Linux has long been the backbone of innovation, powering everything from application servers to complex analytics workloads. But as the technology landscape accelerates, many of these mission-critical Linux environments remain stuck in the past — running on aging, siloed infrastructure that’s increasingly expensive to maintain and difficult to secure.

Organizations don’t just need to modernize. They need to position themselves for what’s next — and that means rethinking where and how Linux workloads should live.

Microsoft Azure offers the most complete platform for Linux in the cloud, and for organizations looking to consolidate, reduce risk, and unlock new levels of agility, the time to act is now.

The Market Is Moving — Fast

We’re at an inflection point. Enterprises are under pressure to do more with less, all while maintaining compliance, improving performance, and preparing for the rise of AI-driven workloads. The cloud isn’t just a cost decision anymore. It’s a strategic one.

According to Microsoft and IDC, over 60% of compute cores running in Azure today are Linux-based — and this number continues to climb as organizations migrate away from VMware and modernize their infrastructure. Meanwhile, AI is reshaping application architecture. With tools like OpenAI and Copilot built on Linux in Azure, it’s clear that cloud-native Linux is no longer the future — it’s the present.

Staying on-premises may feel familiar, but it’s becoming increasingly expensive and risky. Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, and 95% of cloud breaches stem from misconfiguration or mismanagement. When your Linux estate is fragmented across outdated systems and disparate vendors, visibility shrinks and your exposure widens.

At the same time, economic pressure is mounting. Licensing shifts and post-acquisition uncertainty surrounding VMware are prompting IT leaders to re-evaluate their strategies — and Azure provides a clear, flexible path forward.

Linux on Azure: Built for What’s Next

Azure isn’t just Windows-first. It’s a fully open platform with broad support for Linux distributions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE, Ubuntu, and Debian. With Microsoft’s own Azure Linux distribution optimized for Kubernetes, and deep support for containerization and DevOps, the experience is cloud-native by design.

Beyond compatibility, Azure offers unparalleled scale, availability, and geographic reach — with more regions than AWS and Google Cloud combined. For workloads that demand elasticity, low latency, and high resiliency, Azure delivers the infrastructure and performance to match.

But where Azure truly shines is in its ability to evolve with you. Organizations can begin with a simple rehost, then progressively modernize to PaaS services like Azure Database for MySQL or PostgreSQL, or embrace managed Kubernetes for container workloads. It’s not an all-or-nothing move — it’s a journey, and Azure meets you at every stage.

Where Oakwood Comes In

At Oakwood, we help organizations make this journey with confidence. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner with deep infrastructure and Linux expertise, Oakwood has guided clients through complex migrations across hybrid, multicloud, and on-premises environments.

We start by understanding your landscape — what workloads you run, where they live, and what challenges you’re facing. From there, we build a tailored migration strategy that aligns to your business goals, unlocks immediate ROI, and sets a foundation for long-term success. Our team also helps clients tap into Microsoft’s migration funding programs — including Azure Migrate & Modernize — to reduce the financial and operational risk of moving to the cloud.

Whether you’re looking to exit a datacenter, consolidate tools, harden your security posture, or enable your developers to build modern applications — Oakwood delivers a roadmap, not just a migration.

Ready to Talk Strategy?

The value of migrating your Linux workloads to Azure isn’t just in the infrastructure — it’s in what you unlock by making the move. Better security. Lower costs. Faster innovation. And a future-ready foundation for AI and automation.

If your Linux environment is overdue for a refresh — or your team is feeling the pressure of rising costs and limited agility — now is the time to start the conversation.

Oakwood can help you:

• Assess your current Linux footprint
• Prioritize workloads for migration
• Explore funding opportunities
• Execute with speed, security, and precision

Contact The Oakwood Team Today!