Cloud and Azure

The server in the cupboard has a use-by date. Plan the move.

Old servers fail, run out of support, and cost money to cool and repair. We move files, logins and business apps to Microsoft 365 and Azure out of hours, keep your data in Australia, and check the bill every month so it doesn't creep up.

Windows Server 2016 gets its last security update on 12 January 2027.

Plan our move Plan your server 07 3114 2808

Moved out of hours
Data kept in Australia
Bill checked monthly

Reviewed by Blake Bath, General Manager, on 31 October 2026.

A slim, nearly empty white wall cabinet with one small switch and tidy cables beside a potted plant in a bright office — **12 January 2027**Windows Server 2016's final security update.

What changes

What's different after the move.

No box to replace, cool or worry about.

The server goes

Files, logins and apps move to Microsoft 365 or Azure.

No hardware
No cooling
No surprises

What happens to our server?

What happens to your server?

Each job it does has a better home. This shows where.

Tell us what the server in the cupboard does. You get where each job should go.

What does it run? (pick all)

Which Windows Server?

What does the app vendor say?

Where it goes

The server can go

Files move to SharePoint and OneDrive, laid out by team.
Logins move to Microsoft Entra ID, with devices managed in Intune.
The business app moves to an Azure server in Australia, sized for what it needs.

Windows Server 2016 gets its last security update on 12 January 2027. Paid extended updates exist for Standard and Datacenter, but they only buy time.

Plan our move

The Microsoft date

Windows Server 2016 ends on 12 January 2027.

Microsoft's January 2027 security update is the last one for every edition of Windows Server 2016. After that, no more monthly security fixes. Windows Server 2016 Essentials features, including Remote Web Access, stop being supported the same day.

Extended Security Updates are available for Standard and Datacenter if you need more time. They're paid, and they buy time rather than solve anything.

What it costs

Watching the bill is part of the job.

In Flexera's 2026 State of the Cloud report, organisations estimated 29% of their cloud spend was wasted, the first rise in five years. Most of it is resources left running that nobody uses.

We review your Azure bill monthly and switch off what isn't needed. The move itself is quoted at $195 an hour ex GST, or $210 for weekend cutovers.

How we actually do it

Four steps, with a way back at each one.

Look at what you haveServers, apps, files and who uses them. What moves, what retires, what stays.
Plan and price itThe order, timing and monthly cloud cost, in writing, before anything moves.
Move itOut of hours, tested, with a way back if anything doesn't work.
Look after itUpdates, security, backups and cost checks from then on.

When this is the wrong choice

When the server should stay.

Software that must stay on siteSome vendors don't support cloud hosting. A smaller, newer server may be right.
Very large local filesCAD, video or imaging over slow internet can be painful in the cloud.
Poor internetFix the connection first, with a backup link.

Mistakes we see

What goes wrong with cloud moves.

Lift and shift everythingAn old server copied into Azure, running 24/7, costing more than it should.
Nobody watching the billTest machines left running for months.
No backup in the cloudAzure keeps it running, not necessarily recoverable.
Waiting until after support endsRushed moves cost more.
Forgetting the app vendorLicensing and support terms checked too late.

How we take it on

From cupboard to cloud.

Step 1Review
What the server does.
Step 2Plan
Order, timing and cost.
Step 3Move
Out of hours.
Step 4Retire
Old server switched off.
Step 5Run
Bill and backups checked.

Moving off the server touches everything else.

Usually done together.

Get help your way

Six ways to reach us. Pick whichever suits you.

Helpdesk hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm AEST. On Advantage and above, emergencies get a response within 1 hour and outages within 2, with 24/7 best-effort escalation.

Questions

What people ask about moving to the cloud.

Do we need to move to the cloud?

Not always. If an old server is due for replacement, moving is usually the better choice. Some software still runs best on site. We look at each system and tell you honestly which way to go.

Our server runs Windows Server 2016. How long have we got?

Microsoft's last security update for Windows Server 2016 is on 12 January 2027. Paid Extended Security Updates are available for Standard and Datacenter, but they buy time rather than fix the problem.

How long does a move take?

It depends on how many systems you have and how they connect. Small setups often move in a few weeks. You get a timeline with milestones before work starts.

Will it cost more than our server?

Sometimes the monthly cost is higher, but you stop paying for hardware replacements, power and emergency repairs. We show you both sides before you decide.

Can you move us from another provider?

Yes. From other hosting providers, data centres and AWS to Azure, and between Azure setups.

What does the move cost?

Quoted after we look at what you have, at our project rate of $195 an hour ex GST, and $210 for weekend cutovers. The monthly cloud cost is in the plan before you commit.

Next step