Cloud Migration & DevOps for UK SaaS and Regulated Teams
Cloud migration is the process of moving your applications, databases, and infrastructure off on-premise servers or a current provider onto a cloud platform like AWS, with low downtime. MicroPyramid is a 12-year-old engineering team that migrates UK startups, SaaS, and regulated teams to AWS and runs the DevOps that keeps them there: assessment, low-downtime cutover, Infrastructure as Code, and CI/CD.
What a UK Cloud Migration Actually Involves
A cloud migration moves your workloads (applications, databases, file storage, and the infrastructure around them) off ageing on-premise servers or a costly current provider and onto a cloud platform, almost always AWS for UK teams. The right approach for each workload depends on your timeline, your risk appetite, and how much technical debt you want to leave behind.
For UK businesses the constraints are specific. Enterprise customers increasingly ask where data is stored before they sign, and regulated sectors (proptech, healthtech, and public sector) expect data residency and audit trails as a baseline. Deploying to AWS eu-west-2 (London) keeps production data, backups, and infrastructure inside the UK, with eu-west-1 (Ireland) available for EU workloads where it fits.
We plan every migration around low downtime rather than a risky big-bang cutover: dependencies and total cost of ownership are mapped first, data moves with change-data-capture replication, infrastructure is defined in Terraform so it is reviewable and reproducible, and CI/CD pipelines make releases routine. After go-live we right-size for cost in GBP terms and keep supporting your team, so the migration is the start of a stable platform, not a new set of fires to fight.
Why UK Teams Migrate With Us
Three reasons UK founders and engineering leads choose MicroPyramid for cloud migration and DevOps over a local agency or a generic offshore team
Security & UK Data Residency
Migration architecture, storage, and third-party choices are made with compliance in mind, and AWS eu-west-2 (London) keeps UK data in-country, with eu-west-1 (Ireland) available where it genuinely fits.
GBP Billing & AWS Spend Control
Our invoices are in GBP, collected via Stripe or GoCardless Direct Debit, no currency-conversion friction. We also help you read and control your AWS bill in GBP terms, so cloud cost stays predictable rather than creeping up quietly.
Clear Ownership, Zero-Drama Cutovers
The engineers who scope your assessment are the ones who plan and run your zero or low-downtime move to AWS. You will not be handed to a junior delivery layer mid-cutover.
Cloud & DevOps Services for UK Teams
Six services covering the full journey: from AWS migration and data moves to Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, and ongoing cost control
Cloud Migration to AWS
Move workloads off ageing on-premise servers or a costly current provider onto AWS: lift-and-shift, re-platform, or re-architect, scoped to your risk appetite. UK data stays in eu-west-2 (London) where residency matters.
- Lift-and-shift or re-platform
- AWS eu-west-2 (London) residency
- Dependency and TCO mapping
Database & Data Migration
Migrate PostgreSQL, MySQL, and managed databases with low-downtime cutovers and full validation. We use change-data-capture replication so UK production data moves without data loss or extended outages.
- CDC replication for low downtime
- RDS and Aurora managed migration
- Validation and rollback plans
Containerisation & Re-architecture
Repackage applications into Docker containers and run them on ECS or EKS, or move targeted workloads to serverless. Cloud-native architecture that auto-scales for UK SaaS and proptech traffic patterns.
- Docker and ECS/EKS
- Serverless where it fits
- Auto-scaling and high availability
CI/CD Pipelines
Replace manual deploys with automated GitHub Actions pipelines: build, test, and ship on every merge. Your UK team gets repeatable releases, faster cycles, and far fewer late-night deployment incidents.
- GitHub Actions pipelines
- Automated testing and rollbacks
- Staging and production parity
Infrastructure as Code
Define your whole cloud estate in Terraform so it is versioned, reviewable, and reproducible. No more snowflake servers nobody dares touch. Every change goes through code review, the way your UK team already works.
- Terraform-managed infrastructure
- Reproducible environments
- Reviewable, audited changes
Cost Optimisation & Managed Cloud
Get your AWS spend under control in GBP terms: right-sizing, reserved capacity, and ongoing monitoring. We keep the lights on after go-live with ongoing support, not a faceless queue.
- AWS spend control in GBP terms
- Right-sizing and reserved capacity
- Ongoing monitoring and support
Best Fit For
- UK proptech, SaaS, and regulated teams moving to AWS with data residency in mind
- startups and SMBs that need a low-downtime migration owned end-to-end by the engineers who scope it
- teams that want CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and repeatable deploys instead of manual releases
- companies that need their AWS spend brought under control and kept there in GBP terms
Not the Right Fit When
- one-off server tweaks with no migration, automation, or architecture work behind them
- engagements looking only for hands to run an existing pipeline without ownership
- multi-cloud strategies where AWS is explicitly off the table from the start
- teams wanting a cloud badge rather than measurable cost, reliability, or residency outcomes
How a UK Cloud Migration Runs
A structured process that minimises downtime and risk: assessment and architecture before anything moves to AWS
Discovery & Assessment
We audit your current infrastructure, map dependencies, and calculate total cost of ownership and realistic AWS savings before anything moves.
Architecture & Residency Design
We design the target AWS architecture with high availability, disaster recovery, and UK data residency in eu-west-2 (London) baked in from the start.
Migrate With IaC & Low Downtime
We provision with Terraform, migrate data with CDC replication, wire up CI/CD, and run a controlled cutover that keeps downtime to a minimum.
Optimise & Support
After go-live we monitor, right-size for cost, tune performance, and support your UK team directly, not through a ticket queue.
The Stack Behind UK Cloud Delivery
AWS-native compute and data, with Terraform and GitHub Actions for repeatable delivery, deployed to eu-west-2 (London) for UK data residency, or eu-west-1 (Ireland) where it fits
Compute & Containers
Data & Storage
IaC & CI/CD
How to Get Started as a UK Team
Every engagement starts with a fixed-scope Cloud Assessment: an audit, migration roadmap, and AWS cost projection before any move. All engagements billed in GBP.
Cloud Assessment
Every engagement starts here
A fixed-scope audit of your current infrastructure with a migration roadmap, AWS cost projection in GBP, and a clear residency plan, before you commit to a full move.
- Infrastructure and dependency audit
- Migration strategy and roadmap
- AWS cost projection in GBP
- UK data residency plan
Full Migration
End-to-end migration to AWS with Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, low-downtime cutover, and a defined post-go-live support window for your UK team.
- End-to-end AWS migration
- IaC and CI/CD set up
- Low-downtime cutover and post-go-live support
Managed Cloud & DevOps
Ongoing management of your AWS estate (monitoring, cost optimisation, security, and pipeline maintenance).
- Monitoring and incident response
- Cost optimisation in GBP terms
- Retainer or time-and-material
Platforms We Build and Run on AWS
Production platforms we built and operate on AWS. They are product builds rather than migration projects; each links to the full case study.
RunCode
Our cloud-based coding platform with multiple language support, collaboration workflows, and AI-assisted coding, running on Django, Docker, and Kubernetes on AWS.
Read the case studyOnlineCompiler.io
Sandboxed code execution for 12 languages with a REST API, WebSocket support, an embeddable widget, and containerized execution on Docker and Kubernetes on AWS.
Read the case studyRefactored.ai
Multi-tenant upskilling, assessment, and interview practice platform with AI-driven audio and video feedback, running on Kubernetes on AWS.
Read the case studyUK Cloud Migration FAQs
Straight answers to what UK founders, CTOs, and engineering leads ask us most.
Can you migrate to the cloud with zero or low downtime?
Yes, for most workloads. We keep the old and new systems in sync using change-data-capture (CDC) replication, rehearse the cutover in a staging environment, and keep a tested rollback plan ready, so the switch happens in a short, controlled window, often with no user-facing downtime at all. For UK SaaS teams where an outage means lost revenue or an SLA breach, the cutover is planned around your quietest traffic window.
Where will our data be stored, and can you guarantee UK data residency?
By default we deploy to AWS eu-west-2 (London), so your production data, backups, and infrastructure stay inside the UK, with eu-west-1 (Ireland) available for EU workloads where it genuinely fits. Keeping data in eu-west-2 is how we meet the UK data-residency expectations that enterprise customers and regulated sectors increasingly require before they will sign.
How do you keep data secure during a cloud migration?
We design residency, access, and auditability in from the start: data encrypted in transit and at rest, least-privilege IAM, audit logging, and a signed AWS Data Processing Agreement. We sign an NDA before any work begins.
Which cloud should we choose: AWS, Azure, or GCP?
It depends on your stack, your team’s skills, and the managed services you need. AWS is the safe default for most UK startups and SMBs given its breadth, its London region, and the UK hiring market; Azure suits Microsoft-centric or enterprise estates; GCP is strong for data and Kubernetes-heavy workloads. Most of our own work runs on AWS, deployed to eu-west-2 (London), so that is where our depth is; we will still tell you in the assessment when Azure or GCP is the better fit for a workload.
How long does a UK cloud migration take?
A single application typically takes a few weeks end to end; a multi-app SaaS platform is usually a couple of months; and a large or compliance-heavy estate runs longer as a phased programme. Exact timing depends on scope: the fixed-scope assessment gives you a realistic schedule and estimate before anything moves.
We have a legacy Django or Python app. Can you migrate and modernise it at the same time?
Yes. Django and Python are core to what we do. In a single engagement we can migrate the app to AWS and modernise the codebase (fixing performance and security issues, upgrading dependencies, and adding AI features) so you come out with a cleaner, future-ready product rather than the same technical debt running on new infrastructure. For deeper legacy rescue work, see our UK Modernization & Upgrades service.
Do you provide ongoing DevOps support after go-live?
Yes. Every migration includes post-go-live support and a documentation handover. If you want ongoing help, our Managed Cloud & DevOps engagement covers monitoring, incident response, cost control, security, and pipeline maintenance.
Do we own the infrastructure and code?
Yes. You own all infrastructure, Terraform, pipelines, and application code we build, committed to your repositories and provisioned in your own AWS account as we go. There is no vendor lock-in: if you later bring DevOps fully in-house, everything is documented and reproducible.
Move Your UK Workloads to the Cloud, Without the Chaos
If you need a team with GBP billing and data residency in eu-west-2 (London), we are ready to talk. We start with a clear assessment and a migration plan built around low downtime, not a leap of faith.