Migrating from Infor LN On-Premise to CloudSuite: What to Expect

If you're running Infor LN on-premise, you've likely received increasingly strong signals from Infor that the future is CloudSuite on AWS. Infor hasn't set an explicit end-of-life date for on-premise LN, but the investment direction is clear — new features, AI capabilities, and platform innovations are cloud-first, and some are cloud-only.

This guide covers what moving from Infor LN on-premise to CloudSuite actually looks like — the migration paths, what happens to your customizations, realistic timelines and costs, and how to decide if and when to make the move.

Why Organizations Migrate

Infor's Strategic Direction

Infor is firmly committed to cloud-only for future development. Key implications for on-premise LN customers:

• New features are cloud-first — major new capabilities (Coleman AI, advanced Birst analytics, Data Lake features) are only available in CloudSuite
• On-premise updates are slowing — while Infor continues to support and patch on-premise LN, the pace of feature development for on-premise is declining
• Partner ecosystem is shifting — implementation partners are increasingly focused on CloudSuite skills, making it harder to find on-premise LN expertise
• Koch Industries ownership — Infor's parent company Koch has committed to the cloud transition and is investing accordingly

Practical Benefits of CloudSuite

Beyond the strategic push, there are genuine operational benefits:

• Automatic updates — no more version upgrade projects (which historically cost $200K–$1M+ for LN)
• AWS infrastructure — eliminates server hardware, hosting costs, DBA staff, and infrastructure management
• Infor OS platform — access to Coleman AI, Birst analytics, Data Lake, ION integration, and Document Management
• Scalability — elastic cloud resources handle peak loads without over-provisioning
• Security and compliance — AWS security certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.) and Infor's shared responsibility model
• Disaster recovery — built into the cloud service, not a separate infrastructure project

Cost of Staying On-Premise

Staying on-premise has its own costs that are often underestimated:

• Annual maintenance fees (18-22% of license value)
• Server hardware refresh every 4-5 years ($100K–$500K)
• Database licensing (Oracle DB or SQL Server)
• DBA and system administrator salaries
• Infrastructure security and compliance costs
• Version upgrade projects every 3-5 years

Migration Paths

There are two primary approaches to moving from LN on-premise to CloudSuite:

Path 1: Lift-and-Shift (Cloud Hosting)

What it is: Moving your current LN instance to AWS infrastructure managed by Infor, without fundamentally changing the application or reimplementing.

Pros:

• Faster timeline (3–6 months)
• Lower initial cost ($100K–$300K)
• Minimal disruption to users — same application, same processes
• Immediate infrastructure cost savings
• Gateway to future Infor OS capabilities

Cons:

• You bring all your legacy customizations, technical debt, and data issues to the cloud
• You don't get the full CloudSuite multi-tenant SaaS experience
• Less access to automatic updates (single-tenant hosted vs multi-tenant SaaS)
• May require a second project later to move to true multi-tenant CloudSuite
• Not all customizations work in the hosted environment

Best for: Organizations that need to exit on-premise infrastructure quickly, are not ready for a full re-implementation, or need a stepping stone to full CloudSuite.

Path 2: Re-Implementation on CloudSuite

What it is: A full implementation of CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise (the cloud-native successor to LN), treating it as a new ERP project with data migration from the legacy LN system.

Pros:

• Clean start — eliminate legacy customizations and technical debt
• Full multi-tenant SaaS benefits — automatic updates, Infor OS features, lowest ongoing cost
• Opportunity to standardize and optimize business processes
• Access to all Infor OS capabilities from day one
• Best long-term TCO

Cons:

• Longer timeline (12–18 months typical)
• Higher upfront cost ($500K–$2M+ depending on scope)
• Significant change management effort
• Users must learn a new interface and potentially new processes
• Business disruption during transition

Best for: Organizations willing to invest in a proper transformation, with customizations that need to be rethought anyway, or those whose current LN version is several releases behind.

What Happens to Customizations

This is the biggest concern for most LN on-premise customers. Over years of use, most LN installations accumulate significant customizations — custom forms, reports, workflows, integrations, and even modifications to core code.

Categories of Customizations

Standard configurations — parameters, user-defined fields, configured workflows. These generally migrate well to CloudSuite, though some reconfiguration may be needed.

Bolt-on extensions — custom applications that run alongside LN and integrate via APIs or database views. These need to be rebuilt using CloudSuite's extension framework (Infor OS) or Infor's approved extension methodology. Infor does not allow direct database access in multi-tenant CloudSuite.

Core code modifications — changes to LN's core application code. These are the most problematic. CloudSuite's multi-tenant architecture does not support core code modifications. Every core modification must be:

• Replaced by standard CloudSuite functionality (if Infor has added the capability)
• Rebuilt as an approved extension
• Eliminated through process change

Custom reports — LN on-premise reports (Crystal Reports, custom queries) need to be rebuilt in Birst or another reporting tool. This is typically a significant effort — organizations with hundreds of custom reports should budget accordingly.

Integrations — existing point-to-point integrations need to be rebuilt using Infor ION or approved API methods. CloudSuite does not allow direct database-level integration.

Customization Assessment

Before committing to a migration path, conduct a thorough customization inventory:

1. Catalog every customization — forms, reports, workflows, integrations, code modifications
2. Classify each by type — configuration, extension, core modification, report, integration
3. Determine business necessity — is this customization still needed? Many exist for historical reasons that no longer apply
4. Map to CloudSuite alternatives — for each necessary customization, identify how it will be addressed in CloudSuite
5. Estimate migration effort — this drives the overall project cost

Data Migration Considerations

Data migration from LN on-premise to CloudSuite involves several challenges:

Master data (items, customers, vendors, BOMs, routings) — generally straightforward to migrate. Infor provides migration templates and tools. The main challenge is data quality — take this opportunity to cleanse master data.

Open transactions (open orders, open POs, WIP, open AR/AP) — require careful cutover planning. Most organizations choose a date to cut over and migrate only open transactions as of that date.

Historical data — this is the difficult question. CloudSuite's transactional database has storage and performance implications for loading years of historical data. Options:

• Migrate limited history (1-2 years) and archive the rest
• Keep the legacy LN system in read-only mode for historical reference
• Migrate historical data to the Infor Data Lake for reporting (preferred approach)

Custom data structures — if your LN installation has custom tables or extended data structures, these need to be mapped to CloudSuite's data model or redesigned as extensions.

Realistic Timeline

Add 2-3 months if your organization has never done a cloud migration before — there are organizational learning curves around cloud governance, security models, and operational processes.

Cost Ranges

These costs are in addition to the ongoing CloudSuite subscription fees, which replace your current on-premise maintenance fees. In most cases, the annual CloudSuite subscription is comparable to or slightly higher than on-premise maintenance, but you eliminate infrastructure costs.

Risks and Mitigation

Infor's Migration Tools and Incentives

Infor provides several tools and programs to encourage migration:

• Infor Migration Toolkit — data migration templates and validation tools specific to LN-to-CloudSuite migration
• CloudSuite Migration Factory — Infor's professional services team dedicated to migration projects (at additional cost)
• Commercial incentives — Infor frequently offers deals to incentivize migration: subscription credits, deferred billing during implementation, or co-investment in implementation costs. These are always negotiable and should be part of your commercial discussions.
• Infor Education — migration-specific training for IT teams and key users

Important caveat: Infor's migration incentives are sales tools. They help reduce cost, but they don't eliminate it. Always build your own independent business case rather than relying solely on Infor's financial projections.

Decision Framework: Should You Migrate Now?

Migrate now if:

• Your on-premise infrastructure is due for refresh
• You're on an older LN version and facing a mandatory upgrade anyway
• You need Infor OS capabilities (AI, analytics, Data Lake) for competitive reasons
• Your current maintenance and infrastructure costs are high relative to CloudSuite subscription
• You have strong executive sponsorship for cloud transformation

Wait if:

• You recently upgraded your on-premise LN version
• Your current system is stable and meeting business needs
• You have critical customizations with no clear CloudSuite path
• Your organization is in the middle of other major changes (M&A, restructuring)
• You don't have budget or internal resources for a significant project

Consider alternatives if:

• You're fundamentally unhappy with Infor as a vendor
• Your business requirements have changed significantly since you implemented LN
• You want to evaluate SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft alongside the Infor migration

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