Shaping Cloud

What Shaping Cloud does

Shaping Cloud is a UK-based cloud consultancy specialising exclusively in Microsoft Azure services. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Manchester with satellite offices in London, Wales, and Reading, the firm serves enterprise and mid-market organisations alongside UK public-sector bodies, including NHS trusts and Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The portfolio spans three structured Azure migration tiers (Launch, Architect, Accelerator), Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) deployment and lifecycle management with Nerdio automation, identity and access management, security operations including SIEM and threat response, FinOps and cost optimisation, data platform consulting with AI-readiness positioning, and a Skills On Demand specialist resourcing service. The firm carries five Microsoft Solution Partner and two Solution Specialist designations with 50+ accreditations, accumulated over 15 years of partnership, and integrates Dr Migrate tooling via Altra for migrations.

The business operates across three revenue streams: project-based professional services (fixed-scope or time-and-materials migration and implementation work), recurring managed services (AVD, security, FinOps subscriptions with defined SLAs), and subscription-style Skills On Demand specialist resourcing. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; free assessments (Azure Cost Check, AVD Workshop, AVS Business Case Accelerator) serve as top-of-funnel conversion tools. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting C-suite and senior IT leaders, layered with Microsoft co-sell motions, thought leadership via the CEO-authored 'Clarity on Cloud' content series, executive roundtable dinners, webinars, and downloadable reports such as the Cloud Concentration Risk report.

The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, led by CEO Helen Gerling and CTO Leon Fox. A 2018 funding round of approximately $1.78M came from Greater Manchester Combined Authority and NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance. Signature engagements include the Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network PACS portal modernisation alongside Sectra, the Greater Manchester Identity (GMID) platform with GMCA, and a Citrix-to-AVD migration for an unnamed top-100 UK law firm. The firm was named one of UK's Best Workplaces 2024 by Great Place To Work in the SME category.

Name

Shaping Cloud

Legal name

Shaping Cloud Ltd

Website

https://shapingcloud.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shaping Cloud is a UK-headquartered Microsoft Azure specialist consultancy that designs, migrates, and manages Azure estates for enterprise and public-sector clients across England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Consulting and Managed Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Managed Services (Operations, Monitoring, Patching) (BPAEACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cloud Migration & Rehosting (Lift-and-Shift) (BPAEACAB), Cloud FinOps & Cost Optimization (BPAEACAH), Cloud Strategy, Assessment & Roadmap (BPAEACAA), Cloud, DevOps & Infrastructure Staffing (BPACADAD)

Keywords

• Azure cloud migration
• Managed cloud services
• Azure Virtual Desktop
• FinOps consulting
• Cloud security services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Azure Consultancy and Professional Services: Project-based professional services covering Azure migration (Launch, Architect, Accelerator tiers), AVD deployments, IAM implementations, security reviews, and data platform builds. Revenue generated through fixed-scope or time-and-materials engagements.
2. Managed Azure Services: Recurring managed services providing ongoing Azure operations, AVD management, security monitoring, and FinOps/cost optimisation on an ongoing basis. Delivered as a subscription-style service with defined SLAs.
3. Skills On Demand: Bespoke specialist Azure skill provision on a flexible, as-needed basis to supplement internal teams on architecture, migration, security, and platform engineering tasks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shaping Cloud is a Microsoft Azure-focused cloud consultancy and managed service provider. It designs, migrates, and operates Azure environments for UK enterprises, mid-market firms, and public sector bodies (including NHS), with structured migration tiers (Launch/Architect/Accelerator), Azure Virtual Desktop lifecycle management, FinOps/cost optimisation, Identity & Access Management, security services (SIEM, threat detection, data governance), and Data Platform/AI readiness consulting.

Product overview

Shaping Cloud is a UK-based Microsoft-focused managed service provider (MSP) offering Azure cloud consultancy and managed services. Their portfolio spans migration services (Azure Launch, Azure Architect, Azure Accelerator, Dr Migrate), managed services (Managed Advantage, Skills On Demand), security services (Identity & Access Management, SIEM, Data Governance, Threat Detection & Response, Device & App Management), and specialized offerings (Data Platforms and AI, Azure Virtual Desktop, Cost Optimisation and FinOps, Executive Commercial Clarity). The company operates as a strategic partner helping organizations design, migrate, and optimize Azure environments, with additional free assessment tools including Azure Cost Check, AVD Workshop, and AVS Business Case Accelerator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Azure Launch Entry-level Azure migration package with a pre-defined scope targeting quick wins and immediate value, including a sound landing zone setup or review/optimisation of an existing landing zone. Quote-based engagement.
• Azure Architect Strategic planning and architecture design engagement tailored to specific business needs, focusing on long-term goals aligned with Azure capabilities for scalability and compliance. Quote-based, customised engagement.
• Azure Accelerator Comprehensive Azure migration covering technology selection, detailed roadmap, risk management, and end-to-end delivery, with ongoing support to optimise cloud performance. Quote-based engagement.
• Dr Migrate Enhanced migration technology developed by Altra, offered in partnership with Shaping Cloud to combine Azure expertise with purpose-built migration tooling to streamline Azure transitions.
• Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Azure Virtual Desktop services including assessment, design, migration (including from Citrix/legacy VDI), and ongoing lifecycle management using Nerdio for automation, standardisation, and scaling.
• Cost Optimisation and FinOps Cloud cost management and FinOps services for Azure estates covering rightsizing, reserved instances/savings plans, storage lifecycle policies, and integration of third-party storage optimisations such as NetApp Files.
• Skills On Demand Managed Azure skills service providing specialist Azure expertise on-demand to supplement internal teams across architecture, migration, security, and platform engineering without long-term hiring commitments.
• Managed Advantage Recurring managed cloud services providing ongoing Azure operational support, monitoring, security, FinOps, and optimisation of Azure environments under defined SLAs.
• Identity & Access Management (IAM) IAM consultancy services covering identity establishment, access assurance, operational identity (machine/workload identities), and governance/oversight lifecycle management, including Zero Trust, Entra ID PIM, and cloud-native security patterns.
• Executive Commercial Clarity Advisory service focused on Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments (MACCs), helping organisations align commercial agreements with realistic delivery programmes.
• Data Platforms and AI Cloud consultancy services focused on data platform modernisation and AI readiness, preparing organisations for Microsoft Fabric and Copilot workloads on Azure.
• SIEM and Threat Detection & Response Security information and event management plus advanced threat detection and automated response across endpoints, cloud, and hybrid environments, enabling centralised risk identification and rapid incident response.
• Data Governance Compliance and privacy governance services including sensitive information management, data classification, and risk assessments to provide proactive organisational oversight.
• Device & App Management Endpoint management and compliance enforcement services for diverse device environments, leveraging existing licences (including Intune) for maximum security value.
• Free Azure Cost Check Complimentary Azure cost analysis providing immediate visibility into cloud spending and savings opportunities, used as a no-cost entry point to drive longer-term engagement.
• Free AVD Workshop Complimentary Azure Virtual Desktop workshop offering assessment and guidance for organisations considering or planning AVD migrations.
• AVS Business Case Accelerator Free service helping businesses build compelling cases for Azure VMware Solution migration, including data-driven assessment, financial analysis, technical readiness evaluation, and sustainability impact report.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 72% savings on Azure compute costs through Reserved Instances and Savings Plans for stable workloads
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Leading Microsoft Partner since 2010. Holds five Solution Partner designations and two Solution Specialist designations. Through the partnership, Shaping Cloud unlocks exclusive funding opportunities (ECIF) for clients, provides comprehensive Microsoft training, and gains unique insight into Microsoft's technology roadmap. As a Microsoft FastTrack Partner, Shaping Cloud can facilitate client eligibility for Microsoft support in adopting security products and services.
• Greater Manchester Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Greater Manchester Identity (GMID) platform, built to create stronger and more streamlined identity and access management across Greater Manchester's public sector. The GMID platform is used by clinicians accessing the modernised PACS portal and serves as a foundational IAM layer for the region's public sector digital services.
• SectraminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerShaping Cloud is working alongside Sectra (a specialist in medical imaging IT) on the Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network PACS portal modernisation programme, providing the cloud consultancy layer for the imaging platform delivery.
• AltrasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerShaping Cloud partners with Altra to offer Dr Migrate, an enhanced migration solution that combines Shaping Cloud's Azure expertise with Altra's purpose-built migration tooling. Dr Migrate is positioned as a key component of the Azure Accelerator migration tier, offering cutting-edge technology and insights to streamline Azure transitions.
• NerdiosupportingTechnology or IntegrationNerdio automation platform is used within Shaping Cloud's AVD managed services to simplify administration, standardise deployments, accelerate repeatable migrations, and reduce operational overhead. Nerdio handles image management, autoscaling, and scaling orchestration for AVD environments.
• Microsoft FastTracksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerShaping Cloud is a Microsoft FastTrack Partner, enabling eligible clients to receive Microsoft support for faster adoption of the latest Microsoft security products and services. FastTrack is Microsoft's customer success programme designed to accelerate cloud adoption.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Avanade: Global Microsoft-focused consultancy (Accenture/Microsoft JV) with full-spectrum Azure, security, and managed services. Competes for the same upper-end enterprise and public-sector Azure deals Shaping Cloud targets.
• SoftwareOne: Global software and cloud services provider with deep Microsoft partnership and significant UK presence. Overlaps with Shaping Cloud on Azure migration and FinOps, but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Phoenix Software: UK Microsoft-focused cloud and licensing partner with a public sector focus. Comparable vendor alignment (Microsoft-only) and customer base (UK enterprise and public sector) to Shaping Cloud.
• ANS Group: Manchester-headquartered UK managed services and cloud provider with strong public-sector footprint and Azure capabilities. Highly comparable on geography, vertical mix (UK public sector), and Microsoft-centric services portfolio.
• Bytes Software Services: UK-based Microsoft licensing, cloud, and managed services partner serving enterprise and public-sector clients. Comparable to Shaping Cloud on Microsoft partnership depth and target customer profile, though larger in scale.
• Trustmarque: UK-based IT services and Microsoft-focused managed services provider serving enterprise and public sector. Competes with Shaping Cloud for similar Azure migration and managed services engagements in UK mid-market.
• Transparity Solutions: UK-based Microsoft-focused cloud and managed services specialist with deep Azure migration, managed services, and Modern Work capabilities. Closely comparable to Shaping Cloud as a same-size, same-vendor UK MSP competing for similar NHS, legal, and mid-market enterprise deals.
• Networld Technologies: UK IT services and Microsoft partner offering cloud, managed services, and consultancy. Comparable in scale and Microsoft-centric service mix, competing in the same UK enterprise mid-market.
• Version 1: UK and Ireland-headquartered Microsoft-focused cloud and managed services consultancy. Highly comparable Azure migration, managed services, and enterprise target customer profile.

Others

• Nerdio: AVD automation platform provider that Shaping Cloud uses as a technology partner. Not a direct competitor, but a key ecosystem participant whose product roadmap and partner economics shape Shaping Cloud's AVD managed service economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShapingCloud
• Facebookfacebook.com/shapingcloud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shaping Cloud