Cloud articles (AWS & Azure)

Cloud articles

Cloud articles directory

All our cloud articles with information about AWS & Azure topics. If you have an area you want to know more about and it's not listed then please feel free to get in touch

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Longer reads

How Sustainability and ESG Investing are Accelerating Cloud Adoption for AWS & Azure

In recent years, sustainability has become a key focus for many organizations, as businesses strive to reduce their carbon footprint and meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. One area where sustainability has had a significant impact is in the world of cloud computing.

In this article, we'll explore how sustainability and ESG investing are accelerating cloud adoption for two of the largest cloud providers, AWS and Azure.

 

AWS and Azure DevOps Challenges: Strategies for Success for IT Directors

The use of DevOps is a hot topic at the moment and there are endless tutorials or tools which allow you to manage the process. This article isn't about that, it doesn't advocate for DevOps one way or the other, it is written to explain what DevOps actually is and remove the buzzwords. 

Explore strategies for overcoming AWS and Azure DevOps challenges. Learn how as an IT Director you can ensure success by separating infrastructure from development.

Is the fall in the pound about to push up your AWS & Azure costs?

The pound has been on a downward spiral against the US dollar for some time now and it is starting to have an impact on cloud pricing. AWS & Azure prices are affected, with costs increasing as a result. If you are seeing higher costs for using these services, don't worry - there are things you can do right away!

In this article, we will take a look at what the fall in the pound means for your cloud bills and suggest some steps you can take to keep them under control.

 

CloudOps vs Flexera One - Cloud Management Platform Alternatives

 When it comes to software, Flexera is a name that is often mentioned. They offer a wide range of software management products, including those for the cloud. But are they the best option for your needs?
 
In this article, we will compare Flexera software (Flexera One) to our own CloudOps platform to help you make an informed decision.
 
 

How to Choose the Right Cloud Management Service for Your Needs

If you are like most companies you have a cloud footprint, and this is probably with one of the two main cloud providers Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure or both. Once you have cloud infrastructure of some description you probably need some form of cloud management service, but what should this look like and what should it do for you?

In this article, we will look at the components of managed cloud services and how you should compare different offerings. From the provider/partner giving the service to the components of those services. 

 

New Relic Alternatives: Is CloudOps an Alternative To New Relic?

An overview of New Relic and a look at how CloudOps compares and if it's a good New Relic alternative for organisations.

New Relic's software focuses on full-stack monitoring, observability, data ingest & insights... How does this compare to CloudOps?

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NoOps: IG CloudOps delivers IT Operational Excellence for DevOps teams

If you're interested in learning more about NoOps or considering implementing it in your own organization, our latest article is a great place to start. Take your first steps on the quest for completely automated IT operations.

This article assumes that your IT operations are in the cloud already or are moving to the cloud shortly and focuses on a cloud-based implementation with Amazon web services (AWS) and or Microsoft Azure.

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Comparing LogicMonitor a large US-based SaaS product vs IG CloudOps an independent UK-based company.

How does their software for cloud management compare to CloudOps.

CloudOps Monitoring now supports monitoring of Kubernetes Cluster Worker Nodes (both managed and unmanaged). The worker node monitoring supports both Azure's AKS and AWS' EKS managed Kubernetes Clusters as well as self-provisioned clusters such as those created with Kubeadm. 

This means that within the CloudOps unified cloud management portal you can now monitor your Kubernetes clusters and review the health (both live and historic) of your Kubernetes environments in AWS & Azure all in one place.

The cloud is here to stay. It is now an established part of most IT departments, with both on-premise and cloud components as well as Software as a service (SaaS) and Platform as a service (PaaS) components.

If you're running cloud infrastructure on AWS or Azure, a cloud management solution should be a key part of your setup. In this article, we discuss why this is the case and how it can accelerate your cloud adoption.

What are the top Cloud Computing trends for AWS and Azure in 2022/23?

What are the key trends for cloud technology over the next 18 months? What is going to affect your cloud deployments in the UK as well as around the world. 

There is absolutely no doubt that the cloud market is still on the rise, with recent reports indicating that the global cloud computing market size is set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 16% by 2026. User spending on cloud services is also expected to increase by around 21.7% in 2022.

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Introducing Cloud Technology to Your Business and How to Make it as Stress-Free as Possible

Whilst the technology and capabilities of the cloud are constantly changing and improving, there can be a lack of understanding when it comes to how the process works and how it differs from previous on-site infrastructures available.

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In this article, we are going to review Rackspace Technology inc's (RXT) history and the big shifts in its business over the last few years.

Then look at the impact of these changes on its business processes and its customers before examining the alternatives available to Rackspace's cloud hosting & cloud support offerings for AWS & Azure.

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How to maintain a Managed Cloud Service Without Spending an Arm and a Leg

Cloud-based IT infrastructure can be notoriously difficult to maintain, as it’s a complex and ever-changing technology. One common challenge many businesses face, as a result of this, is significant over-spendingIn this article, we explain how to maintain a managed cloud service efficiently and effectively while keeping costs under control.

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Migrating mission-critical applications and business processes to the cloud is a complex challenge that comes with a great deal of uncertainty.

In this article, we explore key considerations, provide guidance for managing the associated risks, and help you understand how to succeed with your own cloud migration.

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How to Succeed with
Single Sign-On in the AWS & Azure Cloud

In our latest article, we explore how single sign-on (SSO) works in the cloud for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure customers, as well as the pros and cons of using the technology.
 
We also provide guidance for how to succeed with single sign-on in the cloud when implementing this technology for your own business.
 
Cloud security is a complex challenge that most businesses still underestimate. A common mistake after investing in a cloud management service is to then approach security in the same way they would with their IT systems of the past.
 
But the cloud is an entirely new and unique concept, which requires a specialist approach to security and maintenance, as this article will explore in detail.
 

Cloud is everywhere, the recent events worldwide have led to many cloud implementations being accelerated / expanded to facilitate home working or make an organization more flexible in a changing environment.

This article aims to outline the support plan options available from the cloud providers themselves and their partners Then ask the questions you have, in how it relates to you and your needs for the short or long term.

How do I Gain a Clear View of Costs in AWS and Azure & Stop Getting Surprises?

The cloud has grown to become an integral part of modern business, facilitating greater agility, flexibility, speed, and innovation. But the subscription service model is something which causes many organisations significant problems with unpredictable costs and unnecessary over-spending.
 
CloudOpsBeta-dark

Shorter reads

The Top Three Elements of Practical Cloud Security for AWS & Azure

In this blog, we will discuss the top three elements that businesses need to consider for practical cloud security.

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How do you know if your business is suffering from cloud sprawl?

Increasing resources being used/paid for can be a major problem for businesses and is something that needs to be managed to protect your cash flow.

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How to find out if your cloud partner is properly certified

Choosing an underqualified consultant to plan and deploy your Cloud infrastructure in Azure or AWS can result in performance and cost issues.

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What are Data Centre Tiers?

What are Data Centre Tiers? With the Microsoft cloud, it's possible to secure a better SLA than with a traditional data centre. Find out more!

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Why Single Sign On Matters

As more of your business’ data is stored remotely, security and access are important. Single Sign On (SSO) has become critical to link apps together

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Why working with a certified partner protects your cloud

Working with a cloud partner gives you access to their specialist knowledge gained by working with many customers across Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure.

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Control your cloud costs to reduce your IT budget

We work with customers with different workloads across AWS & Azure. This experience helps us save you money as we can optimise your cloud environment.

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4 things to look for when selecting a cloud vendor

Reduce the risk to your business of migrating to the cloud. Read our guide to selecting a cloud vendor to support your transformation project.

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Secrets of Azure & AWS Costs that IT Companies wont tell you

Do you run a business that was promised huge IT cost savings by moving to the cloud? Find out about the hidden costs and how we can help you avoid them.

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5 Steps to a Pain Free Cloud in AWS & Azure

The process of migrating to Azure or AWS can bring some challenges if proper planning is not undertaken. Our 5 step guide lists the core things to consider

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Deploying to a public cloud requires specialist help

Cloud is here to stay with on-demand scaling and access from anywhere, but how do you ensure a smooth transition for your custom application...

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Benefits of Using a Third Party to Manage Your Cloud

The benefits can include, strategic support, reduced costs in managing the cloud (staffing, training), cost savings from resource management...

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Without a specialist cloud partner, you’re missing out

Without a properly qualified cloud partner for Azure or AWS, your application hosting is probably underperforming and costing far more than it should.

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What are virtual machines?

What is a Virtual Machine (VM)?
A virtual machine is a software implementation of a physical computer – generally a replacement for an on-premise server

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New to the cloud – understanding virtual machines

Understanding the componentry of Virtual Machines can at first appear quite complex due to the flexible nature and number of components.

This guide is designed to give a brief overview of the components both contextually and graphically in order to try to simplify and give a core understanding.

Whether you are familiar with physical infrastructure or already have some understanding of virtualisation, this overview will help your understanding of virtual machines in the cloud.

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What do our customers say?

“The IG CloudOps culture of approachable professionalism has been a great match with my team."

"Also, their ‘can do’ attitude with a pragmatic approach to problems has enabled us to move our product roadmap forward.”

Dan Frost
Managing Director at Adaptive

“IG CloudOps had the knowledge and expertise we needed and they were able to demonstrate how they would support our development team quickly and efficiently through their cloud management solution, CloudOps.”

Steve Stringer
Software Architect at Oak Software

Over 70 customers across 8 countries manage AWS & Azure with CloudOps