Best cloud migration consulting companies and how to choose one
Country Manager, India
AI, Manufacturing, DevOps, and Managed Services. 17+ years across Manufacturing, E-commerce, Retail, NBFC & Banking
The best cloud migration consulting companies fall into four groups: global systems integrators such as Accenture, Deloitte and Capgemini; large IT services firms such as TCS, Infosys and Tietoevry; hyperscaler-specialist partners and MSPs; and the cloud providers' own professional services. The right one is the firm whose verified credentials, team and method match your workloads, size and region.
Key takeaways
- No independent ranking of migration consultancies exists. Shortlist by partner type, then verify each firm's credentials yourself in the AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud partner directories.
- Global integrators suit multi-year, multi-region programmes. Specialist partners and MSPs usually move faster and cost less for focused migrations of tens to hundreds of workloads.
- A good engagement follows a phased method, for example AWS's Assess, Mobilize, Migrate and Modernize, and decides one of the 7 Rs for every application.
- Microsoft is retiring the Azure Expert MSP programme: no new enrolments from 15 September 2026 and renewals end in January 2027, so check which Azure credentials a partner still holds.
- Ask to meet the engineers who will do the work, and require a pilot wave before the main migration.
What does a cloud migration consulting company do?
It plans and runs the move of your applications, databases and infrastructure from a data centre (or another cloud) to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud. The work usually covers discovery, a business case, the target architecture, the migration waves themselves and handover to whoever runs the platform afterwards.
Most firms do not stop at the "lift". They also refactor selected applications, set up landing zones and security controls, and often offer managed services after cutover. That last point matters: the firm that migrates you is frequently the firm that operates you, so you are choosing a multi-year relationship, not a project vendor.
Types of cloud migration consulting firms
Comparing Accenture with a 100-person AWS partner on the same scorecard is not useful. They solve different problems. Start by deciding which type of firm fits your programme.
| Firm type | Examples | Typical fit | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global systems integrators | Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini, Cognizant, IBM Consulting | Multi-year, multi-country programmes; regulated sectors; migration combined with ERP or business change | Higher day rates and overhead; the senior team in the pitch may not be the team that delivers |
| Large IT services and outsourcing firms | TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech (India); Tietoevry, CGI (Nordics) | Large application estates, offshore or nearshore delivery, migration bundled with application management | Contract structures can be rigid; check how much cloud-native engineering they do versus rehosting |
| Hyperscaler-specialist partners and MSPs | Regional AWS, Azure and Google Cloud partners, including Opsio (the publisher of this article) | Mid-market and enterprise migrations of tens to a few hundred workloads; migration followed by managed operations | Smaller bench; confirm depth on your specific platform and any industry regulation |
| Cloud provider professional services | AWS Professional Services, Microsoft Industry Solutions Delivery, Google Cloud Consulting | Architecture guidance and complex first-of-a-kind workloads, usually alongside a partner | Tied to one platform; capacity is limited and they often bring in partners for execution |
Well-known cloud migration consulting companies
The firms below are well known for cloud migration work. We describe them by type and focus, not by an invented score. Check each firm's current partner status before you invite it to tender.
Global systems integrators
Accenture, Deloitte and Capgemini run large cloud practices on all three major platforms. They are strongest when migration is part of a wider change: a new operating model, an ERP move, or a programme spanning many countries and business units. Cognizant and IBM Consulting sit in the same tier, with long histories in application management and modernisation of legacy estates.
Large IT services firms in India and the Nordics
TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCLTech combine cloud migration with large offshore delivery centres in India. They suit organisations that already outsource application maintenance and want migration and run-state in one contract. In the Nordics, Tietoevry and CGI are common choices for public-sector and enterprise clients that want local delivery and Nordic-language support.
Hyperscaler-specialist partners
This group includes many regional firms that focus on one or two cloud platforms. Devoteam, for example, is a European consultancy known for its Google Cloud and AWS practices. Specialists like these tend to be faster to mobilise and closer to the platform's engineering teams. Many also run the environment after migration as a managed service provider.
Opsio, the publisher of this article, is in this group. We are an AWS partner with offices in Karlstad, Sweden and Bangalore, India, and we deliver AWS migration services as well as Azure and Google Cloud migrations. Weigh what we write here with that in mind.
How to verify a migration partner's credentials
Use the cloud providers' own directories and programme pages rather than a firm's logo slide. Partner tiers and specialisations change every year.
- AWS: search the AWS Partner Solutions Finder for the firm and filter on migration expertise. AWS's Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) is delivered with AWS Migration Competency Partners, so ask whether the firm can run a MAP engagement and access MAP funding for you.
- Microsoft Azure: look for Azure specialisations relevant to your estate (for example infrastructure, databases or SAP). Note that Microsoft is retiring the Azure Expert MSP programme: it stops accepting new enrolments on 15 September 2026 and renewals end in January 2027. A partner citing that badge in 2027 should explain what replaces it.
- Google Cloud: use the Google Cloud partner finder and check for migration-related specialisations, not just a partner tier.
- References: ask for two customers with a similar estate and size, and speak to them without the vendor on the call.
What should a cloud migration engagement include?
A credible firm works in phases and can show you the deliverables of each one. AWS describes its MAP method as three phases: Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate and Modernize. The Assess phase looks at readiness across the six perspectives of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework and builds a TCO model. Microsoft's Cloud Adoption Framework migrate guidance covers the same ground: readiness, workload prioritisation, migration sequencing and data transfer methods.
Assessment
Discovery of servers, applications and dependencies; a business case with costs and risks; the target architecture; and a roadmap. Ask how dependencies are discovered (tooling plus interviews), because undocumented links between applications cause most late surprises.
Mobilize and pilot
Landing zone, identity, networking, security baselines and a pilot migration of a few representative workloads. The pilot is where the firm proves its runbooks on your systems before the large waves start.
Migration waves
Every application gets a strategy. AWS Prescriptive Guidance lists seven migration strategies, the 7 Rs: retire, retain, rehost, relocate, repurchase, replatform, and refactor or re-architect. For large migrations AWS recommends mostly rehosting, relocating or replatforming first and modernising afterwards, because refactoring during the move is the most complex option. A firm that wants to refactor everything up front deserves hard questions.
Handover or managed operations
Runbooks, monitoring, backup, patching, cost reporting and a clear owner for each. If the firm will also run the platform, agree the SLA and the exit terms before migration starts.
How to choose the right cloud migration partner
Use the checklist below in your RFP and in reference calls. A firm that cannot answer these clearly is a risk regardless of its size.
- Platform depth: verified credentials on the platform you are moving to, and engineers certified on it who will be named in the contract.
- Similar work: at least two references with a comparable number of workloads, the same databases (for example Oracle, SQL Server or PostgreSQL) and a similar regulatory context.
- Method: a written phase plan with deliverables, a pilot wave and a rollback plan for each cutover.
- Data residency and compliance: for EU organisations, clarity on regions, GDPR processing roles and, where relevant, NIS2 obligations. For Indian organisations, alignment with the DPDP Act and any sector rules.
- Commercials: fixed price per phase or wave where scope is clear, time and materials only where it is not. Ask whether cloud provider funding programmes apply.
- Run-state: who operates the platform after cutover, at what service level, and how you can switch provider later.
- Cost control: tagging, budgets and rightsizing set up during migration, not months after. Ask how the firm handles FinOps and cloud cost management.
Application and data warehouse migration: what is different?
Application and data warehouse migrations need different skills from server rehosting. Ask for separate references for each.
Application migration consulting
The firm needs developers as well as infrastructure engineers. Expect code-level assessment, changes to configuration and networking, CI/CD pipelines and testing in the new environment. A clear cloud migration testing strategy is the best indicator that the team has done this before.
Data warehouse migration
Moving a data warehouse to Amazon Redshift, Azure Synapse or Fabric, BigQuery or Snowflake is mostly about schemas, ETL jobs, reports and data validation, not servers. Ask how the firm converts stored procedures and ETL logic, how it reconciles row counts and totals between old and new systems, and how long it runs both in parallel. Our database migration service page describes how we approach this work.
Common migration risks and how good firms handle them
- Hidden dependencies: handled with dependency mapping tools plus application-owner interviews before wave planning.
- Cost overruns: handled with a TCO model in assessment, budgets and alerts from day one, and rightsizing after each wave.
- Downtime at cutover: handled with rehearsed cutovers, agreed service windows and tested rollback.
- Security gaps: handled by building identity, logging and patching into the landing zone before workloads move.
- Skills gaps in your team: handled by pairing your engineers with the partner's during waves, so knowledge stays in-house.
For tools that support the assessment phase, see our guide to cloud migration assessment tools.
How Opsio helps
Opsio plans and runs migrations to AWS, Azure and Google Cloud and can operate the platform afterwards as a managed service provider. One example is SilverRail Technologies, which builds digital infrastructure for rail. SilverRail wanted to migrate its Nordic branch and merge it with its global organisation onto one primary platform, AWS.
The engagement followed three phases. In Assessment, Opsio analysed infrastructure and needs with SilverRail's architects, set the target AWS architecture and built a business case. In Mobilize, a pilot test-migrated selected workloads and the process was adjusted based on the results. In Migrate, the team moved data with native PostgreSQL tools, placed databases and batch servers to reduce latency, set up AWS Control Tower, Systems Manager and Patch Manager, and ran cutovers in tight service windows to limit customer impact. For scale, SilverRail's platform handles more than 1 billion rail searches a year; that is a figure about SilverRail's business, not a result of the migration.
If you are comparing partners, we are happy to answer the checklist above for your workloads. See our cloud migration services for how we scope an engagement.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the best cloud migration consulting companies?
There is no independent ranking. Well-known options include global integrators (Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini, Cognizant), large IT services firms (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Tietoevry, CGI) and hyperscaler-specialist partners. The best fit is the firm with verified credentials on your platform and references for similar workloads.
What are the best AWS consulting firms for enterprise cloud migration?
Look for firms that appear in the AWS Partner Solutions Finder with migration expertise and that can run an AWS Migration Acceleration Program engagement. Then compare references from enterprises of your size and industry, and the named team each firm proposes.
How much does cloud migration consulting cost?
It depends on the number of workloads, how many need replatforming or refactoring, and compliance requirements. Ask for a priced assessment first; it should produce a costed plan for the migration waves. AWS MAP and similar programmes can offset part of the initial cost for eligible projects.
How long does a cloud migration take?
A handful of rehosted applications can move in weeks. Large estates are migrated in waves over many months. The assessment should give you a wave plan with dates, and the pilot will show whether those dates are realistic.
Should we use a global consultancy or a specialist partner?
Use a global integrator when migration is part of a large, multi-country change programme. Use a specialist partner or MSP when the priority is moving a defined set of workloads quickly and running them well afterwards. Some organisations use both: the integrator for programme management and a specialist for platform engineering.
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About the Author
Country Manager, India
Praveena leads Opsio's India operations, bringing 17+ years of cross-industry experience spanning AI, manufacturing, DevOps, and managed services.
Editorial standards: This article was written by a certified practitioner, named in the byline above. We revise it when the technology or regulation it covers changes; the dates above show the latest update. Opsio maintains editorial independence — we recommend solutions on technical merit, not commercial relationships.
