Managing cloud migration, cybersecurity, and your IT stack – all of which somehow always needs to be updated – while juggling turning a profit is more than a full-time job. It’s downright impossible without the right team, the right expertise. That’s where managed service providers come in.  Managed service providers (MSPs) are third-party companies who are the experts you need. Be it revamping your site, updating your hybrid environment, or outsourcing your entire IT team, MSPs can help, no matter if you are running a startup or enterprise, FinTech or retail company.  But MSPs evolve just as quickly as technology. In 2022, the UK MSP market generated a combined annual revenue of £52.6 billion, and that’s only projected to grow in 2024. Finding the right MSP for your project can be a lengthy and painful process – which is why we’ve narrowed things down for you to our top 10 MSPs in the UK of 2024.  What Features Should You Look For In Managed Service Providers in 2024? Before we tell you what managed service providers you should be calling, let us explain our criteria for ranking these MSPs.  We considered five main factors: Monitoring and support. MSPs typically provide 24/7 helpdesks and monitoring dashboards. Providers that rank highly in this category are known for turning all-hands-on-deck problems into FYI emails.  Security. Ultimately, all growth is for nothing if your data isn’t safe. All of the MSPs listed here can improve your data security, but those that rank highly in this category are cybersecurity experts.  Scalability. MSPs that are able to grow with your company are ideal.  Transparency and cost. You need to be able to trust your MSP. Since some MSPs aren’t transparent about their costs, these two features are combined.  Reputation and reviews. When interviewing MSPs, feel free to ask for testimonials and case studies.  Top 10 MSPs in the UK Here are our top 10 MSPs in the UK at a glance:  MSP Monitoring Security Scalability Cost Reviews Rating Transputec Ltd 5 5 4 5 4.5 4.7 Andersen Inc. 4 4.5 4 5 5 4.5 Wanstor 4.5 4.5 5 3.5 4.5 4.4 Content+Cloud 5 4 4.5 3.5 4.5 4.3 Wavex 4.5 4 4 4 5 4.3 Version 1 4 3.5 5 3.5 5 4.2 AirIT 4.5 5 4 3.5 4 4.2 Claranet 4 5 5 4 3.5 4.2 Babble 4 4 5 4 3.5 4.1 Dotsquares 4 4 4 5 3 4 Best MSP for Mid-Market: Transputec If you’re a mid-market company looking for an award-winning MSP with over 35 years of experience in cybersecurity, IT managed services, cloud consulting, and custom software development, Transputec Ltd is the choice for you. This MSP is known for its customer-centric excellence and ability to transform complexities into cost-effectiveness. Services offered include managed IT services, software development, cyber threat management, detection, and response, cloud consulting, and AI development. This MSP has experience working with FinTech, hospitality, e-commerce, media, and gambling industries, with the vast majority of its clients being mid-market size. Price Typical project sizes range from $50,000 to $199,999, with minimum project sizes starting at $5,000. Transputec usually charges between $100 to $149 per hour.  International Locations With locations in the UK, USA, Europe, India, South Africa, and the Philippines, this international MSP will have team members available 24/7 for your tech needs.  Pros Reviews speak to Transputec’s wide variety of services for companies of mid-market size for almost any industry. From managed IT services, migrating on-premise hosting to AWS, to leveraging a security-as-a-service platform to prevent malware, phishing attacks, and data loss, Transputec’s expertise with mid-market companies for almost any ask is clear.  Cons Transputec’s main con is that it focuses mainly on mid-market companies. It still has experience working with startups and enterprises, but since that isn’t where its decades of experience lie, if you’re looking for an MSP that can hit the ground running with your startup or enterprise, you should keep scrolling! Overall Rating Overall, we rate Transputec a 4.7. With decades of experience in almost all fields of managed IT services, this is the ideal pick for mid-market organizations! Best MSP for FinTech: Andersen Inc. Working in FinTech means you’ll want an MSP that won’t stumble through common regulations and compliances. Over 20% of Andersen Inc.’s customers are in the finance industry, so it's well-acquainted with the rules. If you need help with automating business flows and/or implementing innovative software systems in FinTech, insurance, investment, or banking, this is MSP for you. Common services provided include customer software and mobile app development, and IT-managed services, application testing, and DevOps services. With over a decade of experience, both in the UK and internationally, you’ll be in good hands with Andersen.  Price Minimum project size starts at $50,000. Project sizes vary from $50,000 to $199,999. Per-hour costs range from $50 to $99 per hour.  International Locations A very international MSP, Andersen has locations across the globe in the USA, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, the UAE, and the UK.  Pros Previous clients speak of how Andersen has created and improved Telehealth, patient monitoring, and custom-made orders. Reviews speak to how projects are delivered quickly and with notable quality. Andersen also helps with cloud-native and hybrid development, and cloud consulting and migration, so it's a very rounded MSP.  Cons With that said, Andersen’s client base is 60% small businesses, with only 30% being mid-market and 10% enterprise, so it’s more inexperienced working with larger organizations.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Andersen Inc. a 4.5. If you’re a FinTech company looking for full-stack support, you’ve found the MSP for you, but you might want to keep looking if you’re an enterprise-sized company.  Jack of All Trades: Wanstor With over 20 years of experience, Wanstor is our go-to jack-of-all-trades MSP recommendation. Having worked with companies across the UK, offering IT services and solutions that are guaranteed to transform and optimize your tech stack, if you’re looking for an experienced MSP that can help you no matter your project ask, this is the choice for you.  Wanstor’s service offerings include cloud infrastructure strategy, management, and optimizations for public, private, and hybrid cloud, as well as networking and connectivity, security and compliance, managed IT services, and general consultancy services. Having worked with companies in the retail, FinTech, education, not-for-profit, and hospitality sectors, Wester is a perfectly rounded jack of all trades MSP.  Price Wanstor offers custom pricing models for clients that vary depending on your project ask and company size.  International Locations Wanstor is a UK-based MSP with an office in London. It does not have any international locations.  Pros Expect knowledgeable partners and complete end-to-end IT solutions. Wanstor's reviews speak to how Wanstor has helped with everything from new intranet site structures to perfectly delivering client needs.  Cons There are only two downsides if you go with Wanstor: First, if you’re looking for an expert in one area, this isn’t the MSP for you. Wanstor is very much a jack of all trades, master of none. Second, it isn’t as clear on pricing models as the other MSPs on this list.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Wanstor a 4.4. There is a lack of clarity on pricing, but if you need full support for your IT and help migrating to the cloud and might want some cybersecurity services, this is a great MSP for you.  Best for Cloud Support: Content+Cloud Get all the cloud support you need from award-winning MSP Content+Cloud. Offerings include comprehensive managed IT services for global clients across all sectors and for businesses of all sizes. Previous clients include those in communications, construction and engineering, FinTech, legal, manufacturing, the public sector, and more.  Working with Cloud+Content means you don’t need to sweat the details with your cloud migration or optimization strategy. With years of expertise with the Microsoft suite, all forms of managed services, and, of course, extensive migration and cloud hybridization, you can rest easy knowing your organization is in good hands.  Price Content+Cloud has custom pricing models. Prices vary depending on your project ask, industry type, and company size.  International Locations Content+Cloud has offices across the UK, as well as in South Africa.  Pros Previous clients speak to how Cloud+Content has built sophisticated and efficient IT strategies and technology. With a focus on client success and on-demand support, you can expect a 24/7 helpdesk and support 365 days a year.  Cons Content+Cloud is not very upfront about cost, which is our biggest con. It also doesn’t offer extensive cybersecurity services.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Content+Cloud a 4.3. Cybersecurity services and vagueness around pricing aside, if you have the budget and need help in the cloud, Cloud+Content is a great choice.  Best for IT Managed Services: Wavex If you're looking for IT managed services, you can't go wrong by picking award-winning Wavex Technology with its nearly 30 years of experience. Expect Wavex to design and deliver custom solutions designed to meet client needs for a range of IT, cloud, end-user services, connectivity, cybersecurity, or infrastructure projects.  Wavex has experience working with clients in FinTech, business, legal, non-profits, real estate, and more, so there’s no long on-boarding process while your MSP has to learn about regulations and rules.  Price Minimum project size is $5,000. Hourly rates range from $100 to $149, though this varies depending on the project ask, industry, and company size.  International Locations Wavex has one office located in London.  Pros Wavex has almost three decades of experience helping companies of all industries and sizes optimize tech stack proficiency. Reviews speak to how Wavex is timely, always available for questions, and knowledgeable.  Cons Wavex's prices are more expensive than other MSPs on this list. You're paying for quality, make no mistake, but quality costs money. Wavex is also not as experienced with cloud consulting.   Overall Rating Overall, we rate Wavex Technology a 4.3. If you’re looking for IT-managed services, look no further. But if you need intricate cloud support or are looking to save on budget, keep scrolling! Top MSP for Digital Transformation: Version1 Optimizing your tech stack is an intimidating process. Version1’s team of over 3000 experts has been trained on how to make that transformation seamless. Having worked with global brands to deliver IT solutions for almost 30 years, this MSP specializes in software development, cloud computing, software asset management, management consulting, and outsourcing.  With experience in application modernization, AI, cloud transformation, and having worked with tech companies, FinOps organizations, and even clients in the government sector, Version 1 has the experience needed to guide a complete digital transformation.  Price Version 1 offers a custom pricing model with a sliding scale of prices depending on project ask, company size, or industry.  International Locations Version 1 has offices around the globe, with their main branches located in Ireland and the UK, and locations as well in the US, Australia, India, Spain, and Slovenia.  Pros Reviews speak to Version 1’s ability to deliver ahead of schedule, and its expertise in complex industries. With a 98% retention rate, clients stay with Version 1 because it delivers the results they need. Expect a focus on customer success and KPIs. Cons Version 1 is our go-to for digital transformations, but it is vague on its pricing model. It also isn’t the best choice in terms of cybersecurity.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Version 1 a 4.2. Its main faults lie with its lack of cybersecurity services and its vague pricing model. If you’re looking for an MSP that can help herald a complete digital transformation to optimize your tech stack, reduce costs, and increase efficiency, this is the best pick for you.  Best MSP for Nonprofits: AirIT Get comprehensive expertise for cybersecurity, business intelligence, communications, and IT from an award-winning MSP known for supporting charities and nonprofits. AirIT has experience in the FinTech, education, legal, construction, and sports sectors. With nearly two decades of experience working with clients from local SMBs to enterprises, your IT managed services, IT strategy consulting, and cloud consulting will be in good hands here. AirIT can help you either fully outsource your IT team or support your own IT team as needed.  Price Minimum project size is $5,000. Hourly rates can range from $100 to $150, though this varies depending on your company size and project ask.  International Locations With almost 10 offices across London and a 24/7 support location in Kuala Lumpur, AirIT is available to offer support any hour of the day.  Pros Reviews speak to how AirIT’s smooth processes, quick support, and hands-on expertise for projects ranging from network upgrades and migration to general IT support to system development are stellar. As a trusted ICT partner for over 400 clients and the number one managed service provider in the East Midlands, AirIT is an easy choice for nonprofits. It's also very transparent as far as costs.  Cons For all that AirIT is a great choice for non-profits, it is a bit costlier. It also doesn’t have as many reviews as other MSPs on this list, though the reviews it has speak to its expertise.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate AirIT a 4.2. Its lack of reviews and higher prices bring it down, but overall, it's a great choice for any non-profits looking for the support of a managed service provider. Best for Cybersecurity: Claranet Upgrade your cybersecurity while modernizing your critical applications and infrastructure with Claranet's 30+ years of experience and over 2,000 technical experts. With MSP certifications from the major hyperscalers as a gold partner of Microsoft Azure, a premier partner of Google Cloud, and a consulting partner of AWS, your project will be well-handled with this MSP.  Claranet has worked with clients in retail, FinTech, media and entertainment, housing and construction, the public sector, and more. Though Claranet excels at cybersecurity, it can also help you optimize your cloud services, modernize your workplace, and establish secure and efficient networks.  Price Claranet provides custom pricing models. Prices vary depending on company size, project ask, and industry.  International Locations Claranet has offices across the UK, Europe, the US, India, and Brazil.  Pros Having been positioned in Gartner’s Magic Quadrants every year since 2013 and been awarded the Cloud Excellence, Times International Track, and Profile and Tech Track awards, Claranet’s expertise is clear. With a fully integrated MPLS network and top-quality infrastructure, Claranet provides scalable and ultra-reliable hosting and management services with ease. Cons Claranet is not as straightforward about pricing. As expected with larger companies, some of the reviews are more varied, speaking to how sales and tech experts can sometimes be slower in responding to messages.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Claranet a 4.2. This is a great choice if you’re looking for cybersecurity, guidance on the cloud, or updating your tech stack, but the reviews and pricing visibility are not as good as the other MSPs on our list.  Best for SMB: Babble With more than a decade of experience in the cloud and winner of awards including “Best SME Contact Center” and Microsoft’s Partner of the Year, Babble is our recommendation for any SMB looking for an MSP. Having exploded in growth in the last five years, Babble, has 20,000 customers, and is known for its top-of-the-market cloud solutions and technical expertise.  Babble’s services also include tech modernization, cybersecurity, connectivity, and contact center assistance. It has experience working in industries from FinTech to retail to staffing and more, and a dedication to charity and the environment.  Price Babble offers custom pricing services that vary depending on your company size, industry, and project ask.  International Locations Babble has offices across the UK, but no international locations.  Pros Babble’s reviews speak to how this MSP provides flexible, customized, and efficient support, and how Babble has excellent helpdesk support at a comfortable price. It’s no surprise that Babble’s many awards are well deserved.  Cons With that said, some reviews for Babble are not as glowing. Of course, any company will have some negative reviews, but since Babble has developed largely through acquisition, there are some notable growing pains as its new customers adjust to service from a different MSP.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Babble a 4.1. It’s a great choice for you if you’re looking for tech support of any kind for your SMB, but be aware that by picking a larger company grown through acquisition, there will be some bumps.  Best MSP for Limited Budget: Dotsquares Need development, IT, or cloud consulting support on a smaller budget? Dotsquares is the best choice for you.  Dotsquares has more than 20 years of experience in IT. Typical offerings include web, app, custom software development, CRM and cloud consulting, and blockchain. Current clients include energy and natural resources, finance, real estate, retail, eCommerce, advertising and marketing, and medical industries.  Price Minimum project sizes are $5,000, with typical project sizes between $10,000 to $49,000. Dotsquares offers a custom hourly rate.  International Locations Dotsquares has locations around the globe, with their main office located in the UK, but branches also in the USA, UAE, Europe, Australia, India, and Canada.  Pros Dotsquares has worked on over 20,000 projects for almost 13,000 different clients. Dotsquares’ team of over 1,000 employees can meet you stride for stride no matter the project, be it game development, cloud solutions or hosting services, web design, or even CRM implementation.  Cons Our biggest drawback for this MSP is the reviews. Some reviews report that Dotsquare’s communication could be unclear. The overall deliverable was commendable, but improved communication could have meant less work on both sides.  Overall Rating Overall, we rate Dotsquares a 4. Their main con is their reviews, though stellar, are not as glowing as other MSPs on this list.  MSP FAQ What Exactly Is an MSP? An MSP is a third-party IT provider. Expect to work with experts on all things tech, including cloud and hybrid guidance, frontend and backend development, and, of course, AI development. Some MSPs specialize in certain industries with trickier regulations (like FinTech), while others specialize in certain offerings (like cybersecurity).  What Kind of MSP Do I Need? Keep in mind what you need from your MSP. This is the biggest deciding factor when finding the best MSP for your business. Looking at MSPs according to your industry and company size is also helpful. For example, if you’re a healthcare organization, you will likely want to work with a provider who has previous experience in navigating HIPAA or PHI.  If you’re migrating to the cloud or optimizing your hybrid environment, consider any supplemental tools you might need. Calculating cloud costs is difficult, and even harder is justifying them and the cost of working with an MSP to improve your cloud strategy.  That’s where Anodot comes in.  Get Support For the Cloud Don’t sweat calculating cloud costs. Get a tool that can crunch the numbers for you with one click. Determine how much ROI you’re getting from the cloud with an easy-to-use dashboard and data down to the hour – with retention periods up to 18 to 24 months. Anodot’s cloud cost management tools make cost visualization simple. You’ll be able to get all of your multicloud and K8 data in one place. Cloud budget adjustments have never been easier.  Anodot’s tool is designed for FinOps. We work with your team to identify and optimize cloud irregularities. Our tools can blend seamlessly with your MSP partner, so you can cut up to 40% on wasteful cloud costs and optimize your IT stack at the same time.  Need proof of concept? Talk to us for more insight into cloud usage, costs, and how much you can save with Anodot’s tools.

CUDOS is one of the six specialized dashboards,  in the AWS Cloud Intelligence Dashboards framework. The Cloud Intelligence Dashboards framework is focused on providing comprehensive usage and cost insights for AWS resources. It is a very crucial tool that provides deep insights that can be used to optimize AWS infrastructure.  Features of AWS CUDOS   The features of the AWS CUDOS dashboard are: Usability: CUDOS is built on Amazon Quicksight, a cloud-based serverless intelligence platform that can be used to create visualizations and dashboards. Due to this fact, CUDOS is easy to use due to its native connectivity.   Marketplace Connectivity: CUDOS can help track cloud spending and identify the scope for optimizations for AWS Marketplace products.  Cost Optimization Recommendations: CUDOS is not only a visibility dashboard, it also analyzes cloud deployments and provides some useful recommendations for cost optimizations. The in-depth recommendations even cover things like recommending to right-size instances in case they do not match the requirements and are either too large or too small for the workload.  Operational Metrics: CUDOS visualizes operational metrics such as inter-AZ data transfer. Granularity: CUDOS not only provides high-level cost summaries but it also provides resource-level granularity. This helps to drill down to the resource level to see which resource is a cost centre and how it can be optimized. Benefits of CUDOS   The benefits of CUDOS are: Cost Optimization: CUDOS helps identify and resolve inefficiencies in the system, thus decreasing AWS infrastructure costs. Attain Operational Insights: CUDOS provides operational insights that are extremely useful in identifying performance bottlenecks. This helps in addressing these issues preemptively. Improve Resource Utilization: CUDOS can help you identify surplus resources and ensure that your resources are appropriately utilized as per workload and are not sitting idle, costing money. Infrastructure Optimization: CUDOS provides detailed information about your AWS infrastructure that helps in more informed decision-making related to your infrastructure. Security: CUDOS can help identify potential security concerns so that they can be addressed promptly. Even though the CUDOS dashboard provides useful insights still, there are major gaps in its offerings, such as - no proactive anomaly detection, no multi-cloud support etc.  These gaps can be overcome by using FinOps tools such as the Andot Cloud Cost Management platform. Anodot’s Cloud Cost Management tool provides visibility and control of AWS billing at a granular level that helps in Cloud Cost Optimization. Cloud Cost management using Anodot   Anodot is a FinOps platform that provides detailed information about your KPIs. Its Cloud Cost solutions provide end-to-end visibility inside your company’s cloud infrastructure, providing recommendations to stay on top of your cloud spend and improve your infrastructure’s efficiency. Some key features of the platform are: Cost Reduction: Anodot provides actionable recommendations for your cloud infrastructure which your DevOps team can use to optimize your cloud deployments, thus significantly reducing costs. Cost Allocation: Anodot’s FinOps tools provide granular details that can be used to improve your cloud spend. This can be done by grouping and allocating spend by business unit, by services, or by teams.  Multi-cloud Visibility: Anodot provides multi-cloud visibility by seamlessly combining all your cloud spending in a single platform. Anodot can optimize your cloud spending and resource allocation across AWS, GCP, and Azure. FinOps Benefits: Best FinOps practices can be followed using Anodot’s tools. Anodot’s platform provides AI-driven near-real-time forecasting which gives you a real-time picture of your cloud spend and helps you to avoid unforeseen costs. Granular Insights: Anodot provides granular insights into Kubernetes deployments. These drill down up to pod level. No other cloud optimization platform provides such detailed insights. Anodot’s platform is backed by state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models. These models leverage deep learning to optimize cloud cost forecasting, enabling businesses to anticipate unforeseen costs and prepare beforehand to keep cloud costs in check. Anodot Platform vs AWS CUDOS Scope and Functionality: The AWS CUDOS platform has limited scope and primarily focuses on AWS cost and usage and neglects proper health monitoring and detection at a product/service level, whereas Anodot provides broader and drilled-down capabilities that help in the identification of problems preemptively before they impact performance or end up becoming cost centers. Multi-Cloud Support: As it is an AWS native service, it only covers AWS, whereas Anodot can handle multi-cloud environments and provides you with a cohesive picture of your cloud spending across Amazon Web Services(AWS), Google Cloud Project(GCP) and Microsoft Azure. Anomaly Detection: AWS CUDOS follows a reactive approach to issues i.e., it mainly identifies anomalies after they occur, and you often need to do manual investigations to identify and resolve the issue, whereas the Anodot platform uses a proactive anomaly detection approach and provides you actionable recommendations preemptively. FAQS   What is CUDOS? CUDOS stands for Cost and Usage Dashboards Operations Solution. It is a dashboard present inside the AWS Cloud Intelligence Dashboards framework. What is CUDOS used for? The CUDOS dashboard provides detailed cost and usage insights for your AWS resources, with both high-level overviews and drill-down capabilities to view granular resource-level data. What are the benefits of the Anodot platform over AWS CUDOS? The benefits of Anodot over AWS CUDOS are: The Anodot platform supports multi-cloud environments whereas AWS CUDOS is native AWS only.  The Anodot platform uses a proactive anomaly detection approach as compared to AWS CUDOS’s reactive approach. Anodot provides broader and more drilled-down capabilities that help identify problems preemptively.

[wpv-post-date] We're excited to announce the latest enhancements to Anodot's Cloud Cost platform, bringing cutting-edge improvements in anomaly detection and budgeting capabilities. Our commitment to innovation continues to shape the way businesses approach data analysis and financial planning. Advanced Anomaly Detection Anodot's anomaly detection has always set the bar high, and our newest updates take this a step further. Now, not only can our system pinpoint anomalies, but it also offers in-depth root cause analysis. This means users can understand the underlying factors driving anomalies, enabling smarter, more informed actions. Interactive features have also been added to our anomaly detection interface. Users can now add comments to anomalies, mark them as resolved or acknowledged, and provide specific feedback for each detected anomaly. This interactive approach ensures that the anomalies are not just detected but also managed efficiently and collaboratively. Integration with Jira is another key enhancement in our Anomaly Detection system. This ensures efficient tracking and resolution, streamlining team workflows. Discover more about our enhanced Anomaly Detection system and its integration into your workflow here.   Streamlined Budgeting with Enhanced Forecasting Recognizing the critical importance of forecasting in business analytics, we've revolutionized our Budget page. With our latest upgrade, users can now craft tailored and complex budgets with an insightful 6-month forecast presentation. The new forecasting feature offers daily or monthly bases, providing valuable flexibility for strategic decision-making. With added filtering options, including cost basis, users gain a more nuanced view of their financial landscape, leading to precise and effective budget management. For more details on how Anodot's Budget page can transform your financial forecasting,  read our Budget Monitoring guide.         Still want know learn more? Book a demo tour today! 

Our solution (Anodot) and Flexera are two possible options for FinOps in enterprise cloud environments. With over 85% of organizations projected to adopt a cloud-first approach by 2025, finding a partner who can navigate the ever-evolving world of FinOps for cloud success is crucial. So, which solution actually makes good on their promises? Let's look at both providers and see whose features truly embrace a FinOps approach in the cloud. Company Profiles   Background of Anodot We’re a next-generation certified FinOps platform with a holistic and enhanced approach. Utilizing our features like Cloud Cost Management helps FinOps teams reduce cloud waste and manage costs in multi-cloud and Kubernetes environments, with our actionable recommendations, users can save up to 40% on annual cloud spend. Numerous Fortune 500 companies trust Anodot to help slash time to detection and resolution for revenue-critical issues by as much as 80%. Overview of Anodot's comprehensive coverage for all FinOps domains Our platform helps organizations improve their FinOps practices, delivering maximum business value. Unlike other options with limited policies, we offer top-notch FinOps capabilities like a user-friendly interface, policy differentiation, and in-depth data analysis. With us, managing cloud finances is a seamless experience. Market-leading cloud cost management: We provide cloud teams with contextual insights into cloud costs and the business impact on spending. Our solution helps companies optimize unit economics and understand how specific units or customers affect cloud metrics like cost, utilization, and performance. Simplifying cost allocation: Organizations can accurately map multicloud and Kubernetes spending, allocate shared costs fairly and foster FinOps collaboration across the organization. Proprietary ML-based algorithms: With continuous monitoring and deep visibility, you gain the power to align FinOps, DevOps, and Finance teams and cut your cloud bill.  Background of Flexera  Flexera is a legacy IT asset management solution for enterprises with highly complex hybrid environments. Its standard FinOps offering allows users to ingest billing data from major cloud providers. Users can visualize and allocate costs using simple cloud account and cloud tag rules.  Overview of Flexera FinOps Capabilities Flexera has basic features for users to adopt a FinOps approach to the cloud. However, it lacks usability policy differentiation, advanced data analysis capabilities, and FinOps showback reporting needed for the evolving world of FinOps. Percentage-based share costs only: Missing other FinOps foundation recommended methods: even split and proportional cost allocation. Non-native K8s visilbity: Integration with Kubecost (3rd-party solution) is necessary. Below average anomaly detection:  Offers threshold-based anomaly detection, allowing isolation of anomalies by cost center, service, or tag. However, limited to daily and weekly granularity, does not consider concept drift or seasonality. [CTA id="6c56537c-2f3f-4ee7-bcc1-1b074802aa4c"][/CTA] Breakdown of FinOps features Anodot Our advanced features support FinOps innovators and practitioners. The FinOps Organization alignment is the framework for our platform, offering Chargeback & Finance Integration, FinOps Enablement, FinOps Culture, and FinOps Maturity. Purpose-built for FinOps success:  Our certified FinOps platform optimizes cloud financial management. It provides visibility into KPIs, cost allocation, advanced reporting, savings suggestions, and improves cloud unit economics across major public cloud providers while controlling cloud waste. Advanced features for MSPs support: Trusted by a rapidly expanding MSP client list as their FinOps partner. MSPs can make strategic procurement and pricing decisions that transform their cloud economics. Simplify and automate internal operations with cost allocation, reporting, billing rules, and credit management. Market-leading anomaly detection, forecasting, & generative AI:  We can generate a 95% accurate one-year forecast with just two months of historical data investments, enabling you to optimize commitment purchases and better negotiate long-term discounts.  FYI: Try our new CostGPT, a generative AI FinOps tool for instant insights into cloud cost structure! Flexera While Cloud Ctrl Cost does support all major public cloud providers, it falls short in providing comprehensive insights to support a FinOps cloud environment effectively. Lack of saving recommendations:  In terms of advanced solution, it doesn’t offer instant insights into cloud cost structure, nor is it possible to track the history of recommendations over time. Limited FinOps outlook: Offers FinOps alignment like culture and enablement but doesn’t offer in-depth features like Chargeback & Finance Integration. Standard forecasting: Provides summaries of cloud costs, including estimates for the upcoming three months, but lacks details on monthly, quarterly, and annual breakdowns or utilization of a proprietary patented ML algorithm.   Anodot or Flexera: Which one gives the capabilities FinOps practitioners need? FinOps will keep gaining momentum in enterprise environments when used effectively can reduce cloud costs by as much as 20 to 30 percent. That's a solid amount of savings! However, organizations must have the right partner who gets the FinOps game and applies it across their entire platform. Flexera is like a standard cloud cost platform - it provides the basic tools for a FinOps practice in the cloud. However, if you're searching for more advanced or updated features to optimize your FinOps approach, Flexera might not have the necessary tools. However, Anodot is made with FinOps in mind and keeps innovating its features and projects so cloud costs. A partnership with us means you'll have comprehensive visibility into KPIs and baselines, flexible cost allocation, advanced reporting capabilities, and savings recommendations.   Ready to replace lackluster cloud cost features with automatic, real-time insights with a FinOps approach in mind? Let's talk! Need a takeaway flier from this FinOps competitive analysis? Get it here.

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 2024. 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 Anodot 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. Anodot’s cloud cost management solution lets you visualize the costs of working in the cloud and optimizes your spend without sacrificing efficiency.  Anodot 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, Anodot 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 Anodot 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 Anodot: Using AWS's latest tools along with Anodot'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 MAP Program 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 Anodot simplify this entire process and help you navigate AWS so that your organization is maximizing the benefits of AWS Cloud. Anodot’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. Anodot’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 Anodot 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. Andot provides an AWS Cost Monitoring program with anomaly detection and cost forecasting facilities. You can connect your AWS deployment to Anodot’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 Anodot 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. Anodot’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 Anodot’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 Anodot 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. Anodot has partnered with the AWS ISV Accelerate program to optimize costs for AWS customers and is available on AWS Marketplace. Anodot for Cloud Costs provides visibility and forecasting of your cloud costs. Companies that use Anodot can save up to 40% on their annual cloud costs. Some key features of Anodot 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 Anodot 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 (Anodot) 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 Anodot 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 Anodot'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   Anodot 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, Anodot 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. Anodot 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 Anodot 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 Anodot 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!