Why is an expert AWS Consultant hard to find?

Steve Rastall (Founder & CEO) 20-Nov-2024 09:47:52

AWS Consultant

If you have implemented AWS or are part way through the migration process, one of the most difficult tasks is finding someone with the qualifications and understanding to ensure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible, with as little disruption and downtime as feasible.

Many traditional IT firms have successfully transitioned to the virtual world and hired cloud professionals, but there remains a significant skills gap between specialists on different platforms. An AWS consultant can assist in bridging this knowledge gap. When it comes to acquiring on-demand assistance for your AWS cloud platform, though, it isn't the only option you should consider.

The problem finding an AWS consultant

Many consultants take a platform-agnostic approach. They work with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud, meaning that they can end up having a bit of a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ result. Although this approach can work well during the initial process of selecting the right cloud platform to fit business needs, it tends to fall short in the longer term, when specialist skills are required to manage the infrastructure and contain costs effectively.

While there are consultants who specialise in one platform or another – as IG CloudOps do with AWS - it can be difficult to find an accredited AWS consultant rather than one who focuses on the other major cloud platforms.

When you use our CloudOps, it acts as the equivalent of a team of AWS consultants, managing each of the different required areas from keeping costs down, to ongoing support. The automated solution provides a 24-hour support function; it’s never on holiday; it never takes sick leave; it’s there whenever you need help with anything.

How IG CloudOps work with AWS

The first iteration of Amazon Web Services was released in 2002, with over 100 applications built on it by 2004. Due to its unexpected popularity, a team of experts was put together to create what would later become the EC2, S3 and RDS versions of the AWS platform. By November 2010, all of Amazon.com’s retail sites had migrated onto AWS and it was estimated to have brought a revenue of around $1.5 billion to the company.

Becoming a partner with AWS enables you to take advantage of a wide range of training, get access to exclusive resources and grow the skill set required to manage the AWS software to a high level. In order to achieve partnership status, at least one member of your team must possess an AWS technical certificate, meaning you must pass a number of specific exams to prove that the organisation has the required knowledge.

The qualifications require substantial knowledge and leverage the existing experience of both cloud and AWS technologies, so they are difficult to achieve without extensive study, putting them out of the reach of some smaller consultancy firms.

IG CloudOps is an Amazon partner in cloud infrastructure, meaning we have the knowledge and resources required to manage the transition to covering AWS and gain the required certification to manage complex cloud migrations into AWS.

How CloudOps can help to replace the need for an AWS consultant

Although there’s no doubt that a specialist AWS consultant can be useful for a business, at IG CloudOps, we felt there was a better way to offer the same level of support but with more effective results.

Using our experience in supporting and managing customer cloud environments since 2010, IG CloudOps have designed our CloudOps, offering our clients 24-hour, 7 days a week support for their cloud solution. The software brings together performance and cost monitoring tools, support processes and general administration functions through a single portal to manage your cloud which includes:

Always on support, fault find and fix
Management monitoring and reporting dashboards
Proactive infrastructure optimisation
Tools and apps to enhance cloud performance
Guaranteed cost savings

Our CloudOps solution can be implemented across any existing or new AWS environment, allowing your business the time to focus on delivering applications and services and not worry about managing your cloud infrastructure.

We have worked hard to create an onboarding and management process which gives your business the best output from the service, including the following steps:

Initial planning sessions

All organisations have different requirements, which is why we treat each of our clients as individuals and get to know your specific needs, using these to plan a solution that helps you realise your goals. Our initial approach is to carry out a number of advisory sessions with your team to understand the setup of your cloud architecture and the main priorities of what you’re looking for from an AWS support function. From here we can plan out the best way to fulfil your requirements and get the most out of your cloud usage.

Planning your architecture

Based on your needs, our team can then determine the optimal configuration for virtual machines and storage that blends cost efficiency with the power and processing that you need. It’s worth remembering that when we set this up in CloudOps, it will change and grow with the needs of your business, not just based on a snapshot in time that you would get from an AWS consultant.

Ongoing support

One of the key benefits of the CloudOps software is the ability to provide support as and when you need it, with minimal delays and disruption to your service. The solution is designed to be an extension of your team, providing the in-depth knowledge and information you need to keep your cloud properly maintained and healthy, and helping to avoid any undue risks.

Risk monitoring

During these beginning stages, we also carry out extensive risk assessments so that we can record any potential problems and monitor these as part of our support mechanism.

Cost control

We will provide you with visibility of what your costs are now, rather than it being a surprise when you receive your bill. You will be able to track where you are against budget at all times so that you can be sure you’re always getting the most beneficial and efficient level of service for the price you pay.

Working with IG CloudOps

If you want to find out more about how our CloudOps software could provide the AWS consultancy and support that your business needs, get in touch with us today. We can also provide you with a full product tour so that you can see how it works in real-time and the benefits it offers.