Arizona state cloud migrations: a zero-downtime playbook
Arizona agencies have shown that cloud modernization can deliver measurable impact—without disrupting citizen services. Drawing on public reports and our 15+ years partnering across AZ departments, here’s a concise playbook leaders can reuse.
What happened
Recent state cloud initiatives delivered outcomes that matter to executives and program owners:
- 99.9% uptime during transition windows.
- 30–40% infrastructure cost reduction post-migration.
- Service delivery 50% faster in pilot groups.
Why it worked
- Phased rollout with rehearsed cutovers and data parity checks.
- Change management—train the trainers, role-based comms, steady cadence.
- Governance first—clear ownership, policies, and audit trails.
- Targeted vendor support where the state needed specialty skills.
Risks & constraints to plan for
- Legacy integrations and archival/retention obligations.
- Identity, access, and data classification alignment across agencies.
- Procurement cycle alignment with project cadence; vendor lock-in guardrails.
How Arizona teams can apply this
- Start small: move low-risk services first to build confidence, then scale.
- Strangler pattern: run old and new in parallel; cut over when KPIs meet targets.
- Citizen experience lens: define SLAs and “no-downtime” windows up front.
- Measure what matters: uptime, cutover minutes, cost/VM, user satisfaction.
NOVA22 point of view
- Zero-downtime is achievable with rehearsed cutovers and rollback plans.
- Modular, budget-aware modernization aligns with AZ governance and funding cycles.
- Cross-department playbooks accelerate learning and lower risk.
Next step
Want a 90-day, phased cloud migration plan tailored to your agency? We’ll map waves, risks, key milestones, and cutover rehearsal dates—then stand up the first pilot.
Attribution
Analysis based on Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology and State CIO publications. Commentary by NOVA22. Original implementation credit to participating agencies. See source overview: Arizona cloud modernization reports.
