Migrating a Sharepoint Based Web Application to Azure for Enhanced Functionality

Client Background 

A prominent digital publishing company used a SharePoint web application to design and deliver interactive flipping books for internal teams and clients. The application operated as a classic client server architecture application, serving its purpose in early phases. But as the company grew and demands increased, the legacy system began to show serious limitations. 

The Challenge 

The firm ran into a series of roadblocks that directly affected its ability to deliver value. 

  • SharePoint limited feature customization for different clients 
  • Developers couldn’t quickly adapt to changing business needs 
  • Large file uploads were slow and error-prone 
  • Flipping book content uploads were unreliable 
  • Performance dropped during high user activity and uploads 
  • Infrastructure maintenance was slow and diverted developer focus 

What is the SharePoint Application? 

A SharePoint application is is good for managing files and helping teams work together inside a company. But when it is used to create a public website that needs to grow, show pictures or videos, or be customized, it quickly shows its limits. 

Why the Company Chose Cloud Migration 

The leadership recognized that continuing with SharePoint would restrict future growth. The need for a faster, more flexible solution pushed them to consider cloud migration. Their goal was to rebuild the system using modern web application development principles, and Microsoft Azure offered exactly what they needed. 

New Architecture on Azure 

The solution was designed with a cloud-native mindset using three core Azure components: 

  1. Azure Web App 

The new web application was moved to Azure, which made it easier to grow, update quickly, and stay flexible. Developers could add custom features and make changes without shutting down the system. 

  1. Azure Functions 

Two Azure Functions were developed: 

  • One to handle user file uploads and compress them into Azure Blob Storage 
  • Another to automatically process those files — unzipping and converting them into the flipping book format 

This event-driven setup removed delays and manual work, ensuring files were processed as soon as they were uploaded. 

  1. Azure Blob Storage 

Blob Storage served as the central content hub. It stored both raw uploads and processed flipping book files, offering durability, low latency, and seamless integration with the application frontend. 

What Changed After the Migration 

  • Files upload in seconds now, with no errors 
  • Uploads are automatically processed using Azure Functions 
  • Flipping book access is prepared instantly and reliably 
  • Developers can build custom features that weren’t possible before 
  • The app uses a modular, serverless architecture 
  • Design now follows modern web application standards 

Outcomes and Business Impact 

  • Uploading is now seamless and 70% faster, improving user satisfaction 
  • System supports 5× more concurrent uploads with no slowdown 
  • Infrastructure and hosting costs reduced by 30% 
  • SharePoint licensing costs eliminated 
  • Cloud-native setup simplified development 
  • Maintenance needs significantly reduced 

Is SharePoint a Platform or an Application? 

This question helps explain the problems the company faced. SharePoint works well for managing documents and workflows inside a company. But it doesn’t have the speed or flexibility needed for a full web app. For businesses that serve content to outside users or need fast, real-time features, SharePoint isn’t enough. 

A Future-Ready Web Application Development Model 

With this migration, the company now has a system designed for the future. The updated web application development process supports continuous integration, feature experimentation, and rapid scaling. 

New features like content tracking, custom tools for clients, or even AI can now be added easily without changing the whole system. 

Conclusion 

Moving from legacy SharePoint web application to Azure helped the company improve speed, add custom features, and save costs. They removed slow parts, made the system simpler, and set it up to grow easily in the future. 

This case shows how moving to the cloud and using modern web tools can upgrade an important system. For any business stuck with old platforms or systems that are hard to maintain, the answer is to modernize with a clear goal. not just to work better now, but to be ready for what’s next.