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Solutions
Cloud Enablement
Technology should power your ambition, not sit in a server cupboard holding it back. We move your systems to the cloud and keep them running well afterwards, so your team can work from anywhere and add capacity without waiting on a hardware order.
200+
UK businesses trust us
<30 min
average response time
24/7
systems monitored
ISO 27001
certified
THE DIFFERENCE CLOUD ENABLEMENT MAKES
Your infrastructure should free your team, not tie it down
On-site servers tick along fine until they don't. A hardware failure, a ransomware attempt or simply outgrowing what you have can bring work to a halt overnight, and by then the fix is urgent and expensive. Your remote and hybrid staff end up working around the systems rather than through them, and the box in the corner still needs someone to physically visit it whenever something goes wrong.
We work the other way round. We move your systems to the cloud with a plan built around your business, then keep looking after them once you're live. Your team gets the same access at home as at their desk, you add users and storage without ordering more kit, and a lost laptop becomes an inconvenience rather than a crisis.
That's what we mean by a strategic partner. We learn how your business runs, then set your technology up to help it grow.
WHAT CLOUD ENABLEMENT MEANS
What is cloud enablement?
Cloud enablement is the whole process of moving your systems to the cloud and then running them well once they're there. That means planning the move, migrating your data and applications safely, and managing everything afterwards so it stays secure, fast and easy to budget for.
It goes further than a simple lift-and-shift. Lift-and-shift means copying your existing servers and applications into the cloud exactly as they are, which gets you there but often carries the same old costs and problems across with them. Cloud enablement takes the chance to set things up properly for how your business actually works, so you get the flexibility and savings that make the move worthwhile.
If you already use Microsoft 365 for email, you have made a start. Cloud enablement usually goes further, covering your files, applications and infrastructure as well, often on Microsoft Azure, so the whole business runs from the cloud rather than just your inbox.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Everything you need to move, and to manage with confidence
We handle both sides of cloud enablement, the move itself and the ongoing management that keeps it running well afterwards, with one team accountable for the lot.
Cloud strategy and planning
We map what you have against what you actually use, then build a plan for what should move, in what order and when. You start with a clear picture rather than a leap of faith.
Cloud migration
We carry out the move in planned stages, usually outside core hours, so your team keeps working while your data and applications move across behind the scenes. Nothing old goes offline until the new setup is tested and confirmed.
Microsoft 365 and Azure management
We set up and manage your Microsoft 365 and Azure environment properly, so licensing, storage and access are configured for how your business works and you get real value from what you already pay for.
Cloud infrastructure
We design and run the infrastructure your business sits on, so your files and systems stay fast and available wherever your people work, without a physical box to worry about.
Backup and disaster recovery
Your data is backed up automatically and tested regularly, so you can recover quickly if hardware fails or an attack gets through.
Security in the cloud
Access controls, encryption and monitoring travel with your data wherever it sits. For tighter requirements we can extend our full cyber protection and compliance support.
Cost optimisation
Cloud spend can drift upward unnoticed. We keep it tied to what you use, not what someone forgot to switch off, and flag anything costing more than it should.
Ongoing management and support
Once you're in the cloud, we keep it running and keep improving it, so the move is the start of something better rather than a one-off project. For bigger decisions we can bring in our IT consultancy team.
CHALLENGES WE HELP SOLVE
Common cloud challenges we help solve
Most businesses come to us with the same handful of frustrations. Ageing servers that need a costly refresh nobody has budgeted for. Backups that exist, but that no one is fully sure would work if the worst happened. Remote and hybrid staff wrestling with systems built for a single office. A nagging worry that a hardware failure or an attack would stop the business in its tracks.
Growth adds to the list. Systems that were fine at twenty people start to strain at eighty, and every new site or new starter means more kit to buy and configure. We move the whole picture to the cloud, set it up around how you really work, and keep managing it so it stays secure and affordable as you grow.
SIGNS IT IS TIME
When should you consider cloud enablement?
Most businesses don't go looking to move to the cloud until their current setup starts getting in the way. A few signs it's time:
If that sounds familiar, moving to the cloud is usually the point where technology stops holding you back and starts giving your team room to grow.
- Your server is ageing and a hardware refresh is looming
- Remote and hybrid staff work around your systems rather than through them
- Backups exist, but nobody is fully sure they would work if you needed them
- A hardware failure or ransomware attempt would bring work to a halt overnight
- Software licences and hardware refreshes keep turning into unplanned capital spend
- You're opening a new site or growing faster than your current setup can handle
- You already use Microsoft 365 for email and want to get more out of the cloud
THE COMMERCIAL CASE
Why businesses choose cloud enablement
Moving to the cloud is usually a commercial decision as much as a technical one. Instead of large, unpredictable capital spend on servers and refreshes, you pay for what you use each month, and that cost flexes as your business changes. You also cut the downtime and lost hours that ageing on-site kit tends to create.
On top of the numbers, you get systems your team can reach from anywhere, faster recovery if something goes wrong, and a setup that grows with you rather than one you outgrow. Because it replaces hardware refreshes and reduces downtime, most businesses find the move evens out or saves money over time.
When businesses come to us, it's often because a previous provider moved their workloads and then went quiet, leaving configurations drifting and spend creeping up. We built our service to be the opposite, and getting started is more straightforward than most people expect.
WHY BUSINESSES STAY WITH US
Good service is a choice we make every day
Plenty of providers can move your workloads to the cloud. Clients tell us the difference is that we stay involved once the migration is done, checking configurations, watching spend and making sure the setup still fits as your business changes.
People come first, yours and ours, because technology is only ever as good as the humans behind it. We work as one team with whoever you already have in house rather than around them. You'll always get a straight answer, even when it's not the easy one or the most profitable for us. And we'll stay restless about improvement, looking for a better configuration before you have to ask for one.
Get all of that right and the outcome takes care of itself. When your business thrives, we've done our job. It's also why we grow mostly through referral, because the experience earns it.
HOW IT WORKS
How our cloud enablement works
Moving to the cloud sounds daunting, so we make it deliberately smooth. Here's how getting started works.
1
Discovery
We map your current systems, data and dependencies, so we can plan exactly what needs to move and in what order.
2
Migration plan
You get a clear plan for timing, sequencing and risk, built around your busy periods, so you know what to expect before anything moves.
3
Migration
We carry out the move in stages, testing as we go, and keep your team working throughout. Nothing old is switched off until the new setup is confirmed.
4
Optimise and manage
We tune performance, cost and security once you're live, then keep reviewing as your business changes.
BUILT TO SCALE
Cloud enablement that grows with your business
One of the biggest worries when choosing a provider is outgrowing them. The cloud is built for the opposite, and so are we. As your business changes, your setup changes with it, without starting again with someone new.
When you take on new staff, we get them set up before their first day. When you open an office or expand your use of Microsoft 365, we add the capacity without a hardware order or a delivery wait. When hybrid working or tighter security become priorities, we adjust the setup to match. You grow, and your cloud keeps pace.
CLIENT STORY
How Snape Group moved off ageing kit and onto the cloud
Snape Group is a construction firm with a 50-year history and offices across the region, from Birmingham down to North Somerset and across to Oxford. After a decade with an IT supplier that had gone quiet, Managing Director Darryl Hawkins wanted more than someone to keep the lights on. Cloud and infrastructure were a big part of what needed sorting.
He invited our MD, Iain Godding, to lead a review of the business. Three years on, we support every company in the group and sit on the steering group that advises the board.
Day to day, we manage their Microsoft 365 and cloud infrastructure across every site, and we planned the networking and installation for a new office fit-out so it joined up cleanly with the rest of the group. Because the systems now run from the cloud, staff get the same setup whether they're on a site, in the office or working from home.
Top ways we've helped Snape Group:
“It was never about price. It was the responsiveness, enthusiasm and proactiveness that were the drivers of our change. Such is my trust in Iain that I sometimes use him as a sounding board for non-IT business issues too.”
- An initial review to understand the full requirement
- Microsoft 365 management across the group
- Cloud infrastructure and cloud services
- Infrastructure planning, networking and installation for a new office fit-out
- Day-to-day technical support across multiple sites
IN THEIR WORDS
What clients say
PROOF YOU CAN TRUST
Credentials that back up the move
We hold the standards that show we handle your infrastructure and data properly, so you don't have to take our word for it: We're trusted by more than 200 UK businesses, with 24/7 monitoring and an average response time under 30 minutes. South West HQ, UK-wide reach.
ISO/IEC 27001:2022, certified by UKASCyber Essentials PlusMicrosoft Solutions PartnerB Corp certification in progress
200+
UK businesses trust us
<30 min
average response time
24/7
systems monitoring
SECTOR EXPERIENCE
Industries we support
We support businesses across legal, fintech, construction, renewables, charities and professional services. The list matters less than the fact that each sector comes with its own pressures, and we tailor the move to them.
That might mean the data residency and safeguarding rules a charity works under, the client security questionnaires a fintech has to pass, or the specialist software a construction firm depends on running smoothly once it's in the cloud. We take the time to learn how your industry works, so your setup fits your world rather than a generic template.
WHERE WE WORK
Supporting businesses across the UK
We're based in the South West and move businesses to the cloud right across the UK. The nature of cloud work means most of it happens remotely, so where you are makes no difference to the service, and we come to you onsite when a project needs hands on the hardware.
We work with organisations in legal, fintech, construction, renewables, charities and professional services, from teams of ten to companies of several hundred. Cloud sits alongside our managed IT services and our cyber protection and compliance work, so your move is secure and well supported from day one.
WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM
Working alongside your IT team
Not every business wants to hand over everything. Many have an internal IT manager who's stretched, or who needs a hand with the larger jobs like a cloud migration. We can work alongside your team rather than replace it.
We can take on the migration and the infrastructure work so your IT lead can keep the day-to-day running, provide cover during busy periods, and bring specialist cloud and security expertise when it's needed. Your internal knowledge stays, and ours is there to lean on. Read more about our co-managed IT services.
EXPLORE MORE
Explore our other services
Managed IT Services
Technology should power your ambition, not drain your energy. We keep your IT running and secure, then we keep making it better, so your people can focus on the work that grows the business.
Cyber Protection & Compliance
Technology should power your ambition, not put it at risk. We protect your business from attack and give you the documented compliance your clients and regulators now expect, so you can grow with confidence.
IT Consultancy
Technology should power your ambition, not leave you guessing which investment to make next. We give you a clear, independent view of your technology, so every decision moves your business forward.
Co-Managed IT
Your internal IT team knows your business better than anyone, and you want to keep them. Co-managed IT gives them a specialist partner behind the scenes, so round-the-clock monitoring and the heavy security projects stop landing on one desk.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
What is cloud enablement?
Cloud enablement is the whole process of moving your systems to the cloud and running them well once they're there. It covers planning the move, migrating your data and applications, and the ongoing management that keeps everything secure and cost-effective afterwards.
What is the difference between cloud enablement and lift-and-shift?
Lift-and-shift copies your existing servers and applications into the cloud exactly as they are, which gets you there but often carries the same costs and problems with it. Cloud enablement sets things up properly for how your business works, so you get the flexibility and savings that make the move worthwhile.
What is the difference between cloud migration and cloud management?
Cloud migration is the move itself, getting your files, applications and infrastructure into the cloud safely. Cloud management is what comes next, the day-to-day running, monitoring and cost control that keep it working for you. We do both, so the move is the start of something better rather than a one-off project.
What is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform for hosting servers, applications and storage. Instead of running these on hardware in your office, they run in Microsoft's secure data centres, so you can scale up or down without buying kit. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, we design and manage Azure environments around how your business works.
We already use Microsoft 365 for email. Is that the same thing?
It's a good start, but cloud enablement usually goes further, covering file storage, applications and infrastructure as well as email.
How disruptive is a move to the cloud?
Minimal, if it's planned properly. Most of the work happens in planned stages outside core hours, and your team keeps working throughout.
How long does a typical migration take?
It depends on your setup, but most small and mid-sized businesses are fully migrated within a few weeks once planning is complete.
What happens to our existing servers?
We agree what gets decommissioned and when. Nothing old goes offline until the new setup is tested and confirmed working.
Is our data safe in the cloud?
Yes. We build in encryption, access controls and tested backups from day one, and everything is covered by the same standards we hold ourselves to, including ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
Will cloud costs spiral once we're set up?
Not on our watch. We review usage regularly and flag anything costing more than it should, so your spend stays tied to what you use.
How much does moving to the cloud cost?
There's usually a one-off cost for the migration and then an ongoing monthly cost for licensing and management, which flexes with what you use. Because it replaces hardware refreshes and reduces downtime, most businesses find it evens out or saves money over time. A short discovery call is the quickest way to a clear figure.
What size of business do you work with?
We mainly support organisations from around 10 to 500 staff, across sectors including legal, fintech, construction, renewables, charities and professional services.
Do you provide remote and onsite support?
Both. Most issues are resolved remotely in minutes, and we send an engineer onsite whenever a job needs someone in the room.
Do you provide cyber security services?
Yes. Security is built into our managed service, and we also offer dedicated cyber security and compliance support. We hold ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus ourselves.
Can you work alongside our existing IT team?
Yes. Many clients have an internal IT lead and partner with us through our co-managed IT services when they need extra capacity, specialist cloud expertise or a hand with the migration itself.
What does getting started look like?
It begins with a review of where you are now and where you want to go, exactly how our relationship with Snape Group started.
Do you offer backup and disaster recovery?
Yes. Your data is backed up automatically and tested regularly, so you can recover quickly if hardware fails or an attack gets through.
Can you help if we're already in the cloud but it isn't working well?
Yes. We often take over cloud setups that were moved and then left to drift. We review the configuration, tidy up security and access, bring spend back under control, and keep managing it from there.
Give your ambition room to grow
Technology should power your ambition, not tie it to a server that's running out of road. A short conversation is the fastest way to see what moving to the cloud would look like for your business. We'll look at where you are now, show you what good looks like, and give you a clear view in 30 minutes, with no obligation.
Get your free cloud readiness review