Climate Resilience & AdaptationCloud & Digital Securitycloud computingCloud in Financial ServicesCloud in Retail & E-commerce
The Caribbean Cloud Migration Disaster: Why ‘Lift and Shift’ Costs 3x More Than Staying On-Premise (And What to Do Instead)
February 9, 2026by Dr Dawkins Brown
Caribbean mid-sized company decides to “move to the cloud.” Current on-premise costs: $83K/year (hardware $8K, IT staff $45K, electricity/cooling $12K, licenses $18K). Cloud consultant: “Move to AWS. $66K/year, save $17K annually!” Board approves. Consultant recommends “lift and shift”: Replicate current setup in cloud. Fastest path. 6 months later. First AWS bill: $18,400/month (projected $5,500)....
