Transitioning to SAP RISE | Building a Cloud Roadmap | Meyer Media

About this episode

In this conversation, host Jon Myer of Myer Media sits down with Christopher Belford, Senior Director at EPI-USE Services for AWS, to unpack what SAP's 2027 end of support and 2030 end of life for ECC actually means for enterprises still running on-premise. Christopher explains why "lift and shift" isn't a viable path for an SAP migration, breaks down the difference between greenfield, brownfield, and hybrid ("bluefield") deployment approaches, and makes the case for why every migration should start with a pre-flight assessment. They also cover the business case CIOs need to bring to their CFOs, the specialized skills gap slowing migrations industry-wide, and the extra hurdles regulated industries like utilities and government face on the road to the cloud.

Key Takeaways:

Why "lift and shift" doesn't work for an SAP ECC-to-S/4HANA migration, and what actually has to change under the hood
The three common client responses to the 2027/2030 deadlines; the "ostrich algorithm," abandoning SAP entirely, or committing to a phased cloud journey
The difference between greenfield, brownfield, and hybrid ("bluefield") migration approaches, and how to choose the right one
Why a pre-flight assessment is the essential first step before any realistic migration timeline or budget can be set
How to build the business case for leadership: AI requires the cloud, S/4HANA unlocks new capability, and the skills gap only grows the longer migration is delayed

Presented by:

Jon Myer
Chief Content Creator, Myer Media | Host, The Jon Myer Podcast

Jon Myer is the Chief Content Creator for Myer Media and host of The Jon Myer Podcast. He has spent the last 20 years working in technology, including the last 8 years focused on cloud technology.

Early in his career, Jon had the opportunity to teach others about tech — from hardware to software — never expecting it would lead him to create technical content for a wider audience. He posted his first tutorial on YouTube more than three years ago.

In mid-2021, Jon launched his podcast, interviewing guests and giving them space for natural conversation to tell their own stories — and he hasn't stopped since.

Christopher Belford
Senior Director, EPI-USE Services for AWS

Christopher Belford is a Senior Director at EPI-USE Services for AWS with over 20 years of expertise in high-volume systems for Government, Financial Services, Retail, and Life Sciences. He has held roles including CTO, CIO, and Group Architect, specializing in system design, ERP integration, and cloud migrations.

Currently leading public sector solution strategy at EPI-USE services for AWS, Christopher drives global initiatives in Smart City, FinTech, and SAP cloud migrations. His accomplishments include designing e-filing platforms for 6 million users, transactional banking APIs, and tax reconciliation systems.

Recognized as an Adobe Ambassador, Christopher's leadership has transformed enterprise systems, improving workflows and customer experiences globally.