Cloud Architecture Advisory Services

The four commonly used cloud service models are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Function as a Service (FaaS). IaaS provides infrastructure, PaaS supports application development, SaaS delivers ready-to-use software, and FaaS runs application functions without managing servers.

The three primary cloud service models are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). IaaS provides computing infrastructure, PaaS provides managed platforms for building applications, and SaaS delivers complete software applications through the cloud without requiring users to manage the underlying infrastructure.

Cloud architecture can commonly be categorised into public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and multi-cloud architectures. Public cloud uses shared provider infrastructure, private cloud is dedicated to an organisation, hybrid cloud connects private and public environments, and multi-cloud uses services from multiple cloud providers for different workloads or requirements.

AI is changing how cloud engineers perform tasks, but it does not eliminate the need for cloud engineering expertise. AI can assist with infrastructure automation, monitoring, troubleshooting, documentation, and optimisation. Engineers remain responsible for architecture decisions, security, reliability, governance, system design, and validating automated recommendations against business requirements.

A cloud architecture consultant evaluates applications, infrastructure, data, integrations, security, performance, resilience, and operational requirements. They recommend suitable architecture patterns and cloud services, define target-state architecture, identify technical risks, and develop modernisation or migration roadmaps that engineering teams can use for implementation.

Cloud architecture advisory helps organisations evaluate and improve how applications, infrastructure, data, networks, security, and cloud services work together. Services may include architecture assessments, target-state design, technology selection, modernisation planning, resilience design, security architecture, and governance recommendations based on specific business and technical requirements.

A cloud architecture assessment reviews the current technology environment across infrastructure, applications, networking, data, integrations, security, performance, resilience, observability, and costs. The assessment identifies architectural risks, technical dependencies, inefficiencies, and modernisation opportunities, providing recommendations and priorities for developing a more suitable target-state cloud architecture.

Choosing between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud depends on workload requirements, existing technology investments, application dependencies, team expertise, compliance needs, regional availability, integration requirements, and total cost of ownership. A cloud architecture assessment helps organisations evaluate these factors before selecting a platform or defining a multi-cloud strategy.

Cloud architecture defines how applications, infrastructure, data, networking, security, integrations, and operations should be structured in a cloud environment. Cloud migration is the process of moving workloads from an existing environment into that architecture. Architecture advisory can therefore establish the technical direction before migration or modernisation begins.