Let’s be honest: switching platforms is a big deal.
Whether you’re moving away from a legacy vendor like TIBCO, IBM, or MOVEit—or simply upgrading to a more modern solution—just the idea of MFT migration can feel overwhelming. There’s risk, uncertainty, and often a fear of disruption.
But here’s the truth: you’re not alone, and it doesn’t have to be painful.
Axway has helped hundreds of organizations make this move successfully. And we’ve designed a migration journey that’s structured, predictable, and deeply collaborative.
You’re never alone when moving to Axway MFT
Standing behind Axway’s industry-leading software is our Professional Services Organization (PSO), a team of experts who guide you every step of the way.
As my colleague Marc Souterene recently explained, “when customers choose a solution, they’re not just buying software. They’re investing in outcomes.” PSO is what ensures those outcomes stick.
For example, when networking and IT company Ciena reached the limits of its legacy MFT platform, leadership sought a new solution with powerful security capabilities.
“We support a complex ecosystem of MFT use cases for the business and moving from a 20-year-old legacy platform to a new solution was no simple task. Despite the complexity of the project, the Axway Professional Services team helped us migrate to SecureTransport in just seven months — an impressive achievement.”
Manoj Kona, Director – Enterprise Integration & Automation at Ciena
Learn more about Axway PSO here
So, once you’ve chosen Axway, what happens next? How do your files actually make the move?
Let’s walk you through a “day in the life” of your files and MFT infrastructure as they transition to their new home – and meet the team and tools that make it all possible.
The Axway MFT migration journey: step-by-step
We’ve been developing robust tooling to streamline the MFT onboarding experience – regardless of which solution you were using previously.
Here’s what you can expect when moving to Axway SecureTransport:
Step 1: Discovery and data collection
In the past, gathering migration data was a manual, error-prone process—think emails, spreadsheets, and duct tape. Today, it’s different. We now have the tooling for PSO to launch a migration “campaign” tailored to your environment.
This starts with identifying where you’re coming from—IBM, Globalscape, GoAnywhere, or others—and what needs to be moved.
The data to be collected varies, of course, based on what your product looks like. We might be looking at scripts, logs, monitoring tools, homegrown datasets, registries (LDAP, SSO), database exports, or even good old human knowledge.
Our team has significant reach and experience with MFT migrations, so you can trust the process. We’ll request the data depending on the migration type and will guide you in uploading the data. It goes into one place where everyone involved can act on it and, importantly, we maintain visibility.
That’s key, because one of the biggest challenges we hear from customers time and again with migration onboarding is a lack of visibility. The onboarding tooling we’ve developed changes that.
Step 2: Data transformation and mapping
Once the data is collected, our onboarding platform helps PSO transform it into Axway’s schema. This is a classic Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) pattern, but with a user-friendly interface layered on top.
Axway works with you to understand the data in your legacy configurations, then flatten or transform it where necessary thanks to our custom tooling.
Then, we map the data into our own data model and perform data validation post-mapping.
Step 3: Deploying and validation
Finally, it’s time to load validated data into SecureTransport or your chosen Axway MFT solution.
We onboard partner flows to a DEV environment, validate, and test again. Then, we onboard them in a UAT (User Acceptance Testing) environment, validating and testing together with you to make sure all is going according to plan.
Finally, into production we go – with a final round of validation and testing with us, you, and any partners. And we’re live!
Step 4: Migration complete (and repeatable)
While each migration has a clear go-live moment, the journey doesn’t end there. The process we’ve built is designed to be repeatable and scalable—whether you’re onboarding additional partners, expanding use cases, or migrating new flows over time.
That’s the power of a migration framework that’s not just a one-time lift-and-shift, but a foundation for continuous onboarding. Our goal in redesigning the migration/onboarding process was to make this as accessible and stress-free as possible. The result?
- Reduced risk: Automation replaces manual steps, minimizing errors
- Faster onboarding: Axway streamlines the process, cutting down time-to-value
- Visibility: You and your stakeholders can track progress and understand what’s happening at every stage
- Scalability: The same process can be repeated and extended as your needs evolve
Real expertise, real results
From the start of your migration journey, PSO is laser-focused on making sure everything is configured securely and aligned with your business needs, so you can go live with confidence.
Consider our partnership with Ciena, a global leader in networking systems, services, and software. Their legacy MFT platform connected with key partners such as banks and logistics providers, and unplanned downtime could potentially impact customer services.
Ciena’s Manoj Kona says none of the other vendors they considered could match the quality and responsiveness of Axway Professional Services.
“Technology is a means to an end, but not an end in itself: it’s people who make or break projects like these. In Axway, we have found a true partner that listens to our feedback and is committed to our success.”
Manoj Kona, Director – Enterprise Integration & Automation at Ciena
Read more: how Ciena accelerated partner onboarding from days to just hours or minutes.
A better journey starts here
We know migration can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve invested in the tooling and expertise to make this journey smoother than ever. When MFT is mission-critical, you deserve better than outages, lost files, or never-ending support tickets.
We’ve removed the friction that keeps organizations stuck with legacy platforms that no longer serve them. With Axway, the move is guided and visible.
With the understanding that migration is never really a one-time event, we’ve crafted a repeatable, adaptable process that evolves with your business. So, whether you’re changing platforms, onboarding new partners, or expanding use cases, Axway gives you the foundation to keep moving forward.
Behind the scenes, our onboarding tooling helps us move faster, test smarter, and migrate with precision. And with PSO guiding the way, you’ll have the confidence to go live knowing everything is aligned with your goals.
Your file transfer infrastructure deserves a better home—and a better journey getting there. With Axway, you get both.
Thinking of making the move to Axway MFT?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical process for migrating to Axway SecureTransport?
Axway’s structured onboarding journey helps organizations move from legacy MFT platforms with minimal disruption. We realize that migration is never really a one-time event, and we’ve crafted a repeatable, adaptable process that evolves with your business. So, whether you’re changing platforms, onboarding new partners, or expanding use cases, Axway gives you the foundation to keep moving forward.
Is migration to Axway only about replacing an MFT gateway?
Not at all. While many customers start with gateway replacement, migration is often a strategic move toward a future-proof solution. Axway can help organizations modernize their workloads to support cloud and hybrid ecosystems, meet evolving security and compliance standards, and unlock broader integration use cases across the Axway solution stack.
How long does a migration to Axway SecureTransport typically take?
Migration timelines vary based on complexity, but with Axway’s onboarding tooling and PSO support, many customers complete their migration in months, not years. Ciena was supporting a complex ecosystem of MFT use cases for the business and moved from their 20-year-old legacy platform to SecureTransport in just seven months.
How does Axway simplify MFT migration from vendors like IBM, MOVEit, or TIBCO?
Axway’s PSO team and onboarding tooling streamline the migration process, reducing risk and accelerating time-to-value.
What kind of support does Axway offer during MFT onboarding?
Axway’s Professional Services Organization provides expert guidance, predictable processes, and hands-on support throughout the migration journey. The onboarding tooling we’ve developed brings visibility to every step—so you always know what’s happening, who’s responsible, and what comes next.
Can Axway help migrate MFT systems in regulated industries like healthcare or finance?
Yes—Axway has deep experience supporting secure, compliant MFT migrations in highly regulated sectors across global regions.
What makes Axway different from other MFT vendors when it comes to onboarding?
Axway combines expert-led services with automation tooling to deliver faster, more reliable migrations—without hidden costs or complexity.
Is Axway SecureTransport suitable for global partner ecosystems?
Absolutely. Axway supports complex, multi-region MFT use cases and offers scalable onboarding for global partner networks.
What are the benefits of switching from MOVEit or Globalscape to Axway?
Customers switching to Axway gain improved visibility, faster onboarding, and long-term support from a mature, enterprise-grade MFT provider.