Companies migrate to reduce the burden of running their own hardware, to scale more easily or to reach cloud AI and data services. The approach varies: some applications move largely as they are, some are adjusted to use managed services, and some are rebuilt or replaced.
For example, an aging order management application on a single office server might move to managed hosting and a managed database on Azure, with backups and access controls defined along the way. The misconception is that the cloud is automatically cheaper. Without right-sizing, clear ownership and cost monitoring, monthly bills can exceed the old setup, which is why migration planning should include FinOps from the start.