Los Angeles · Chicagoland · Phoenix
Cloud Consulting Services for Microsoft 365 and Azure
Decide what belongs in the cloud, move it without disrupting the business, and stop overpaying for Microsoft 365 and Azure, with a written plan before you spend.
- Four defined packages, from a readiness assessment to migration oversight
- Named deliverables: workload inventory, migration plan, license map, security fix list
- Fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call
Call the IT team: Los Angeles 323-510-8003 · Chicagoland 312-492-2613 · Phoenix 480-272-8728
Free consultation
No cost. Business inquiries only. Already a BTI client? Use the dedicated support number assigned to your organization.
- ✓Over 40 years in business
- ✓ISO 27001 compliant
- ✓SOC 2 NOC/SOC
- ✓ISNetworld member
- ✓GSA contract holder (47QTCA21D00BA) · CMAS and TESMA contract awardee (California)
What is cloud consulting?
Cloud consulting is independent advice on which systems should run in the cloud, how to move them safely, and how to keep them secure and affordable afterward. For most organizations with 20 to 500 people, that means Microsoft 365 (email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive) and Azure (servers, applications, virtual desktops and backups in Microsoft's cloud).
Cloud consulting is not the same as a migration crew. A consultant decides whether and how to move each workload, writes the plan and checks the work; the hands-on moves can be done by your team, your current provider or BTI.
Not everything should move. Some line-of-business applications, large file workloads, or equipment-bound systems are cheaper or simpler to keep on site or in a hybrid setup. A good assessment says so.
When executives call us
Cloud consulting is built for CEOs, CFOs, COOs, owners and IT directors who want a clear decision before committing budget. These are the usual triggers.
- The cloud bill keeps climbing and nobody can explain the Azure invoice.
- Servers are reaching end of support and you must choose: replace on site or move to Azure.
- Microsoft 365 licenses renew next quarter and you suspect you are paying for seats and features nobody uses.
- An office move or lease end is a chance to get rid of the server room.
- A merger or acquisition means combining two Microsoft 365 tenants.
- Cyber insurance or a customer review asks how your cloud accounts are secured.
- A migration stalled halfway, leaving files and users in two places.
- Leadership wants AI tools such as Copilot, but permissions and data are not ready.
Consulting engagement packages
Buy one package or combine them. The Readiness Assessment comes first for migrations; the cost and security reviews stand on their own for organizations already in Microsoft 365 or Azure.
Cloud Readiness Assessment
Best for: A server refresh or move-to-cloud decision
A fixed-scope review of your servers, applications, file shares, identity, connectivity and backups to decide what should move, stay or be retired.
Deliverables
- Workload inventory with dependencies
- Keep, move, rebuild or retire decision for each workload
- Three-year cost comparison: on site vs Azure vs hybrid
- Connectivity and bandwidth check for each site
- Risks, prerequisites and recommended order of moves
Typical timeline: 3 to 5 weeks
Delivered by: BTI cloud architect with a senior BTI engineer
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Migration Plan & Project Oversight
Best for: A migration you want done right the first time
A written migration plan and BTI oversight on your side while your team, your provider or BTI does the moves.
Deliverables
- Migration plan with waves, owners and dates
- Cutover and rollback runbooks
- Identity plan (sign-in, MFA, device management) completed before data moves
- Weekly status reports and a risk log
- Go-live acceptance checklist and post-migration review
Typical timeline: 6 to 16 weeks, depending on scope
Delivered by: BTI cloud architect and BTI project manager
Cadence: Weekly status meeting through go-live
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Microsoft 365 & Azure Cost and License Optimization
Best for: A renewal or a cloud bill that keeps growing
A review of every license and Azure resource you pay for, with a plan to stop paying for what you do not use.
Deliverables
- License map: every seat matched to a person and role
- Unused, duplicate and mismatched licenses flagged
- Azure right-sizing and reservation recommendations
- Savings opportunities ranked by effort
- Cost governance rules: budgets, alerts, tagging and who can create resources
Typical timeline: 2 to 4 weeks, ideally before a renewal
Delivered by: BTI cloud architect with a BTI licensing specialist
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Cloud Security & Governance Review
Best for: Insurance renewals, customer reviews or AI readiness
A review of how your Microsoft 365 and Azure accounts are secured, shared and backed up.
Deliverables
- Security baseline scorecard: identity, admin roles, MFA and conditional access, sharing, mail flow, logging, backup
- Prioritized fix list with effort and owner
- Data sharing and permissions report (key before AI tools like Copilot)
- Backup and retention check against your recovery needs
- Leadership summary
Typical timeline: 2 to 4 weeks
Delivered by: BTI cloud architect, with a BTI vCISO for risk sign-off
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Packages at a glance
| Package | Format | Typical timeline | Main deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Readiness Assessment | Fixed-fee project | 3 to 5 weeks | Workload decisions and cost comparison |
| Migration Plan & Project Oversight | Fixed fee or monthly through go-live | 6 to 16 weeks | Migration plan, runbooks, status reports |
| Cost & License Optimization | Fixed-fee project | 2 to 4 weeks | License map and savings plan |
| Cloud Security & Governance Review | Fixed-fee project | 2 to 4 weeks | Security scorecard and fix list |
Not sure which package fits? The scoping call sorts that out in 30 minutes.
Free, no obligation. You get a written proposal with fixed scope and deliverables.
Microsoft 365, Azure, hybrid or on site: which fits?
The right answer is often a mix. The Readiness Assessment compares these options on the same basis for each workload.
| Option | Good fit for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Email, Teams, file sharing, collaboration and replacing old file servers | Messy permissions get copied into the cloud unless cleaned up first |
| Azure | Line-of-business servers, virtual desktops, backups and internal apps | Costs grow quietly without budgets, alerts and right-sizing |
| Hybrid | Sites with large local files, equipment-bound systems or limited bandwidth | Two environments to secure and manage |
| Stay on site | Workloads tied to local equipment or with steady, predictable demand | Hardware refresh cycles and end-of-support dates |
Moving VMware workloads to Azure? See VMware migration.
What a good cloud engagement includes
- A workload-by-workload decision, not "move everything".
- Identity first: sign-in, MFA and device management designed before any data moves.
- A rollback plan for every cutover.
- Cost governance from day one: budgets, alerts and clear rules on who can create resources.
- Backups you control, separate from Microsoft's own retention.
- Connectivity checked at every site, since the cloud is only as good as the internet link.
- Acceptance criteria agreed before go-live, so "done" means the same thing to everyone.
Terms in plain English
- Tenant
- Your organization's private space in Microsoft 365 and Azure, with its own users, settings and data.
- Entra ID
- Microsoft's identity service (formerly Azure AD) that controls who can sign in to what.
- Conditional access
- Rules that allow or block sign-ins based on user, device, location and risk.
- Right-sizing
- Matching cloud server sizes and licenses to actual use, so you stop paying for idle capacity.
- Reserved capacity
- Committing to Azure resources for one or three years in exchange for lower rates.
- Lift and shift
- Moving a server to the cloud as is. Fast, but usually not the cheapest long term.
- Hybrid
- A mix of cloud and on-site systems working together.
How we deliver
Every engagement follows the same six steps, so you know what happens next and what lands on your desk at each one.
Free scoping call
30 to 45 minutes with a BTI cloud consultant about your goals, deadlines (renewals, lease end, end of support) and current setup.
You get: A recommendation on which package fits.
Proposal with fixed scope
A written proposal with deliverables, timeline, assigned roles and a fixed fee or monthly oversight fee.
You get: A document you can review with finance before committing.
Kickoff and discovery
Read-only access to Microsoft 365 and Azure, server and application inventory, interviews and site connectivity checks.
You get: A kickoff agenda, schedule and access checklist.
Findings readout to leadership
A 60 to 90 minute session on what should move, what it costs and the risks.
You get: The written assessment, scorecard or license map.
Plan and implementation options
The migration or optimization plan, sequenced. You choose who carries it out: your team, your current provider or BTI.
You get: The plan, runbooks and acceptance checklist.
Ongoing reviews
Optional quarterly cost and security reviews keep the environment from drifting.
You get: A quarterly cost and security scorecard.
What you walk away with
- A clear keep, move or retire decision for every workload
- A three-year cost comparison finance can trust
- A migration plan with rollback steps
- A license map and savings plan before renewal
- A security baseline scorecard and fix list
- Cost governance rules so the bill stays predictable
Sample deliverable outline: Cloud Readiness Assessment report
- Executive summary: recommendation and three-year cost view
- Current environment: servers, applications, data, identity, sites and connectivity
- Workload inventory and dependencies
- Decision per workload: keep, move, rebuild or retire
- Cost comparison: on site vs Azure vs hybrid
- Security and identity prerequisites
- Backup and recovery approach
- Migration order, timeline and risks
- Next steps and owners
How to choose a cloud consultant
- Ask whether they will tell you when not to move a workload.
- Ask for a sample license map or readiness report (redacted).
- Check that identity and security are planned before data moves.
- Ask how they keep Azure costs from creeping after go-live.
- Get the fixed scope, deliverables and acceptance criteria in writing.
Why BTI
- Over 40 years in business, designing and supporting networks, servers, Microsoft 365 and Azure.
- Cloud plus the rest of the stack: internet circuits, networks, security and a 24/7 NOC/SOC are under one roof, so plans account for every dependency.
- AI-ready: each BTI AI client gets its own hosted Azure tenant, so data stays in an environment you control.
- Local teams in Los Angeles, Chicagoland and Phoenix, with on-site work in Tucson through BTI's contractor partners. Most consulting work runs remotely, with on-site visits where they add value.
You do not need BTI managed IT to buy a cloud package. If you want BTI to run the migration or manage the environment afterward, that is quoted separately.
Frequently asked questions
How is cloud consulting priced?
Readiness assessments, cost and license reviews and security reviews are fixed-fee projects. Migration oversight is a fixed fee or a monthly fee through go-live. Each is quoted after a free scoping call, based on users, sites, servers and applications in scope.
How long does a cloud migration take?
The Readiness Assessment typically takes 3 to 5 weeks. Migrations commonly run 6 to 16 weeks depending on the number of users, servers and applications. Your proposal lists the timeline for each wave.
What do we need to provide?
A project sponsor, read-only admin access to Microsoft 365 and Azure, a list of key applications and their vendors, and time from staff who know how each system is used.
Do we have to use BTI for managed IT?
No. Cloud consulting packages stand on their own. Your team or current provider can carry out the plan.
Can you work with our internal IT or current MSP?
Yes. BTI often writes the plan and oversees the project while the existing team does the hands-on work, or splits the work by wave.
Should everything move to the cloud?
No. Each workload is judged on cost, performance and risk. Some systems are better kept on site or in a hybrid setup, and the assessment says which.
Can you lower our Microsoft 365 and Azure costs?
The Cost and License Optimization package finds unused, duplicate and mismatched licenses and oversized Azure resources, and sets rules to keep costs in check. Savings depend on what is found.
Is the work remote or on site?
Most cloud work is remote. Site connectivity checks, cutover weekends and user support can be on site in Los Angeles, Chicagoland or Phoenix.
What happens after the assessment?
You own the report and plan. You can carry it out yourselves, give it to your provider, ask BTI to quote the migration, or add quarterly cost and security reviews.
Book a free cloud scoping call
In 30 minutes you will know which package fits and what you will walk away with. Then you get a written proposal with a fixed scope.
Prefer to call? Reach the BTI IT team during business hours: Los Angeles / Southern California 323-510-8003 · Chicagoland 312-492-2613 · Phoenix 480-272-8728.
Already a BTI client? Use the dedicated support number assigned to your organization.