Cloud & infrastructure

Cloud strategy from a firm with no resale incentive.

Which clouds, which workloads, which to keep on-prem. We write the architecture, defend the choices, and hand you a plan your team can execute.

Stack & specs
  • AWS · Azure · Google Cloud · Oracle · IBM · DigitalOcean · Vultr · Akamai Cloud (Linode) · hybrid · colo
  • reference architectures · TCO models · phased plans
  • workload placement · cost · compliance · DR
Cloud vendors we run
  • Amazon Web ServicesAWS
    Broadest service catalog; default for most greenfield workloads and regulated US-region work.
  • Microsoft AzureAzure
    Strongest fit when identity, Microsoft 365, or enterprise agreements already anchor the stack.
  • Google CloudGCP
    Data, analytics, and Kubernetes-native workloads; BigQuery and GKE remain category leaders.
  • Oracle Cloud InfrastructureOCI
    Oracle DB, EBS, and Java workloads where the licensing math makes OCI the honest answer.
  • IBM Cloud
    Regulated industries, Power and Z workloads, and enterprises already on Red Hat OpenShift.
  • DigitalOcean
    Predictable pricing for SMB and product teams; clean APIs and managed Postgres and Kubernetes without the hyperscaler tax.
  • Vultr
    Bare-metal and high-frequency compute in regions the hyperscalers underserve; competitive egress pricing.
  • Akamai Cloud (Linode)
    Linode developer ergonomics on Akamai's global edge; strong for latency-sensitive or distributed workloads.
What it is

Cloud Consulting, in plain terms.

Advisory work with a written deliverable. We assess the current estate, model the target architecture, and document the path between them. Reference architectures for the workloads that matter, total-cost models that include egress and inter-AZ traffic, and a phased plan your engineers can actually execute. The output is a document and a working session, not a portal subscription.

Vendor-agnostic by structure. We operate AS54098 and own colocation racks, so we earn nothing by steering you to a particular hyperscaler. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, IBM Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Akamai Cloud (Linode), and bare-metal colo are all on the table. We will recommend the one that fits the workload, the team, the regulatory profile, and the budget — and we will say so when none of them fit and a hybrid is the answer.

Strategy that survives the first quarter. We pressure-test the plan against real constraints: the team you actually have, the compliance posture you actually carry, the lease and contract dates that will not move. We name the risks, mark the decisions that will compound, and call out the cheap shortcuts that age badly. When execution starts, the plan still works.

When you'd want this

Common triggers for this engagement.

  • 01Your board wants a cloud strategy and you do not have a senior architect on staff
  • 02You are choosing between AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or a hybrid model and need an independent read
  • 03You are evaluating a second-tier cloud — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Akamai Cloud, IBM Cloud — and want a real comparison against the hyperscalers for your workload
  • 04Your current cloud spend is opaque and you want a written optimization plan before you touch anything
  • 05You need an architecture document to hand a system integrator or your own engineers
How we engage
01
Discovery call
30 min, this week
You'll talk to an engineer, not an SDR. We read the bills, look at the diagrams, ask the unfashionable questions.
02
Scoped proposal
Within 5 business days
Honest scope, fixed price or T&M, named engineers. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you who is.
03
Engagement kickoff
2–4 weeks typical
Embedded with your team. The same people who write the design are the ones on the bridge.
Frequently asked

Questions teams ask before signing.

Do you also do the implementation?

Yes, under our cloud migrations and cloud computing services. But consulting is sold separately and can be delivered as advisory-only. Many teams hire us for the plan and run execution in-house. That is a perfectly good outcome.

What does a consulting engagement look like?

Two to eight weeks depending on scope. Discovery interviews, architecture review, target design, cost and risk modeling, written report, and a working session with the team that has to live with it. Fixed price, defined deliverable.

Can you recommend against the cloud?

Often. If the workload is steady-state compute, GPU-heavy, or egress-dominated, owned hardware in carrier-neutral colo usually wins on three-year TCO. We will say so in writing and show the model.

Do you cover the second-tier clouds, or only the hyperscalers?

Both, deliberately. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are the default consideration set for most enterprise workloads, but DigitalOcean, Vultr, Akamai Cloud (Linode), and IBM Cloud each win specific workloads on price, region coverage, or platform fit. We will tell you when the second-tier answer is the better answer.

Related services

Frequently scoped alongside this work.

Cloud Migrations

Lift-and-shift, refactor, cloud-to-cloud, and repatriation across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle, IBM, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Akamai Cloud (Linode). We plan the cutover with the network already in our control.

Cloud Computing

Managed cloud workloads across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle, IBM, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Akamai Cloud (Linode) — or hosted on our own colocation footprint when the math says repatriate. Designed and run by senior operators.

Data Center Consulting

Site selection, colocation evaluation, power and carrier mix, migration and exit planning. We have toured the room and read the SLAs.

Technology Assessments

An outside read on the systems you've been too busy to audit. Risk, fitness, and the three things that should change this quarter — written for the CFO and the engineer.

Talk to an engineer

Scoped honestly, priced in conversation.

Drop your details. We'll reply within one business day.

Or call (571) 451-2300 · Mon–Fri, 9–6 ET