Convincing the business to migrate

Convincing the business to migrate from BizTalk → Azure Integration Services (AIS) is less about the technical “why” and more about framing the value in business language.

Below are some tips on how to do this effectively.

1. Speak in Business Value, Not Tech

Instead of “Logic Apps are serverless,” frame it as:

• Agility: Faster onboarding of new partners/customers (weeks → days).

• Cost Control: Pay only for what you use, no large server/licensing renewals.

• Risk Reduction: Avoid end-of-life and costly upgrades (BizTalk 2020 support ends ~2030).

• Future-Proofing: Connect easily with SaaS (Dynamics 365, Salesforce, ServiceNow) and emerging services (AI, IoT).

2. Use Financial Justification

• Compare TCO of BizTalk vs Azure (licenses, infra, support).

• Show avoided costs (BizTalk upgrade projects, hardware refreshes).

• Present ROI timeline (e.g., migration cost recovered within 18–24 months).

• Highlight elastic scaling = no wasted capacity.

3. Show Risk of Doing Nothing

• Support Lifecycle: BizTalk roadmap is limited, with no innovation.

• Skills Risk: Fewer engineers know BizTalk → harder/more expensive to support.

• Opportunity Cost: Competitors adopt SaaS/API ecosystems faster.

• Compliance Risk: Harder to meet evolving security, residency, and audit needs on legacy infra.

4. Use Success Stories / Benchmarks

• Microsoft case studies of BizTalk → Azure migrations (finance, retail, healthcare).

• Analyst insights (Gartner, Forrester: cloud-native integration is a strategic priority).

• Industry peers moving to AIS.

5. Propose a Low-Risk Pilot

• Don’t ask for a big bang migration up front.

• Propose a 3-month pilot on one simple integration (e.g., a file transfer or SaaS connector).

• Show measurable benefits: faster delivery, reduced infra effort, predictable cost.

• Use this as a “lighthouse project” to win trust.

6. Frame it in PMO / Executive Language

• Business Case: Lower TCO, improved agility, innovation.

• Strategic Alignment: Matches digital/cloud-first roadmap.

• Risk Management: Reduces legacy/skills/support exposure.

• Customer Impact: Improves speed, resilience, security.

7. Build Allies

• Finance (CFO/FinOps) → highlight cost savings and predictability.

• Operations (COO) → emphasize resilience, less manual ops.

• Technology (CIO/CTO) → stress future-proof architecture.

• Business Units → show faster partner/customer onboarding.

✅ In practice:

• Lead with a financial & risk story (cost savings + avoid obsolescence).

• Back it with a pilot plan (quick win, low disruption).

• Wrap it in a roadmap (phased migration, no big bang).

Migration Pitch Deck

Below is a pitch deck to help you talk to the business about a migration.