Not every workload should migrate the same way — and not every migration strategy prepares you equally for the AI era. The 8 Rs of migration — retire, rehost, replatform, refactor, rearchitect, replace, rebuild, and retain — must now be viewed through the lens of AI readiness.
The 8 Rs, Updated for AI
• Retire – Eliminate redundant systems to simplify AI integration.
• Rehost – Fast lift-and-shift to cloud IaaS; use to gain Copilot-ready infrastructure quickly.
• Replatform – Move to PaaS (e.g., Azure SQL, AWS RDS) to enable copilots with minimal changes.
• Refactor – Strategically modernize application code to expose business functions as APIs. These APIs become the ‘tools’ that AI agents use to perform tasks, forming the building blocks of your autonomous enterprise.
• Rearchitect – For maximum agility, break down monolithic applications into microservices. This allows intelligent AI agents to orchestrate complex, cross-functional workflows with precision and speed.
• Replace – Adopt SaaS copilots (Dynamics 365 Copilot, Salesforce Einstein) instead of maintaining in-house apps.
• Rebuild – Create cloud-native solutions with AI in mind from day one.
• Retain – Keep some workloads where they are, but connect them with AI using secure APIs.
Practical Example
• An on-premise Oracle ERP can be replatformed to Oracle Database@Azure, giving it the low-latency performance needed for real-time AI agents to query financial data without user friction.
• HR apps might be replaced with SaaS + Copilot integration.
• Custom analytics can be refactored for AI-driven reporting.
Key Takeaway
The 8 Rs are still the backbone of migration — but in 2025, the measure of success is how well they prepare you for Copilot and AI agent adoption.
Choosing the right migration strategy is the first step. Let our Cloud & AI Migration Architects help you build the perfect roadmap. Get your free AI-Readiness Assessment today.