policies, and hybrid identity configuration (Azure AD Connect or cloud-only, depending on your environment). MFA enforced by default. Security defaults or named policies, documented and tested.
Security Configuration
Microsoft Defender for Cloud enabled and configured, resource group locks applied, audit logging configured, and an initial Secure Score review completed. You leave the migration with security controls you can demonstrate, not just describe.
Post-Migration Support
30-day post-cutover monitoring and right-sizing review included. Transition to ongoing Azure managed service available.
How It Works
Step 1, Discover
Environment documentation: every server, application, dependency, and configuration audited. Current costs modelled. Azure target costs estimated. No guessing.
Step 2, Design
Azure architecture documented. Migration plan produced with sequenced workloads, rollback procedures, cutover schedule, and security baseline specifications.
Step 3, Migrate
Phased execution. Parallel running throughout. Monitoring on both environments. Cutover in an agreed window.
Step 4, Stabilise
30 days of post-cutover monitoring, right-sizing, and security remediation. Transition to managed service or handoff with full documentation.
Who This Is For
- BC, Alberta, or Yukon businesses running on ageing on-premises Windows Server infrastructure facing a hardware refresh decision
- Organisations already using Microsoft 365 that want their identity and infrastructure in the same Microsoft ecosystem
- Businesses inheriting an Azure environment without proper security baselines, tagging, or cost controls
- Companies evaluating Azure versus AWS and wanting an honest assessment before committing to either
Why North Star IT
North Star is a Prince George, BC-based MSP with deep Azure expertise and a fixed-fee project model. We are not an Azure reseller that hands the technical work to a third-party subcontractor, our team does the work and stays accountable for the outcome.
Security is applied during the migration, not proposed afterward. Costs are modelled before you commit, not discovered after. And we do not disappear at go-live, post-migration support is included, not an add-on.
What buyers ask before they sign.
How long does an Azure migration take?
For a typical SMB with five to 25 servers and 20 to 100 users, an Azure migration takes four to 12 weeks from project kick-off to final cutover. Larger or more complex environments take longer. The assessment phase alone typically takes one to two weeks.
How much does an Azure migration cost?
Migration project fees depend on scope: number of servers, applications, and complexity. A straightforward SMB migration is typically $5,000 to $20,000 in professional services. Azure running costs after migration vary widely based on your workloads but are often lower than equivalent on-premises hardware over a three-year horizon.
Will there be downtime during the migration?
North Star plans migrations to minimise downtime. Most workloads can be migrated with a cutover window of a few hours, scheduled for a weekend or after-hours period. Some legacy applications may require longer windows. Downtime requirements are documented during the assessment phase.
Can we keep some workloads on-premises and move others to Azure?
Yes. Hybrid cloud is a valid and common outcome - some workloads stay on-premises (often for latency or regulatory reasons) and others move to Azure. North Star designs the connectivity between your on-premises environment and Azure as part of the migration.
Does North Star manage our Azure environment after the migration?
Yes. North Star offers ongoing Azure managed services covering monitoring, patching, backup management, cost optimisation, and security. This is separate from the migration project and priced as a monthly retainer.
Ready to plan your Azure migration?
Tell us about your environment and we will come back with a scoped proposal in two business days. No obligation, no pressure.
Start Your Free Assessment Back to CloudFrequently asked questions
What are the main benefits of Azure cloud migration services Canada?
Migrating to Azure offers Canadian businesses unparalleled scalability, improved reliability, and enhanced security. By utilising Azure cloud migration services Canada, companies can ensure their data remains within Canadian borders for compliance while reducing the high overhead costs associated with maintaining physical servers. This transition allows your team to focus on growth while Northstar IT manages the underlying technology.
How long does a typical Microsoft Azure migration take?
The timeline for a Microsoft Azure migration varies based on the complexity and volume of your data. A standard migration typically includes a discovery phase, strategy development, the actual data transfer, and post-migration testing. While small environments might take a few weeks, larger enterprise migrations can take several months. Northstar IT works to minimise downtime throughout every stage.
Does Northstar IT provide post-migration support for Azure?
Yes, Northstar IT provides comprehensive post-migration support. Our 24/7 helpdesk is always available to resolve user issues, while our technical team provides proactive monitoring and maintenance. We also offer regular cloud cost reviews to ensure you are not overspending on resources, helping you keep your Azure environment efficient and secure as your business evolves in Western Canada.
Can you help migrate legacy on-premises servers to Azure?
Northstar IT specialises in migrating legacy on-premises systems to the cloud. We assess whether a lift-and-shift approach, refactoring, or a hybrid cloud model is best for your specific business needs. Our goal is to modernise your infrastructure, ensuring that even older applications can run effectively and securely within the modern Azure environment.
Is data security guaranteed during the cloud migration process?
Security is our top priority during every Azure cloud migration. We implement strict encryption protocols for data in transit and at rest. Our team also configures identity and access management (IAM) settings to ensure only authorised personnel can access sensitive information. By partnering with a security-first provider like Northstar IT, you gain peace of mind that your migration meets industry standards.