Page 9 of Umbrella Resources

The future is tech. There’s no doubt there. AI and cloud computing have all grown over the last decade, but great growth comes with great growing pains. That’s where managed service providers (MSPs) come into play.  MSPs solve the growing pains of migrating to the cloud, cybersecurity risks, or outgrowing your current tech stack. By helping you outsource your cloud communications, MSPs let you focus on your profits, turning would-be fire drills into a “just so you know” email because of pre-emptive monitoring services. (There’s a reason why more than 60% of organizations are expected to be dependent on MSPs by 2024.) That said, before you can work with the MSP of your dreams, you must find the right one for your business. This can be more challenging with the space constantly changing, and new MSP players entering the field.  But don’t panic, we’ll help you keep up to date! Here are our recommendations for the top 10 managed service providers in the US as of 2025. What Key Features Should You Look for in Managed Service Providers? Before our recommendations, let’s discuss how we decided on these rankings.  We took into account these five important features:  Monitoring and support. This is our number one feature for a reason. Ultimately, your MSP should solve problems you don’t need to know about. A provider that quickly closes tickets and offers regular monitoring is essential.  Security. Our recommended MSPs are all known for their threat detection, data protection, HIPAA, GDPR, and other industry-specific compliances, as well as various certifications.  Scalability. Ideally, your MSP should be able to grow with your business, matching you stride for stride as you increase profits. If you’re adding a new feature or service, you want your MSP to be able to help, not hinder.  Transparency and cost. Clear communication is a must. Affordability is a close second. We considered these two together since some MSPs can have hidden fees.  Reputation and reviews. Before making final decisions on an MSP, consider client testimonials and case studies (Don’t be afraid to ask for references.)  Considering these five criteria, here are our recommendations for the top 10 MSPs in the US. Top 10 MSPs in the US Comparison Chart Here are our top managed service providers at a glance:   Jack of All Trades: Presidio  Presidio is the MSP for you if you need cloud services, security, networking, or updates to your data center infrastructure.  You’re in the hands of experts here. Presidio is known for being a well-liked and well-trusted service provider. Their suite includes a full life cycle model of managed, professional, support, and staffing services. If you have even the most obscure tech problem, there’s a guarantee one of its technicians knows a fix.  Pricing With great expertise comes great price tags. With great expertise comes great price tags. Presidio will work for time and materials or a fixed price. If you choose the latter, prepare to pay a higher than usual budget.  Pros There’s a lot of like with Preisido. You’ll get white glove support and end-to-end customer experience. Presidio can solve any cloud problem, whether implementing a state-of-the-art VoIP system, physical or cybersecurity, strategy, consulting, solutions design, etc.  Presidio’s employees have extensive experience in the cloud, so you don’t need to sweat your cloud migration with this MSP.  Cons Prices can be high. You get what you pay for, especially with this MSP, but you’ll most likely be paying more than standard.  Overall Rating Presidio is truly a jack of all trades when it comes to MSP. It can help you handle any project for any industry, and customer reviews confirm how much you can trust the project. If you can afford the steeper price, you’ll get quality services and an MSP that can help you scale while improving efficiency – and revenue.  That’s why our overall rating for Presidio is a 4.7.    Top for Cybersecurity: Magna5 Need cybersecurity? Magna5 is the MSP for you. Its main offers are IT, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions. Magna5 is known for reducing customer data-related risks while improving business system efficiency. Its target audience is mid-market to enterprise-sized companies.  One important thing to note is that Magna5 only operates in the American market. There’s a reason this provider is on our list of the top 10 MSPs in the US and not in our top 10 MSPs for Israel!  Pricing Magna5 is very transparent with its clients regarding services and has no hidden fees. It offers customized pricing models to best suit your business needs.  Pros Magna5’s technical experience means you don’t have to worry about data security. This MSP has also worked with various industries, from education, government, financial, manufacturing, and healthcare, so it is well-versed with industry-specific compliance and regulation requirements, making Magna5 the ideal choice for Fintech, DevOps, and healthcare companies.  Cons Support can sometimes be laggy since some Magna5 workers are in different time zones. Magna5 can also be a little over the top in educating its user base, so expect a lot of emails regarding onboarding.  Overall Rating Magna5’s protection from security threats, real-time monitoring dashboards, and rapid recovery make it a great MSP for improving cybersecurity.  We give Magna5 an average rating of 4.6.   Fan Favorite: Integris Integris is a fan favorite because of its known ability to deliver IT-managed services, cybersecurity, IT strategy consulting, and cloud consulting. This MSP’s mission is to provide personal service as a national company. (And they do a good job at it!)  Integris offers a 24/7 help desk with various services. These services range from best-in-class dedicated vCIOs to specialized compliance and security advisory services, making it the ideal MSP choice for many businesses. Pricing Integris offers custom pricing models depending on your company size.  Pros Integris is known for being good at what it does – it focuses specifically on breach detection and incident response, digital forensics, expert testimony, and threat/attack simulations.  If you need to get your IT system back on track or prepare for the cloud, Integris is a great choice for the US market!  Cons Integris’ pricing model, while custom, is known to be a bit higher for the services it provides. Considering the quality of its services, you certainly get what you pay for – but expect that payment to be more of a pretty penny.  Though it works with a wide range of businesses, Integris primarily focuses on general business services, legal, financial, and non-profit, with some advertising/marketing and government businesses.  Overall Rating With the wide portfolio of businesses it serves, it’s no surprise that Integris’ rating is 4.6. The only drawback to this MSP (in our opinion), is it’s not the best choice for larger, enterprise-sized businesses.   Best for IT Management: TruAdvantage TruAdvantage is a great MSP if you need a provider specializing in IT-managed services consulting and who can support increasing productivity and scalability.  TruAdvantage is known for its zero-minute wait time and the fact that you can talk to a real person. It also offers cybersecurity services, and its expertise in migrating clients to the cloud is unparalleled. This MSP has worked with various industries, including medical, business, legal, non-profit, and marketing.  Pricing TruAdvantage tailors its costs to the client. Its pricing model will vary depending on your company's size, industry, and what you specifically need. It also offers a “90 days of satisfaction or free” service because TruAdvantage is confident in its ability to provide for any client.  Pros TruAdvantage has an excellent reputation, retaining 100% of its clients since 2012. It’s a great choice for IT management because of its focus on improving your systems for efficiency training and scaling.  Cons TruAdvantage is skilled in both IT and cloud communications. Still, it doesn't have as much experience handling larger, enterprise-sized clients since it focuses on mostly small- to mid-market businesses.  That doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice for a big company, as TruAdvantage’s client testimonials paint a clear picture of this MSP’s hard work, but if you’re looking for an experienced MSP for big enterprise clients, you might want to look elsewhere.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate TruAdvantage a 4.5. Its ability to provide high-quality IT services and cybersecurity means TruAdvantage is one of our favorites in the US, but maybe not the best pick for a large business looking to continue to scale.   Best MSP for FinTech: Artelogic Need help with your cloud migration strategy for your FinTech company? Artelogic is the MSP for you. Expect outstanding results and guaranteed growth.  Artelogic is a Ukraine-based company with branches in New York that services clients across the globe. It is known for working in financial services and IT industries but has experience with supply chain and eCommerce companies. This MSP’s clients are predominantly midmarket, but it does work with some small and enterprise-sized businesses.  Pricing Artelogic’s pricing model fluctuates depending on your company size, the number of hours of support you need a month, and your project scope.  Pros Artelogic has raving reviews and can help with anything from developing resources for cloud solutions to website maintenance, front-end and backend support, and even UX and style guide creation.  This MSP is extremely experienced in the FinTech and IT world, and it’s known for hitting the ground running. If you have a project where you need rapid guidance and support, Artelogic is a great pick.  Cons This MSP is not the best choice for 24/7 monitoring. If you’re having cybersecurity troubles, that’s not Artelogic’s area of expertise.  Artelogic also doesn’t usually work with projects larger than $50,000. While it does have enterprise-size clients, if you’re working with a big-budget project, you might be better off looking elsewhere.  Overall Rating Overall, we give Artelogic a 4.5 rating. It offers FinTech and IT companies fantastic services, but this MSP’s lack of 24/7 monitoring brings its score down slightly. If you’re looking for help migrating to the cloud its a great choice.    Top MSP for SAP: Protera With over 20 years of experience, Protera is an MSP that can help you completely transform your SAP organization just like that. Protera’s FlexBridgeSM platform has helped customers save up to 50% of time and costs when managing IT applications on the cloud. You’ll be in good hands with this MSP.  Protera is a global SAP® partner with certifications in cloud, application management, hosting, global outsourcing, and SAP HANA. Services include cloud modernization and managed services, SAP migration and managed services, and IT security and disaster recovery. No matter if you’re working on Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud, Protera can help.  Pricing Contact Protera’s sales teams for a custom pricing model that varies depending on company size and the nature of the project.  Pros Protera’s expertise is guaranteed. It can help you dust off your cloud services – or your old equipment, if you need to finish the migration. Since Protera has decades of experience with IT management and updating and optimizing workloads in the cloud, you can expect its teams to hit the ground running.  Cons Protera is an easy pick for any SAP company, hands down. Its only fault is that there is some pricing mystery, and it specializes in SAP businesses. If your company isn't in systems, applications, and products, it's still a great choice, but onboarding will take a little longer! Overall Rating Overall, we rate Protera a 4.5. Its only downside is the lack of visibility around pricing. But if you’re a SAP business looking for help in the cloud, this is the MSP for you.    Top MSP for Hybrid Cloud: IBM IBM has been around over a century for a reason. IBM Application Management is your go-to for MSP hybrid cloud solutions, offering a wide suite of services to help support your current IT stack and help you continue to grow in the cloud. Pricing IBM Application Management has customized pricing plans for all services, offers real-time monitoring analysis, and is a company ready to support you regardless of the industry. IBM is perfect if you’re looking to grow on a global scale.  Pros Pricing and monitoring is top-tier. IBM Application Management provides data-managed services with intelligent self-healing automation and specialized services for cybersecurity. Downtime will be reduced while your efficiency increases.  That’s not to say IBM has no downsides.  Cons IBM Application Management has so many customers it's hard for it to provide constant support. You won’t get the same customization regarding tools, monitoring, and customer support as you would with a smaller, more localized company.  IBM Application Management also has more mixed reviews. Users who need regular customer service found IBM to respond much slower than they would have liked. While also known for its usefulness, IBM's tools can be tricky to integrate.  Overall Rating Overall, IBM Application Management gets a 4.3 from us. It’s a great MSP option if you’re looking to use hybrid cloud solutions, just prepare yourself for less support than your average MSP experience!   Best for Big Projects: Intetics Inc. Looking for web, custom software, or AI development? Then, Intetics Inc. is our pick. Though on the pricier side of our list, it’s equipped to handle larger projects, especially for midmarket clients.  Intetics Inc. is known for its custom software application development, IT-managed services, and "all-things-digital" offerings made with blockchain, GIS/UAV/LBS, IoT, and SMAC. It’s also experienced with supporting and managing your infrastructure with the latest DevOps tools and migrating you to the cloud.  Intentics's Predictive Software Engineering network is a go-to provider for innovative solutions. Its background is in software engineering, which means custom and quality solutions. Industry-wise, Intetics is most familiar with medical, navigation/GPS, financial services, education, and e-commerce sectors, but it welcomes any client.  Pricing Intetics offers pricing packages starting at $50,000+, though its pricing tier varies from $300,000+ for small businesses to $1,000,000+ for enterprises.  Pros Intetics Inc. is upfront, transparent, and uses the best talent. This MSP’s strengths are in talent acquisition and retention and guaranteed results. It will address any roadblocks you have and openly communicate with you throughout the process. It can help you augment your internal team while addressing backlogs or bottlenecks. Its reviews are glowing, and there's little not to like… Cons Expect a high price tag. If you’re looking at a big project and need the lift, Intetics Inc. can help. If you’re looking for something cheap – or more flexible – you’re probably better off with a different MSP.  Overall Rating Overall, we give Intetics Inc. a 4.3 average rating. Its less flexible and higher pricing models reduce its overall score but know you’re paying for quality. If you have the budget and need the lift, its services will help.   Best MSP for Multicloud Solutions: Rackspace Finding a multi-cloud solution provider who can keep up with you stride for stride by making end-to-end solutions that scale across applications, data and security, and more, is difficult. But don’t worry – we did the heavy lifting. After searching far and wide, we can confidently say Rackspace is our go-to choice for multi-cloud.  Rackspace Technology is a global MSP. Typically customer asks include projects to build new revenue streams, create customized experiences, and increase efficiency. You can expect world-class talent at this MSP. It lives up to its motto to work faster, smarter, and to stay ahead of the curve for tech.  Rackspace works with a huge range of industries. From finance to government to healthcare to media and entertainment, you’ll be covered here.  Pricing You’ll have to contact Rackspace’s sales team to get a custom quote. Prices vary depending on company size and project ask, but reviews stated that Rackspace is on the more expensive end for MSPs.  Pros Expect user-friendly interfaces that simplify the cloud. Tasks are streamlined and time-efficient. Be it infrastructure or cloud environments, Rackspace is known for its reliability, expertise when responding to customer questions or requests. Its expertise expands into AWS, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Microsoft Azure, and more partner platforms.  Cons Some users have complained that Rackspace’s spam/scam protection is not fully optimized, especially in regards to their email hosting platform. Costs are also a little higher than the other MSPs on this list.  Overall Rating For all that Rackspace is the MSP to go to for bespoke multi-cloud solutions, their higher prices and spam/scam protection means their overall rating is a 4.2. If you’re looking for personalized cloud services, this is the MSP for you, but be prepared for their more expensive price tag.    Best for Disaster Recovery: SADOS MSP Inc. Looking to get back on your feet after a security breach? SADOS can help. SADOS works with businesses across the United States and specializes in remote and IT businesses. Its client base is an even split between small- to mid-market businesses.  This MSP also focuses on the help desk and optimizing cloud workflows while helping with disaster recovery and other managed services.  Pricing SADOS MSP Inc.’s prices vary depending on how much support your organization requires and its size. Its prices are based monthly, and features are provided depending on the tier you decide on.  Since it often works with smaller businesses and its usual project size is typically below $10,000, its prices are, unsurprisingly, not as high as some other MSPs on our list.  Pros If you need to recover from an IT disaster and quickly get back on your feet – and you’re doing so with a limited budget – SADOS can be a lifesaver. Its straightforward pricing model means you know what you’re getting into, and its complete focus on IT services means you’re in the hands of experts.  Cons With that said, there are limitations to SADOS because of its specificity. It’s likely not the best choice for you if you’re not in the IT business since that’s outside its usual client focus. It also doesn’t have any flexible pricing models.  SADOS also, despite having great reviews, doesn’t have as many reviews as some other organizations on this list, which makes it harder to get a full picture of its business and services.  Overall Rating Because of its more limited scope of offers, pricing scheme, and reviews, we give SADOS MSP Inc. a 4.1. It’s a great option if you’re an IT company looking for IT-managed services, especially disaster recovery. Still, if you don’t fit that bill, we recommend reviewing any other MSPs on this list.  FAQ How do MSPs Work? MSPs provide outsourced IT, tech, and cloud communication services to businesses of varying sizes and in differing fields. It works by first assessing the current state of your company’s infrastructure and business needs, before adding monitoring tools and proactive maintenance practices to ensure the company can function smoothly.  How do I Know if My Business Needs an MSP? Consider your company size and how often you’re spending time on IT and tech issues.  Does your company have limited IT experience, frequent tech issues, a need for regular support, and/or issues keeping up with constant changes in compliance? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it would be worth your time to consider working with an MSP.  Why Are Some MSPs More Expensive? Management service providers scale their pricing models depending on their clients and the services needed. Pricing structures vary from tiered pricing to fixed pricing to service-based pricing.  Physical location of the client or MSP, how complex your company’s technological infrastructure is, the size of your company, and how often you need support are all factors that can either increase or decrease your MSP price tag. Make sure to get multiple quotes from different MSPs to get the best offer.  What Kind of MSP Do I Need? Consider what kind of tech support you want. MSPs are great for getting IT support or that extra lift you need to finish your company’s cloud migration.  When searching for MSPs, consider those who utilize third-party tools that can work with native cloud tools. If you want to get to the bottom of how much it costs in the cloud, you might want a provider like Umbrella to work alongside your MSP.  Getting Help for Cloud Services Migrating to the cloud and managing cloud costs is just the cherry on top of running a profitable, forward-facing business. This is why no matter what MSP you decide, it’s imperative to have one that works with tools that can maximize your cloud costs and keep happy customers. Umbrella’s cloud cost management solution lets you visualize the costs of working in the cloud and optimizes your spend without sacrificing efficiency.  Umbrella gives you 100% visibility, so you can view all your multicloud and K8 data in one place. For MSPs and their clients wanting to adopt a more FinOps approach to the cloud, Umbrella clarifies how much it costs to be in the cloud by working with your team to help spot irregular cloud spend, helping make your systems more efficient and cost-effective.  Want to try it out or learn more about what MSPs and Umbrella can do together? Talk to us for more insight into cloud usage, costs, and how much you can save annually. 

The big Announcement Mark your calendars: From February 1, 2024, AWS is introducing a $0.005 hourly charge for all public IPv4 addresses. With IPv4 addresses becoming rarer and pricier, AWS is pushing us to be more IPv4-efficient and highlights the urgent need for businesses to adopt IPv6. Where's This Change Happening? This isn’t just a small tweak, it will affect all AWS services that use public IPv4 addresses. We're talking about everything from EC2 and RDS database instances to EKS nodes. And it's not just in one place; this is happening in every AWS region. Cost-Cutting Strategies: AWS has introduced 2 new tools to help you keep an eye on your public IPv4 address usage.  These tools are great at figuring out where you can cut back on costs, especially on those idle IPs. New usage types in the AWS Cost and Usage Report (CUR) - Receive detailed insights into your public IPv4 address usage, making it easier to see how your AWS bill might change. Public IP Insights - Monitor, analyze, and audit your public IPv4 addresses.with Amazon's new  VPC IP Address Management (IPAM) feature at no extra cost. Conclusion: The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is not just a technical upgrade but a strategic step towards future-proofing your business. Start cleaning the house now by ditching those idle and unused IP addresses. Embracing the move with Umbrella: Using AWS's latest tools along with Umbrella's analytics enables you to create a more efficient IP management strategy.  It’s about being proactive, and cost-effective and making this transition to a more efficient IP usage as smooth as possible.

AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) is an outcome-driven, methodology-based comprehensive cloud program that helps accelerate your cloud migration and modernization journey. This program is crafted using AWS’s experience of migrating thousands of enterprise customers to the AWS cloud. How does the AWS MAP Program work? The AWS MAP Program has three stages: Readiness Assessment This stage is used to identify the capabilities required in a company for the migration and build a Total Cost of Ownership model to calculate the total costs the organization will incur for managing the workloads in the cloud. The step is essential for doing a like-to-like comparison of on-premises and on-cloud. Resource Mobilization The role of the mobilization stage is to tackle the cloud migration at an operational level, which includes dealing with the shortcomings and additional requirements that are identified in the assessment phase. Modernize and Migrate This stage includes executing the migration plans created in the previous stages. This stage includes working with the AWS Profession Services team and Migration Partners. Even though AWS provides the boilerplate framework, executing this process is tedious and critical. Third-party platforms such as Umbrella simplify this entire process and help you navigate AWS so that your organization is maximizing the benefits of AWS Cloud. Umbrella’s team consists of professionals who are highly experienced and experts in this domain.    Challenges with the AWS MAP program Although the AWS MAP program comes with a structured approach, there are many challenges you have to deal with. Business Objective Alignment The AWS MAP program mainly focuses on the execution side of migration, which might sometimes result in deviation from business objectives. Therefore, it is always important to align the migration process with business objectives. Umbrella’s team provides your organization with personalized guidance throughout the process and helps you migrate and manage the AWS cloud. Expertise and Time Commitment Cloud migration is a massive undertaking that requires highly qualified professionals with cloud migration expertise even while using the AWS MAP program. It is often wise to use a third-party platform like Umbrella with highly experienced DevOps engineers and Cloud Architects. This results in setting up a highly robust and scalable cloud deployment and freeing up time for your in-house engineers to work on your product rather than deal with the headaches of the migration process. Cost Optimization and Management If the migration is not done properly, it can result in massive unexpected costs. Umbrella provides an AWS Cost Monitoring program with anomaly detection and cost forecasting facilities. You can connect your AWS deployment to Umbrella’s cost-monitoring system within minutes. Security Security is a paramount consideration in any cloud infrastructure. Adhering to state-of-the-art practices is essential to safeguarding digital assets. This involves implementing robust encryption, access controls, regular monitoring, and staying abreast of emerging threats through continuous updates and employee training. A proactive and adaptive security strategy is crucial for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of data in the cloud environment. Management and Training Migrating to the cloud from an on-premise system can often be challenging, especially if your team is accustomed to working with an on-prem system. Proper developer training and management strategies must be implemented for successful adoption. Using a third-party platform like Umbrella to manage your AWS deployments is often the best approach for a successful and optimized cloud adoption. Migration Complexity Large-scale enterprise cloud migration is an intricate task that requires thorough planning and close-to-perfect execution. Seeking help from professionals and industry veterans for this task is often a good strategy. Umbrella’s team comprises leading industry experts in the cloud migration process. Tracking and Managing Credits in AWS MAP Credit tracking and management in the AWS MAP program can be tricky due to the following reasons: Tagging Precise tagging of resources needs to be done to manage credits properly. Therefore, it is important to define clear tagging guidelines and automate this process as much as possible. Visibility and Reporting The first-party built-in reporting tools for the MAP program do not provide granular insights for detailed analysis. It is best to consider using a third-party tool like Umbrella’s Cloud Cost Management tool to get enhanced visibility and reporting of MAP credits. Usage Restrictions and Expiration AWS MAP credits generally have an expiration date therefore, it is very important to plan and prioritize the projects to derive maximum benefits from the credits. Stay Up to Date It is important to stay informed and up to date to keep up with any changes in the AWS MAP program’s terms and conditions at all times to ensure compliance. Seeking the help of professionals who deal with these programs and systems day in and day out is often the best approach. Enlisting the support of seasoned professionals well-versed in the intricacies of these programs and systems is a prudent approach. How to Optimize Cloud Costs using Umbrella Optimizing infrastructure costs is one of the core reasons to migrate to the cloud. Using an on-premise infrastructure has many direct and hidden costs associated with it, such as — hardware costs, maintenance costs, upgrade costs, human resource costs, etc. Hence, when you migrate to the cloud, it’s very important to reap the full benefits of the cloud and set up an infrastructure that is robust, highly scalable and cost-effective. Umbrella has partnered with the AWS ISV Accelerate program to optimize costs for AWS customers and is available on AWS Marketplace. Umbrella for Cloud Costs provides visibility and forecasting of your cloud costs. Companies that use Umbrella can save up to 40% on their annual cloud costs. Some key features of Umbrella for Cloud Costs are: Easy setup and integration. You can connect your AWS cloud to this product within minutes A central platform to visualize all cloud costs from different providers Custom dashboard creation and easy report export functionalities Anomaly detection and monitoring capabilities Alerting and notification functionalities that support — push notifications, email alerting, slack integration, page duty integration, and webhooks. Accurate cost prediction forecasts that help you to plan ahead of time   Check out Umbrella on the AWS marketplace to try our cloud cost management there for free!

Back in 2014, DevOps took the tech world by storm, and now we've got another game-changer: the rise of FinOps.  FinOps is stepping up as a key player, helping companies manage and optimize their cloud costs, shaping it into an investment in a company's financial health.   However, a significant challenge has emerged: the demand for skilled FinOps professionals far exceeds the supply. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFvF9McYOgQ[/embed]   Lewis Cowell, co-founder of Optimized, the world's first FinOps recruitment agency, sat down with us to discuss the nuances of finding the right candidates for FinOps roles. He shares his own hiring experience along with insights into practical solutions for bridging this talent gap. “I have a deep interest in the FinOps space. It's like cloud meets investing.” - Lewis Cowell  Why FinOps Matters FinOps professionals play a pivotal role in managing and optimizing cloud costs. They are the bridge between finance and tech teams, ensuring that cloud spending is efficient and aligned with business goals. The role involves not just technology know-how, but also an understanding of finance and the ability to work collaboratively across departments.  The Talent Gap There's a significant demand for FinOps professionals, but finding the right talent is challenging. Lewis identified three main routes into FinOps: technical backgrounds (like DevOps, cloud engineers), finance backgrounds, and those in roles like procurement or IT asset management. The key is to blend these skills along with strong interpersonal skills.  “So many people come into the space from a multitude of different backgrounds and it makes it more difficult to recruit for but also widens the net at the same time. It's a paradox.” - Lewis Cowell Breaking into FinOps Getting certified in cloud service provider platforms and FinOps is crucial to understanding the role. Seek experience within your current company, asking to work on upcoming cloud cost projects. And never forget the power of networking to learn, share insights, and connect with the community.    The Challenge of companies  Recruiting for FinOps roles is complex due to the unique blend of skills required. Besides looking for the perfect hire, companies should consider investing in training and developing internal talent.  They need to be actively involved in the FinOps community, keeping an eye out for potential candidates and building relationships. Moreover, they need to foster a culture of understanding the importance of FinOps as essential to the company's financial and operational success.   Future Prospects FinOps is more than just a job title; it's a strategic investment in a company's future. It requires a special blend of skills and a deep understanding of both technology and finance. As Lewis shared, the field is growing rapidly, but there's a significant talent gap. For those looking to break into FinOps, now is the time to build your skills and network. And for companies, investing in FinOps talent is not just a cost-saving measure, it's a way to future-proof your business. Special thanks to Lewis, for your valuable insights and for leading the way in FinOps recruitment with Optimized. Your expertise is shaping our future of cloud cost optimization. Watch the whole interview for more on his  Lewis’s journey and his expert tips.

Our solution (Umbrella) and Cloud Ctrl Cost are two popular choices for a FinOps solution. With the increasing number of businesses moving to the cloud, having a third-party cost management solution like FinOps can handle all the challenges and maximize productivity in the cloud. So, which platform offers a complete FinOps solution? Let's dig deeper and analyze who provides the best solutions, technology, and support to make the most of your  FinOps culture. Company Profiles Background of Umbrella We are a certified FinOps platform that helps you nail FinOps with a holistic and enhanced approach. Utilizing our features gives you complete coverage across all FinOps domains, leveling up your FinOps practices to maximize business value. We have a strong and dedicated team of top industry experts who are here to support our clients in achieving ultimate success in the cloud. Overview of Umbrella's Cloud Cost Monitoring solution as a FinOps tool We are proud to be the sole certified FinOps platform designed to measure and propel success across leading public cloud providers.  Our features aim to be top-notch for FinOps capabilities, ensuring nothing is ever overlooked when it comes to managing cloud finances.   100% visibility: Our dashboard provides all the necessary factors for cloud operations, such as KPIs, baselines, flexible cost allocation, advanced reporting capabilities, and savings recommendations. Access to our recommendations: We have a comprehensive library of over 50 easy-to-implement savings recommendations tailored for AWS, GCP, and Azure.  Market-leading tools in business monitoring: Our generative AI platform, with products like CostGPT and ML-based algorithms, lets you dive deeper into cloud costs than ever before. It's like having superpowers to understand your expenses!     Background of Cloud Ctrl Cost Cloud Ctrl Cost enables organizations to make informed decisions, detect cost overruns, and optimize cloud spending. Its real-time cost anomaly and waste detection capabilities help prevent accidental overspending and drive profitability. Overview of CloudZero's cloud cost monitoring solution as a FinOps tool Cloud Ctrl was initially created as an in-house solution by SixPivot, an Australian software development consultancy. Although it is compatible with AliCloud, AWS, Azure, and GCP platforms, it lacks the comprehensive capabilities required for an effective FinOps solution. Uncertified platform: The FinOps Foundation has not recognized it as a genuine FinOps platform. Limited Cost & Usage Meterics: Exclusively AWS, K8s, and Snowflake. Consultant-based: There are no dedicated leadership or engineering teams. Instead, a team of 40 people offers core consultancy services and oversees two unrelated products. Breakdown of FinOps features Cloud Computing   Umbrella Our advanced features help streamline procurement and pricing decisions by providing cost and usage data visibility across multiple platforms. We offer real-time anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and automated recommendations to optimize cloud spend.   Comprehensive Cost & Usage Metrics: Unlike other solutions, Umbrella supports a wide range of platforms, allowing users to gain insight into their entire cloud infrastructure and make informed decisions about cost optimization. MSP-oriented: Our product features are designed with MSPs in mind. They enable optimizing cloud savings by automating operations such as advanced cost allocation, reporting, billing rules, custom charge types, credit management, and SP/RI re-allocation. Real-time monitoring: Automated real-time anomaly detection ensures timely alerts and actions to keep your cloud investments on track. Cloud Ctrl Cost Cloud Ctrl Cost supports all major public cloud providers but lacks in competitive features, especially for MSPs.  Minimal access to Cost and Usage: Users cannot access cost and usage insights for Azure MCA, K8s, or metrics. Rate calculation and grouping with Cost & Usage Explorer are also unavailable. Limited view: Cannot support multi-cloud features like cloud view, reports, or dashboards. Lack of MSP billing options: It offers general MSP billing but does not include advanced features like multiple rule settings, margin history view, and reporting for a comprehensive cloud cost management overview. Umbrella or Cloud Ctrl Cost: Which provides the FinOps capabilities you need?   recognized and doesn’t give users a comprehensive view of your cloud costs. This begs the question, how can businesses truly scale if you’re not given the FinOps tools to perform at maximum potential in the cloud?  After exploring Umbrella and Cloud Ctrl Cost in depth, only one provider offers the tools, support, and MSP features for organizations to make an impact in their cloud with FinOps practices. With us, you won't find any gaps in cloud costs, and we have the FinOps-verified badge to prove it!  Partnering with Umbrella means you'll have comprehensive visibility into KPIs and baselines, flexible cost allocation, advanced reporting capabilities, and savings recommendations.  And if you identify as an MSP, we’ve got you covered, too!   

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Upcoming specific new AWS regulations will significantly impact how businesses handle their AWS operations. Starting from January 15, 2024, AWS will no longer permit the resale of discounted Reserved Instances (RIs) bought from the Amazon EC2 Reserved Instance Marketplace. This update aligns with AWS's service terms, particularly Section 5.5, which explicitly prohibits the resale of discounted RIs. What implications can AWS customers expect, and how can Umbrella help with solutions to this new change? Let's dive deeper and find out. What are Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances? Amazon EC2 Reserved Instances offer a cost-effective solution for businesses to save money in the cloud. Typically, when businesses utilize Amazon's cloud for programs and data storage, they are charged based on usage. But if you know you'll need that computer power for a while, you can opt to "reserve" it. This means you can use a specific amount of Amazon's computer power for a set period (1 or 3 years), and in return, Amazon gives you a discount. Current policy allowing the resale of Reserved Instances in the marketplace The current policy allows Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers to resell their RIs in the Reserved Instance virtual Marketplace without restrictions. Changes in the New AWS Policy Update In the past few weeks, specific customer types have been informed that starting January 2024, they will be unable to sell Standard RIs on the marketplace. These customers can sell their RIs until the end of December 2024. Who does this rule apply to? It applies to customers who have qualified for the following discount programs. Because they are receiving a discount on consumption (including RI purchases), AWS does not allow RIs to be sold on the marketplace. You’ll be affected if any of the following criteria apply to you: RI Volume Discounts When the value of RI purchases reaches $500k per year, customers are eligible for an RI Volume discount of 5% on any future RI purchase. This discount increases to 10% when the value of all purchases reaches $1m per year. Enterprise Discount Program (EDP) Customers under an Enterprise Discount Program have committed to a specific yearly spend and receive a flat discount on their usage for most services, including RI purchases). Specific Customers Members of the Solution Provider Program, APN partners, and MSPs who receive a discount on consumption from AWS. How the new policy change impacts AWS customers Previously, AWS customers could sell unused Standard RIs or buy Standard RIs from others. However, the new policy update will prohibit the resale of Discounted RIs. According to the update, customers retain ownership of the RIs until expiration. Potential repercussions include: Reduced Flexibility: Customers who don't need the full reservation term cannot recoup the funds spent on those RIs. This could make RIs less appealing to some users, especially those uncertain about long-term computing needs. Decision Making: Customers may need to be more cautious and precise in purchasing RIs, understanding that they're making a more binding commitment without the fallback option of reselling. Potential Shift to Savings Plans: As a response, businesses might gravitate more towards AWS Savings Plans, which offer similar cost-saving benefits but with greater flexibility. (Which we'll cover in the next section.) What are AWS Savings Plans? AWS Savings Plans offer discounted prices on AWS usage (such as EC2, Fargate, and Lambda) in exchange for a committed amount of usage (measured in $/hour) over 1 or 3 years. Types of Saving Plans Savings Plans provide more flexibility than Reserved Instances (RIs) and come in two types: Compute Savings Plans: Provide the most flexibility and apply to any EC2 instance regardless of region, instance family, operating system, or tenancy. They can also apply to AWS Fargate and AWS Lambda usage. EC2 Instance Savings Plans: Similar to traditional RIs, these plans apply to a specific instance family within a region and offer slightly higher savings. With the restrictions coming to the RI marketplace, Saving Plans are a more attractive option for AWS customers to save money in the cloud. Comparing Reservation Options with Savings Plans Customers may be advised to move to Convertible Reservations to lower cloud costs. However, it is important to evaluate if it aligns with your cloud operations and requirements before diving into this option. Let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of the Convertible Reservation. Examples of AWS EC2 Plans, Payment Models and Savings    Convertible Reservation - Pros and Cons  Customers may consider convertible Reservations as an alternative to Standard RIs.  Pros: Ability to change the size, operating system, family, and server generation. Along with the option to update the purchase and increase its value without extending the end date.  Example: Let’s pretend that we need to cover a C5.XLARGE Linux server in N. Virginia. Below is the pricing for c5.xlarge, Linux, N. Virginia  On-demand = $0.17/hr 3 yr Convertible = $0.082 (52% savings) 3 yr Compute Savings Plan = $0.082 (52% savings) We purchase a 3-year No Upfront purchase on January 1st, 2024 for 3 years.  Start Date = 1/1/2024 End Date = 1/1/2027 Purchase = $0.082/hr    Now we have a scenario where on January 1st, 2025, we no longer need this C5.XLARGE server and need to replace it with 2 M5.XLARGE servers ($0.192/hr/server), Linux, N. Virginia. Below would be the scenario for both models (savings will be the same)   CONVERTIBLE On January 1st, 2025, we convert the c5.xlarge to 2 m5. xlarge, Linux, N. Virginia.  Value of the purchase has increased from $0.082/hr to $0.194 New Value = $0.194 End Date = January 1st, 2027  COMPUTE SAVINGS PLANS  On January 1st, 2025 we will have to add a new purchase to cover the difference ($0.194-$0.082=$0.112). This purchase will expire on January 1st, 2028, NOT 2027.  We will now have two purchases with two different end dates:  Purchase 1:  Value = $0.082 End Date = 1/1/2027 Purchase 2:  Value = $0.112 End Date = 1/1/2028   Cons: Region is not flexible - In the example above, we are stuck if the m5.xlarge servers that need to replace the c5.xlarge are in Ireland. Savings Plans are region-flexible.  Requires manual or programmatic change - AWS does not convert it for you - Converting the RI requires going into AWS and manually or programmatically changing the c5.xlarge to m5.xlarge.  Savings Plans detect new instance types and change the coverage without intervention. This reduces the chance of waste since no intervention is required - AWS is taking care of it for you.  Umbrella’s recommendation: We recommend purchasing a 3-year Compute Savings Plan for safety and maximum savings. Why? Successful companies will increase Cloud consumption as their business grows, requiring flexible purchases for changing architecture. Additionally, a 3-year commitment to AWS is not a significant risk if the company foresees continued usage. Keep in Mind:  Don't assume everything will be fine with your RI purchases. Take the time to review what you've bought and ensure no architecture changes will leave you with unused RIs.  Contact AWS: Suppose you want to replace all RIs with a 3-year Savings Plans purchase, approach AWS, and request migration from RIs to a 3-year SP purchase. They may agree if the value of SP purchases matches or exceeds that of RIs. AWS Savings Plans and Umbrella Customers who used to depend on RIs will seek a solution to set up the perfect Saving Plan that suits their needs. Umbrella can help you get a handle on your AWS usage patterns to make informed decisions about which Saving Plans to obtain. For instance, if Umbrella notices that you're consistently using a specific service, you might want to jump on a Saving Plan for that service to cut costs. Check out Umbrella on the AWS marketplace. And the best part? Try our cloud cost management there for free!

Our solution (Umbrella) and CloudZero are popular choices regarding third-party solutions for businesses managing cloud costs, adapting a FinOps approach to make their cloud operations more efficient. That's why a platform that can effectively support a FinOps model has become necessary for optimizing cloud functionality. Let's analyze and dive deeper into who offers the best solutions, technology, and support to take your FinOps culture in the cloud to the next level. Company Profiles Background of Umbrella We are a prominent business monitoring solution revolutionizing how companies comprehend and manage their cloud expenses. With a strong focus on FinOps, we deliver robust features, including multicloud visibility, Kubernetes insights, and cost-saving recommendations. Overview of Umbrella's cloud cost monitoring solution as a FinOps tool Our AI platform proactively identifies and resolves issues, allowing businesses to optimize performance and make data-driven decisions.   Our features are motivated by the three components of a successful FinOps strategy*. Optimize: A comprehensive solution to address all your FinOps requirements, offering compatibility and support across AWS, Azure, and GCP platforms. Inform: Automatic data updates once the billing invoice refreshes, and we also keep at least 12 months of historical data stored. Operate: Visualization of K8s costs at different levels: namespace, cluster, node, pod stack, and by object labels. *Established as the three pieces of a complete strategy by the FinOps Foundation. Background of CloudZero CloudZero enables organizations to make informed decisions, detect cost overruns, and optimize cloud spending. Its real-time cost anomaly and waste detection capabilities help prevent accidental overspending and drive profitability. Overview of CloudZero's cloud cost monitoring solution as a FinOps tool CloudZero is an adequate option for businesses migrating their data and activities to the cloud. However, when implementing the complete strategy of Inform, Optimize, and Operate by the FinOps Foundation, their platform needs to leverage this practice entirely. Basic: Forecasting and budgeting capabilities (but reportings are inconsistent). Limited specialization: Exclusively AWS, K8s, and Snowflake. Simple support: Still need to release an MSP version. Breakdown of FinOps features Umbrella We aim to give you a complete picture of your cloud costs so you can understand what's happening and continuously enhance your cloud operations. Visibility: Top-notch (according to up-to-date info), with multi-cloud capabilities and shared costs. Recommendations: Over 40 types of cost-reducing recommendations (over 60 types for AWS!) with remediation instructions through CLI and AWS Console. API: Easy to use and operationalize (many customers consume our data through API). MSP Compatibility: Our MSP-ready solution has multitenancy, customer invoicing, and discount management rules. CloudZero CloudZero provides some basic features for advanced savings and FinOps insights. However, while the platform offers cost visibility and allocation, it needs more tools for a successful FinOps program. Simple insights: Teams using CloudZero won't be able to dive deeper into cloud cost and eliminate waste. Minimal technology: Lacks ML-powered forecasting, budgeting, and anomaly detection for precise cloud spend management. Inadequate customization: No pre-configured, customized reports and forecasts to deliver relevant, customized reporting for FinOps personas. Umbrella or CloudZero: Which is better for a FinOps-focused Cloud? More and more organizations are adopting FinOps to manage cloud costs. It optimizes spending, promotes financial accountability, and enables informed decision-making on cloud usage. After reviewing Umbrella and CloudZero, who can you trust to provide insights, recommendations, and customizations for a thriving FinOps culture? We innovate with you, recognizing that you require more than just functionality. You need a platform that provides real-time visibility, analytics, and optimization for MSPs. BTW: We'll level up your FinOps and cloud cost management game whenever you're ready!

According to a recent HashiCorp-Forrester report, 94% of enterprises overspend in the cloud due to underused resources, overprovisioning, and ineffective management. So, how can businesses optimize cloud usage and allocate resources efficiently to avoid unnecessary expenses? In this post, we'll cover the must-knows about cloud billing: the terms, the charges, and the tools to help you cut back on overspending ASAP! Basic Terminology on Cloud Billing Before diving into the ins and outs of cloud billing, it's helpful to grasp a few key concepts and get familiar with common terms. Cloud billing Refers to calculating, tracking, and managing the costs associated with cloud services. Cost management tools Software solutions help businesses monitor, analyze, and optimize cloud expenses and billing. Cost allocation tags Labels or metadata that businesses can assign to their cloud resources to categorize and track costs. Budget Alerts Notifications or alerts triggered when specific spending thresholds or limits are reached within a defined budget. Getting a good grasp of cloud terminology can help you learn and understand cloud billing, especially if you're starting your cloud journey. The Basics of Cloud Charges What are cloud charges? Cloud charges refer to the costs or fees of cloud services and resources. When businesses or teams use cloud computing, they usually pay for their resources, like storage space, computing power, data transfer, and extra features or services offered by cloud service providers. Types of cloud charges Understanding the various types of charges on your cloud bill is crucial to managing and optimizing your cloud expenses effectively. Cloud charges can generally be categorized into a few main types: Compute Resources  Charges for the virtual machines or instances that run your applications. Pricing is usually based on the size of the instance and the time it’s running. Storage  Fees for storing data in the cloud. This includes object storage, block storage, and file storage, with costs often based on the amount of data stored and the duration of storage. Data Transfer Costs associated with transferring data in and out of the cloud platform. Ingress is often free, but it can incur charges, especially when data is transferred to the internet or different regions. Services Many cloud providers offer managed services like databases, AI and machine learning, IoT, and more. Each service has its own pricing model, generally reflecting the level of resources consumed or the number of requests made. Support Plans  Optional charges for support services range from basic support to enterprise-grade offerings that come with higher costs. Licensing You may also be billed for software licenses if you’re using proprietary software on the cloud. Did you know? Tools like Umbrella’s Cloud Unit Economics and CostGPT can assist FinOps teams in understanding the impact of cloud spending on business performance, provide instant insights, and help optimize cloud spend. The Basics of Cloud Charges Understanding the various types of charges on your cloud bill is crucial to managing and optimizing your cloud expenses effectively. Cloud charges can generally be categorized into a few main types: Compute Resources: Charges for the virtual machines or instances that run your applications. Pricing is usually based on the size of the instance and the time it's running. Storage: Fees for storing data in the cloud. This includes object storage, block storage, and file storage, with costs often based on the amount of data stored and the duration of storage. Data Transfer: Costs associated with transferring data in and out of the cloud platform. Ingress is often free, but egress can incur charges, especially when data is transferred out to the internet or to different regions. Services: Many cloud providers offer various managed services like databases, AI and machine learning, IoT, and more. Each service has its own pricing model, generally reflecting the level of resources consumed or the number of requests made. Support Plans: Optional charges for support services, which can range from basic support to enterprise-grade offerings that come with higher costs. Licensing: If you're using proprietary software on the cloud, you may also be billed for software licenses. Step-by-step guide for managing cloud spend Budget alerts: Start by setting up budget alerts within your cloud service provider’s platform to receive notifications when your spending approaches your threshold. Tagging strategies: Implementing tagging strategies can help you track costs by department, project, or environment, making it easier to identify where resources are being used and where they can be trimmed. Billing dashboard: Regularly review your billing dashboard to understand your usage patterns and adjust your spend accordingly. Reserved instances or savings plans: Opt for reserved instances or savings plans for predictable workloads to benefit from discounted rates compared to on-demand pricing. Cleaning up unused resources: Keeping a watchful eye on cloud waste can help you ditch unnecessary data and keep your storage efficient. By applying these strategies, you can take control of your cloud finances and avoid unexpected charges, keeping your cloud bill transparent and predictable. FinOps tools for Cost Optimization FinOps is about bringing financial accountability to the variable spend model of the cloud, ensuring that everyone takes ownership of their cloud usage. The competitive analysis of FinOps tools can guide organizations in selecting the right platform that aligns with their specific needs. Did you know? Umbrella’s solutions for Managed Service Providers help make informed pricing decisions and build a cost optimization plan that maintains higher profit margins. Other ways for cloud cost optimization Use cloud cost management tools for detailed analysis and recommendations. Embrace a FinOps culture for better financial accountability and ownership of cloud usage. Implement best practices such as rightsizing and selecting cost-effective pricing models. Automate operations and monitoring to maintain a proactive stance on cost management. Consult with experts and leverage competitive analyses to choose the best platform for your organization’s needs.   Looking ahead on cloud billing As your business scales, cloud usage can fluctuate in the blink of an eye! This can lead to unexpected charges planned for properly. To avoid cost-related surprises, understand the terms and what they do in the cloud to become fluent in implementing forecasting methods that consider historical data, growth trends, and potential changes in service requirements. Need a refresher? Just remember these highlights: Implementing a budget that reflects your cloud usage predictions. Analyzing your past cloud bills to identify usage patterns and growth rates. Leveraging FinOps tools can simplify this process by providing predictive analytics and budgeting features that help you set threshold alerts to prevent overspending. Stay informed about the cloud provider’s pricing models and discount options, such as reserved instances or savings plans, which can further refine your budgeting strategy. Consistent monitoring and adjusting your cloud budget are essential as your business and the cloud market evolve. Dealing with costs in the cloud can be nerve-racking, but hopefully, this post points you in the right direction to get started! If you need further help, you can schedule a meeting with our cloud cost management experts!