Know What Belongs in the Cloud With Cloud Consulting Services
Practical advice on what to move, what to keep on-site and what it will cost, with a roadmap your business can follow.
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Cloud Consulting Explained
What Is Cloud Consulting?
Cloud consulting is advice and planning before anything moves. Most businesses already use some cloud services, often added one at a time, and the next decisions are harder: whether an aging server should be replaced or retired, whether files belong in Microsoft 365 or on an Azure server, what to do with software that was never built for the cloud and what all of it will cost each month. Getting those answers wrong is expensive to undo.
BCA reviews the systems you run today, talks with the people who use them and recommends where each one should live: Microsoft 365, Azure or your own office. You get the costs, the security changes and a step-by-step roadmap in writing, so you can decide with the full picture. When you're ready, the same team can carry out the plan.
How Cloud Consulting Helps Your Business
Clarity
You know which systems should move, which should stay and why.
Predictable costs
Monthly cloud costs are estimated before you commit, not discovered on the first bill.
Fewer wrong turns
Older software and slow connections are found while they're still easy to plan around.
Security from the start
Sign-in, access and backup decisions are made before data moves, not after.
A plan you can budget
Work is broken into stages you can schedule and pay for over time.
Confident decisions
Owners get plain-language recommendations they can act on and explain to others.
Scope
What's Included in Our Cloud Consulting
Good cloud advice starts with what you have and ends with a plan you can carry out. BCA looks at every system your team depends on and the cost, security and timing of each option. The scope depends on how many systems and locations are involved.
01
/ 06
Current Systems Review
A clear picture of the servers, software, files and licenses your business runs on today.
- Servers, apps and file storage
- Licenses and renewal dates
- Internet and remote access
Review
02
/ 06
Right-Fit Recommendations
Each system matched to the best home for it, from Microsoft 365 to Azure to staying on-site.
- Microsoft 365 for email and files
- Azure for servers and apps
- On-site where it still makes sense
Fit
03
/ 06
Cost Comparison
What you spend today set against the monthly cost of each option, including licensing.
- Current hardware and support costs
- Estimated cloud running costs
- Licensing changes
Cost
04
/ 06
Security and Access Planning
Decisions on sign-in, permissions and backup made before anything moves.
- Sign-in and MFA requirements
- Who can reach which data
- Backup for cloud data
Security
05
/ 06
Software Compatibility Checks
Line-of-business software checked with its vendors so nothing breaks after a move.
- Vendor requirements confirmed
- Cloud-ready versions identified
- Options for older software
Apps
06
/ 06
Cloud Roadmap
A written plan with stages, priorities and a timeline, walked through with you.
- Prioritized stages
- Budget for each stage
- Walkthrough with your leadership
Roadmap
Our Approach
Why Businesses Choose BCA for Cloud Consulting
Cloud advice is only useful if it fits how your business works. BCA has spent 37 years supporting businesses, and 98% of our clients stay with us.
01
Advice That Includes Staying Put
If a system works better on-site, we'll tell you. The goal is the right home for each system, not moving everything to the cloud.
02
One Team From Plan to Support
The team that writes your roadmap can carry it out and support it afterward, so nothing is lost between planning and doing.
03
No Long Contracts
BCA's services are billed month to month, you can cancel anytime and every plan is backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.
37
Years in business
98%
Client retention
<15 min
Average response time
100+
Businesses supported
FAQ
Common Questions About Cloud Consulting
Here are the questions business owners ask most often before planning a move to the cloud.
How is cloud consulting different from cloud migration?
Cloud consulting is the planning: what should move, where it should go, what it will cost and in what order. Cloud migration is the move itself, carried out from that plan. Some businesses want the plan first so they can budget and decide in their own time; others go straight from consulting to migration with the same team.
Should we use Microsoft 365 or Azure?
Often both, for different jobs. Microsoft 365 is the natural home for email, documents and shared files through Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Azure is for workloads that need a server, such as line-of-business software, databases or a remote desktop setup. Part of cloud consulting is sorting your systems into those groups, along with any that are better left where they are for now.
Will the cloud cost more than what we have now?
Sometimes it does, and it's better to know before you commit. Cloud services replace large hardware purchases with a monthly cost, so a fair comparison includes what you spend on servers, replacements, support and power over several years, not just this month. BCA puts current and projected costs side by side, including licensing changes, so the decision rests on real numbers.
What if our software doesn't work in the cloud?
Some line-of-business software is cloud-ready, some has a hosted version from its vendor and some only runs on a server. BCA checks each application's requirements with its vendor during consulting. Software that can't move as it is may run on an Azure server, stay on-site for now or be flagged for replacement in the roadmap, so it doesn't hold up everything else.
Is our internet connection good enough for the cloud?
It's one of the first things we check. Once files and applications live in the cloud, your internet connection carries all of that work, so speed and reliability matter more than before. If the connection is a weak point, the roadmap says so and includes options such as a faster service or a second connection for failover.
What does the cloud roadmap include?
A written plan that lists each system, where it should go and why, the estimated cost of each option, the security changes needed and the order of the work. BCA walks you through it so you can ask questions and choose what to do first. The roadmap is yours to keep whether or not BCA carries it out.
Cloud Services
Related Cloud Services From BCA
Cloud Strategy
Move servers and files to the cloud with minimal disruption.
Backup & Continuity
Data backed up and recoverable after a failure or attack.
Backup & Continuity
A tested plan to keep your business running through any disruption.
Microsoft
Cloud servers, storage and remote access built and managed in Azure.
Cloud Security
Cloud apps, data and accounts protected with the right settings and monitoring.
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Not sure what should move, what should stay or what it will cost? Let's talk through your systems and where each one fits best.
- 37 years of experience
- 100+ businesses supported
- 98% client retention
- Average response under 15 minutes
- 60-day money-back guarantee