Interscale Content Hub – As digital transformation picks up speed across industries, it’s pretty clear we need to get our DevOps practices up to speed too.
That’s why Azure DevOps consulting services are the experts at helping your business make the most of the Azure DevOps platform.
So, whether you’re just getting started with Azure DevOps, or you’re looking to make your current DevOps practices even better, let’s take a look at how this Azure DevOps consulting service can help you.
Which Services are Offered by Azure DevOps?
In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the main services you can expect from Azure DevOps consultants. Let’s take a closer look at some of these key services.
Setup and Configuration
The first step in getting started with Azure DevOps is to set up and configure the platform to fit your company’s needs.
This involves organising code repositories, setting up build and release pipelines, and integrating essential tools like GitHub, Jenkins and Docker.
For example, in sectors like finance and healthcare, you can set up Azure DevOps to host data in Australian data centres to meet data residency requirements.
Technically, you might want to set up Azure Pipelines to automate your build and deployment processes.
Azure Pipelines support loads of languages and frameworks, so it’s easy to integrate across different development environments.
Consultants make sure everything is set up properly and in line with the company’s goals, so it’s a solid base for moving forward with DevOps.
CI/CD Pipeline Design and Integration
The design of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines is a big part of modern DevOps practices.
These pipelines automate the testing, building and deployment of code. This means you can get updates and new features out there much more quickly.
Azure DevOps consultants have a lot of technical know-how, which they use to make sure these pipelines are as fast and reliable as they can be.
For example, if your business is moving from an on-site setup to the cloud, consultants might put together a pipeline that uses Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for containerised deployments.
Training and Support
Azure DevOps consultants can put together training sessions to fit your company’s needs.
This way, your teams can get the skills they need to make the most of the platform.
For instance, training could cover how to use Azure Repos for version control, Azure Test Plans for continuous testing, or Azure Artifacts for managing dependencies.
Once you’ve got your Azure DevOps training done, our consultants can also help you keep everything up to date and make sure it’s still working for you.
Process Optimization
According to Forrester DevOps Best Practices, to make the whole process more productive and more efficient, you need to:
- Understand how they work now
- Find out where there’s room for improvement
- Put in place some best practice solutions.
Azure DevOps consultants have the know-how and technical expertise to make processes more efficient and cut cycle times.
For example, a consultant could take a close look at your current development and operations processes to spot where things are slowing down.
They might then suggest using Azure DevOps features like automated testing and continuous monitoring to get rid of these bottlenecks.
Security and Compliance
Azure DevOps consulting services can help you put security best practices in place.
Let’s say things like secure coding practices, automated security testing, and compliance monitoring.
For Australian businesses, this could mean putting secure coding practices in place, integrating automated security testing into CI/CD pipelines, and making sure you’re following the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) guidelines.
You can rely on consultants to help you get to grips with all these complexities.
They’ll make sure your Azure DevOps environment not only meets but exceeds industry standards.
The goal is you can relax, knowing your business is safe from data breaches and regulatory penalties.
If you want to know how an Azure migration consultant works, kindly read “Azure Migration Consultant: Why Companies Needed It & How To Choose The Right One.”
Benefits of Azure DevOps Consulting Services
One of the best things about this is that it makes things more efficient.
Consultants make development processes more efficient by automating repetitive tasks, reducing cycle times and getting software updates and features to market faster.
Also, Azure DevOps helps development and operations teams to communicate better.
Being able to work together effectively across different locations can make a big difference to how successful a project is.
Azure DevOps consultants help to make sure all the people involved in developing software are on the same page and up to date with what’s going on at all times.
Cost savings are also something you can’t ignore. Making processes more efficient and using automation helps cut operational costs by reducing the need for manual input and boosting productivity.
Another big plus is it helps you manage risks. Consultants make sure your processes are secure and compliant with local regulations.
Your consultant helps you avoid data breaches and regulatory penalties by putting best practices in security and compliance into action.
Last but not least, the tech sector in Australia is growing fast, so it’s important to be able to scale up easily
Azure DevOps is built to grow with your business. Your consultants make sure your DevOps setup can grow and change with your business.
Best Practices for Engaging Azure DevOps Consulting Services
Before you bring in a consultant, you need to know what you want to achieve with Azure DevOps.
This could be anything from cutting down on deployment times to making the software better or tightening up security.
It’s good to have clear goals in place because they help guide the consulting process and make sure the consultants focus on the areas where they’ll be most valuable to your business.
Next, you need to choose the right partner. Not all consultants are the same, so it’s important to choose a firm with a proven track record in Azure DevOps.
It’d be great if the firm had experience in the Australian market, so they know about local rules like the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and business practices.
It’s also important to make sure that training is a priority during the engagement.
It’s important to make sure your teams get all the training they need to keep the Azure DevOps environment up and running after the consultation is over.
It’s also a good idea to think about continuous improvement as a key focus. Work with consultants who are there for you long-term and are committed to helping your organisation grow.
Keeping up with the latest tech is key to making sure your DevOps practices are always up to date.
And finally, keep an eye on how well your Azure DevOps implementation is going.
It’s a good idea to set up Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from the start and then have regular reviews with your consulting partner.
This helps you spot where you can do even better and makes sure that your Azure DevOps investment keeps paying off.
For a broader overview, please take a look at “How to Get Right in Azure Migration Strategy: Steps in Developing It.”
What is the Difference Between Azure DevOps and Azure Services?
Azure DevOps and Azure Services are two different tools but they work together in the cloud ecosystem.
Azure DevOps is a toolset designed to make software development lifecycles more efficient by helping development and operations teams work together better.
It’s got tools like Azure Boards for project management, Azure Pipelines for CI/CD automation, Azure Repos for version control, and Azure Test Plans for testing.
These tools are designed to make software development and deployment processes more efficient and high-quality.
On the other hand, Azure Services covers a wider range of cloud computing options.
These include things like Azure Virtual Machines, which let you scale up your computing resources, and Azure SQL Database, which provides managed relational databases.
Azure’s suite also includes some pretty advanced services, like Azure AI, which offers machine learning and cognitive services, and Azure Functions, which supports serverless computing.
How Interscale Can Be Your Azure DevOps Consulting Partner
We’re not going to get into any marketing here. We’ll give you one of our cases to look over.
So, Interscale recently completed a confidential Azure migration project to show what we can in delivering tailored solutions.
The project involved moving four servers from our own servers to Microsoft Azure.
The main idea of the project was to cut costs, make it easier to scale up and improve security.
Our team didn’t just handle the migration, but also set up a site-to-site VPN and implemented Microsoft Entra ID to secure identity management.
Once the migration was done, we made sure the new system was running as well as it could.
We used Azure DevOps to set up CI/CD pipelines, which made it easier to deploy and improve how we work.
This approach meant we could get things up and running more quickly, with more frequent updates, so the client could respond to changing business needs more quickly.
So, we can help you with the good same thing. Therefore, we suggest you do your research. We’d appreciate it if you could do some fact-checking and due diligence on us.
To get started, you might want to visit our Interscale Microsoft Azure Consulting Services page.
Or, if you have a moment, let’s grab a coffee and a croissant. So, we can discuss any issues you have with your Azure strategy.
In Closing
Azure DevOps consulting services can be a huge help for organisations looking to speed up their DevOps journey.
That’s why you should definitely consider Interscale. Why?
Remember, Azure DevOps consulting services aren’t just a one-off solution, but an ongoing partnership designed to support your continued growth and success in the ever-changing world of software development. And that’s how we work for you.
