Migrating from BizTalk to Azure Integration Services: A Strategic Imperative

Introduction 

Microsoft BizTalk Server, widely adopted for enterprise integration, is approaching end-of-life, with mainstream support ending in April 2028. For decision-makers, transitioning from BizTalk is now strategically essential. Continuing with unsupported BizTalk infrastructure carries significant operational risks, higher costs, and technological obsolescence. Azure Integration Services (AIS) is Microsoft's modern, cloud-based integration suite designed as the natural successor to BizTalk, offering improved scalability, agility, and access to advanced innovations like artificial intelligence (AI). 

Why Move Away from BizTalk?
 

End-of-Life Risks 

• Exposure to security vulnerabilities due to the absence of software updates. 
• Escalating costs associated with support and maintenance. 
• Restricted access to contemporary functionalities, including cloud integration and real-time analytics. 

Innovation Opportunity 

Modernising your integration platform presents opportunities beyond risk mitigation, enabling your business to: 

• Optimise Processes: Redesign workflows and business processes for increased agility, flexibility, and operational efficiency using contemporary integration patterns. 
• Unlock Your Data: Establish standardised data models, enhancing data consistency, clarity, and ease of integration across the enterprise. 
• Enhance Data Governance: Strengthen data quality, governance frameworks, and compliance capabilities as part of the migration process. 
• Accelerate Innovation: Leverage Azure’s advanced analytics, AI, and automation capabilities to transform data into actionable insights and create smarter, more responsive business processes.

Strategic Advantages of Azure Integration Services 

Azure Integration Services includes Azure Logic Apps, API Management, Azure Service Bus, and Event Grid, and offers several advantages over BizTalk: 

• Scalability: Cloud infrastructure can manage varying workloads without the need for upfront infrastructure investment. 
• Agility and Development Speed: Visual tools support rapid development and deployment of integration solutions. 
• Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing reduces capital expenditure and aligns costs directly with usage. 
• Cloud-Native, Serverless Architecture: Microsoft-managed infrastructure reduces operational burdens related to maintenance and patching. 
• Extensive Connectivity: A wide array of pre-built connectors for commonly used SaaS applications and cloud services. 
• Enhanced Monitoring: Built-in diagnostics through Azure Monitor and Application Insights provide proactive monitoring capabilities. 
• Access to Innovation: Integration with advanced Azure services such as AI, analytics, automation, and IoT. 

BizTalk vs Azure Integration Services: Quick Comparison 

Recommended Migration Approach: Iterative Phased Strategy 

A structured, iterative migration is essential to ensure the continuous delivery of business value and mitigate risk: 

• Wave-Based Migration: Execute integration migrations incrementally in manageable phases to minimise disruption. 
• Hybrid Coexistence: Maintain temporary coexistence between BizTalk and Azure Integration Services to ensure operational continuity. 
• Early Value Realisation: Prioritise migrations that yield immediate business benefits. 
• Continuous Learning: Utilise iterative feedback to facilitate improvements throughout the migration process. 

Building a Compelling Business Case 

To secure organisational buy-in and investment: 

• Quantify Costs and Risks: Highlight maintenance, licensing, security risks, and lost innovation opportunities with BizTalk. 
• Demonstrate Financial Benefits: Show reduced infrastructure costs, increased productivity, and optimized operational expenditure. 
• Strategic Alignment: Explain how migration supports broader business goals like agility, innovation, and competitive advantage. 
• Risk Mitigation Strategy: Present the phased, iterative migration approach to mitigate project risks. 
• Future-Proofing: Emphasise Azure Integration Services’ role in enabling continuous innovation and business resilience. 

Next Steps and Our Experience 

We have experience in managing BizTalk to Azure Integration Services migrations. Our approach includes: 

• Comprehensive Assessment: Analysing current integrations, dependencies, and complexities. 
• Pilot Migration Projects: Validating technical and business assumptions early on. 
• Continuous Stakeholder Engagement: Ensuring alignment and transparency throughout the migration process. 
• Expertise and Training: Providing your team with necessary Azure Integration Services skills and ongoing support. 

Migrating from BizTalk to Azure Integration Services can help mitigate risks, reduce costs, and provide new technological opportunities. The migration process offers a chance to modernise enterprise integration capabilities, preparing business operations for future challenges and competitive changes. 

Free One-Day Discovery Session  

We offer a free one-day discovery session to help you:  

• Audit your current BizTalk-Azure connections  
• Identify and prioritise migration options 
• Plan a risk-free path to AMQP and future-proof integrations  

 
Get in touch to schedule your session and safeguard your BizTalk environment from SBMP’s looming end-of-life.  

Our team has extensive experience in migrating from BizTalk and other integration platforms to Azure Integration Services, ensuring that the solution is right sized for your business needs.  

contact us for more information. 

Case Study: Modernising Integration for a Leading Auction House 

Project Background 

The client, a prominent global auction house, operated a highly complex integration landscape, which included a combination of bespoke point-to-point integrations, legacy Microsoft BizTalk Server, and other third-party middleware. Increasing licensing costs, operational inefficiencies, and escalating maintenance issues prompted the client to pursue a unified, modern, and agile integration solution. 

Unified and Modernised Integration Platform 

Our expert team collaborated closely with the client’s architects and stakeholders to evaluate existing integrations and define a clear roadmap towards Azure Integration Services. We leveraged Azure Logic Apps and related cloud-native tools to strategically migrate legacy integrations strategically, significantly reducing unnecessary rework by enabling artefact reuse (schemas, transformations). 

The new Azure-based integration platform provided a foundational infrastructure to enhance enterprise agility, operational efficiency, and resilience. It streamlined integration across various key business systems, such as Siebel CRM, JD Edwards ERP, Workday, and numerous bespoke internal applications, achieving a cohesive digital transformation strategy. 

Technologies and Applications Integrated 

Key Azure Technologies Utilised: 

• Logic Apps Standard 
• Azure Functions 
• API Management 
• Azure Service Bus 
• Azure Monitor and Log Analytics 
• Azure DevOps and ARM Templates 
• Azure SQL Database 

Key Business Applications Integrated: 

• Siebel CRM 
• JD Edwards ERP 
• Sitecore 
• Workday 
• Multiple Internal Bespoke Applications 

This strategic migration has significantly enhanced the auction house's capacity to innovate rapidly, scale efficiently, and harness richer insights from their integrated data, positioning them firmly for sustained digital growth.