Cloud and DevOps in plain words
Cloud means renting computing resources (servers, databases, storage) from a provider instead of running your own hardware. DevOps is the practice of automating how software is built, tested, deployed and operated – so releases are frequent, safe and repeatable.
Together they give you systems that scale with demand, recover from failures automatically and can be updated without downtime. For German companies we pay special attention to data residency (EU/Germany regions) and GDPR.
Cloud service and deployment models
| Model | What you manage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| IaaS – Infrastructure | OS, runtime, apps, data | Virtual servers (EC2, Azure VMs, IONOS Cloud) |
| PaaS – Platform | Your app and data | Managed databases, App Service, Cloud Run |
| SaaS – Software | Only configuration and users | Microsoft 365, Salesforce |
| Serverless | Only functions/code | AWS Lambda, Azure Functions |
| Public / private / hybrid | Where workloads run | Mix of public cloud and on-premise |
Cloud & DevOps service segments
Cloud migration
Move applications and data to the cloud with minimal downtime.
- Assessment & migration plan
- Rehost, replatform or refactor
- Data migration & cut-over
- Rollback plan
CI/CD pipelines
Automatic build, test and deployment for every change.
- GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps
- Automated tests & quality gates
- Staging and production environments
- One-click rollback
Containers & Kubernetes
Package apps once, run anywhere.
- Dockerisation
- Kubernetes / managed K8s
- Auto-scaling
- Helm & GitOps
Infrastructure as Code
Servers and networks defined in version-controlled code.
- Terraform, Bicep, Pulumi
- Reproducible environments
- Reviewable changes
- Disaster recovery in minutes
Monitoring & observability
Know about problems before your customers do.
- Uptime & performance monitoring
- Logs & traces
- Alerts to email/Teams/Slack
- Dashboards
Security & backups
Protect systems and data.
- IAM & least privilege
- Secrets management
- Automated encrypted backups
- Vulnerability scanning
Cost optimisation (FinOps)
Pay only for what you need.
- Right-sizing
- Reserved instances / savings plans
- Shutdown schedules
- Monthly cost reports
Managed operations
We run and watch your platform.
- 24/7 monitoring options
- Patching & updates
- Incident response
- Monthly reports
The 6 R's of cloud migration
| Strategy | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Rehost (lift & shift) | Move servers as they are | Quick exit from a data centre |
| Replatform | Small changes, e.g. managed database | Reduce operations effort cheaply |
| Refactor / re-architect | Rebuild for cloud-native services | Scalability and long-term cost benefits |
| Repurchase | Switch to a SaaS product | Standard functions like email or CRM |
| Retain | Keep on-premise for now | Compliance or latency reasons |
| Retire | Switch off unused systems | Reduce cost and attack surface |
Our cloud & DevOps workflow
- AssessmentInventory of applications, data, dependencies, costs and risks.Deliverables: assessment report
- Target architectureCloud provider and region, network, security, backup and cost model.Deliverables: architecture & cost estimate
- Landing zoneAccounts, networks, identity, logging and guardrails set up as code.Deliverables: secure cloud foundation
- PipelinesCI/CD pipelines with automated tests and environments.Deliverables: automated deployments
- Migration wavesApplications migrated in waves, each tested and verified.Deliverables: migrated workloads
- Monitoring & hand-overDashboards, alerts, runbooks and training.Deliverables: operations handbook
- OptimiseRegular cost, security and performance reviews.Deliverables: optimisation reports
Technology stack
| Cloud providers | AWSMicrosoft AzureGoogle CloudIONOS CloudHetzner |
| Containers | DockerKubernetesHelmArgo CD |
| IaC | TerraformBicepAnsiblePulumi |
| CI/CD | GitHub ActionsGitLab CIAzure DevOpsJenkins |
| Monitoring | PrometheusGrafanaUptime KumaSentryCloudWatch |
Frequently asked questions
Is the cloud GDPR-compliant?
Yes, when configured correctly: EU or German regions, data-processing agreements, encryption and access control. We document this for your records of processing.
Will the cloud be cheaper than our servers?
Often – but not automatically. Right-sizing, auto-scaling and reserved capacity make the difference. We estimate costs before migrating.
Do we need Kubernetes?
Only for larger or fast-growing systems. Many apps run perfectly on simpler managed services; we recommend the simplest option that meets your needs.