Cloud Computing
Professional Services
Level Up. Build Your Cloud, Your Way.
Cloud technologies are a key element of Digital Transformation. Several organizational challenges like access to new customers and markets, the need for maximum flexibility, cost reduction, etc. are driving the need for cloud-based architectures and consumption models.
Technologies like containers and container orchestration transform companies into digital businesses. Software engineering and developer communities are paving the way for a new era of software-defined disruption using flexible, agile development.
The number of choices for cloud delivery and consumption models requires a solid business case and there is no one standardized approach. Every customer situation is different and needs careful evaluation and planning in order to realize the benefits of cloud computing. Skipping the critical step of building a strategy and business case could be fatal, as cloud affects all dimensions of an organization. Only a solid business design and implementation roadmap can address major aspects like business strategy, organizational transformation or operating models.
All Professional Services at a Glance
Cloud Consulting and Professional Services
Cloud Strategic Advisory Services
Our services will help you define your Cloud direction, build your implementation roadmap, enable business transformation through a targeted delivery model and determine the best business case for maximum value.
Cloud Strategies Workshop
The objective of this workshop is to level-set “cloud” by reviewing topics like cloud definition, architectures, technologies, deployment models, market and main players, standardization as well as risks and security aspects. Another further objective is to illustrate how organizations can improve service delivery, automate and orchestrate processes and leverage cloud computing resources to deliver value to their users.
Additionally, the workshop provides insights on skills, processes, and technologies that are relevant when considering moving to a Cloud-based model.
Depending on the audience, this workshop can be integrated into our Cloud Innovation/Ideation Workshop or can be consumed as a standalone event.
Cloud Innovation / Ideation Workshop
To develop an architectural and technical strategy, we suggest conducting an innovation/ideation workshop where we invite your technology and business leaders to come together and discuss desired business outcomes, identify challenges, outline opportunities, and share ideas about strategies and architectures.
This workshop usually lasts one day. Our facilitators apply various techniques like group discussions, individual work, team activities, conversation mapping, visual modeling, and group presentations. All activities are designed to generate new ideas as well as to identify those with the highest impact. We will end with complete post-processing activities to document all data and visual artifacts generated during the workshop, summarize all generated ideas and recommend next steps. The results of this workshop may lead to another workshop in case some topics (ideas) need further examination or to a more detailed business outcomes workshop developing concrete solutions.
Business Outcomes Workshop
While an Innovation / Ideation Workshop delivers insights, this workshop delivers proposed architectures and solutions aligned with previously identified ideas and desired business outcomes. By employing a business canvas model approach, this workshop allows Fast Lane to model use cases based on your specific business needs and to create rapid prototyping proposal for one or more solutions meeting your requirements. The workshop will identify your current pain points, deliver a customized roadmap with concrete next steps and a detailed outline of resources needed to build your digital business architecture. The workshop also supports the creation of a business case, ROI and value analysis of the proposed solutions.
Cloud Strategy and Architecture Consulting
This service can be part of a Business Outcomes Workshop or consumed as a standalone consulting service. We build on the outcome of one or more innovation workshops to work with your teams to develop your strategy with regards to technologies, architectures and solutions. This includes a review of your existing approach as well as the development of a comprehensive architecture for your entire organization. In addition, we will determine the value of integrating legacy assets, identify potential issues and suggest the best approach to minimize risk.
Cloud Solution Design
This service provides a conceptual design of one or more proposed solutions which outlines estimated costs, benefits and risks. Once the preferred solution has been selected, we will also provide a detailed design including implementation and migration scenarios.
Cloud Deployment and Migration
When it comes to Cloud we are not talking that much about deployment but more about migration services that can be combined with accelerated application development. Customers that have decided to take advantage of Cloud based delivery need to consider all options and possibilities. Various migration challenges need to be analyzed in order to come up with a solid migration strategy.
Our experts can help defining such a migration strategy. In addition, we can provide various resources to help with the migration of data and applications as well as the adaptation and integration of legacy applications.
Cloud Migration
Companies that choose a cloud solution need to evaluate all opportunities and analyze a wide range of challenges for a robust migration strategy. We support you in all phases of your migration process.
In close cooperation with the customer, we gain a holistic understanding of the existing customer environment - including technical, business and strategic aspects -, clarify the advantages of the cloud, and work with you to define the goals of your cloud migration. Together, we develop a migration plan for the cloud transition and assess any potential impact on your business.
We then analyze your IT portfolio and the interdependencies between your applications. Based on our experience and knowledge of best practices, we create a detailed design for your cloud platform and application implementations.
We also support you in the implementation phase to create a functional, scalable and secure basis for your workloads. Your applications and systems will be seamlessly migrated to the cloud platform without any measurable disruption to operations. After the migration, we analyze the systems and servers to verify the defined goals of the migration.
Prototyping
In case the desired solution involves a considerable amount of customization, this service is designed to build a fully functional prototype in order to validate all aspects of the design before moving to a rollout of the solution. Even with a lesser amount of customization it’s highly recommended to include this phase into every cloud project to ensure a smooth implementation and highest possible business outcomes.
Mentored Install
This service consists of one or more on-site design and deployment workshops including related knowledge transfer and additional mentoring once the workshops have been completed. The purpose of these workshops is to help you deploy solutions with expert assistance in a controlled and mentored environment, thus optimizing your investment in technology, time to deploy and effectiveness of the implementation.
Expert 4 Hire
Fast Lane experts are here to support critical parts of your solution design and deployment. This includes Solution Architects (SA) and Field Engineers (FE) trained in designing and deploying a variety of solutions. Whatever the gap, we apply deep experience and passion to help you design, deploy and operate the solution(s) being best suited for your business.
Fast Lane will provide resource(s) to perform various mutually agreeable E4H services for your company. Resource(s) will operate under your daily direction and are provided on a Time and Materials basis. Fast Lane resources typically provide the following types of E4H services:
- Assessment / Audit
- Best Practices Guidance
- Plan / Design
- Implementation
- Mentoring/Coaching/Shadowing (including Mentored Install)
- Optimization
- Prototyping
- Documentation
Cloud Optimization and Development
Cloud solutions require continuous monitoring, analysis and customization to ensure that you don't waste resources and that the resources you invest in will advance your business.
After a cloud migration, we can help you identify additional optimizations and improve your processes that are already running on your cloud platform. We analyze your services and pricing options to ensure that you only pay for what you really need.
Developing and Optimizing Cloud Applications
Companies often use a broad portfolio of applications developed and maintained on different platforms. These existing applications are increasingly being enhanced and adapted to the cloud environment or replaced by new, cloud-native applications.
Our experts can help you design, develop, and continually improve your cloud applications.
Cloud Security and Compliance Services
Many advantages of cloud-based solutions become challenges when it comes to security. Benefits such as openness, decentralization or agility represent a fundamental change in the way services are delivered to users. In a cloud environment, most of the resources are provided externally, resulting in different risk factors for access to data and systems. In order to cover the entire spectrum of security and data protection issues, a comprehensive understanding of all security aspects is required.
We help you assess your cloud-based risks, identify security vulnerabilities and specific security needs, set priorities and ensure the security of your cloud-based solutions.
Cloud Training Services
Cloud Talent Academy
Cloud technologies are a key element of Digital Transformation, but present a number of organizational and operational challenges for organizations.
Against the background of the global skills gap, we offer a comprehensive, multi-tiered Cloud Talent Academy, an enablement program under the umbrella of the Fast Lane Next Generation Talent Academies. Next Generation Cloud Talent Academy graduates have the skills to design, install, configure, manage, and troubleshoot today’s complex cloud, data center & virtualization environments.
This program features various vendor-independent preparation modules until students are ready for Cloud specifics. Once all pre-requisites are met, students may select which vendor to focus on. Every vendor-specific track features an entry-level certification. Once this certification has been achieved, students may continue along one or more learning paths preparing them for various job roles.
Candidates are matched up front with their future employer. This ensures that an organization's investment yields precisely the certified, highly qualified experts they are seeking.
In contrast to standard education / certification programs, our Talent Academy programs include:
- Recruiting, assessment, admission
- Modules covering all required pre-requisites
- Additional study material far beyond the standard course material
- Ongoing mentoring
- Assessments, test preparation, quizzes
- Managed internships
Cloud Training
Are You Cloud Ready? Cloud platform training and certification are essential in order to take advantage of the power, agility, efficiency, simplicity and cost savings of virtualized cloud infrastructure and services.
We are uniquely positioned to help you gain the cross‐vendor cloud knowledge and skills you desire.
