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Cloud Services for Businesses

Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS, and hybrid solutions that give your business a secure, scalable, and cost-effective IT environment. Flowpast helps you migrate to the cloud, modernise existing systems, and manage your cloud environment with a focus on security, performance, and total cost of ownership. From strategy and architecture to daily operations — all under one roof.

Microsoft 365 and Azure expertise
Secure migration without business disruption
Identity management with Entra ID and MFA
Cost optimisation with FinOps methodology

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M365

Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, Intune

Azure

Landing zones, identity, networking

GDPR

Data protection and compliance

Cloud done right — not just because everyone else is doing it

Moving to the cloud isn’t about switching providers. It’s about getting an IT environment that actually supports your business: secure login regardless of where your team sits, email and collaboration that works as well on the train as in the office, and infrastructure that scales when you grow without buying new servers. Flowpast helps businesses make that move — with a plan that matches your operations, your budget, and your technical maturity.

We work primarily with Microsoft 365 and Azure because that’s where most SMBs get the most value with the least friction. For clients who already have parts of their infrastructure in other clouds or on-premises, we build hybrid solutions where everything is tied together through shared identity, security, and monitoring. The goal is always the same: less administration, lower risk, and lower cost over time.

What we deliver

Microsoft 365 — Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive
Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and MFA
Intune — device management for PC, Mac, and mobile
Azure & AWS — virtual machines, networking, storage
Migration from on-prem, Google Workspace, or other providers
Backup of Microsoft 365 data and cloud resources
Security — Conditional Access, Defender, zero trust
Cost optimisation — licences, cloud resources, FinOps

Our cloud services in detail

Six core areas where we help businesses get maximum value from the cloud.

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Microsoft 365 & Modern Workplace

Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive — setup, migration, and ongoing management. Includes licence optimisation, secure sharing policies, and standardisation of how your teams collaborate.

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Identity & Access (Entra ID)

Centralised sign-on for all systems, multi-factor authentication, conditional access based on device and location, and automated workflows for employee onboarding and offboarding.

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Device management with Intune

Management of your company’s laptops, mobiles, and tablets from a central console. Automated deployment of new devices, security policies, app distribution, and remote lock or wipe if a device is lost or stolen.

☁️

Cloud infrastructure

Virtual machines, networking, storage, and backup in Azure or AWS. We design landing zones, set up secure architecture from the start, and help you migrate existing systems from on-premises without disruption.

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Security & Compliance

Conditional Access, Defender for Office 365 and Endpoint, GDPR compliance, backup following the 3-2-1 principle, and audit trails that meet your regulatory requirements.

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Cost optimisation & FinOps

Analysis of your current cloud costs, identification of redundant licences and resources, and long-term recommendations for getting more value from every pound you spend on cloud services.

Which cloud model is right for you?

Three common paths to the cloud — we help you choose based on your needs.

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Public cloud

Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS, SaaS applications. Full scalability, automatic updates, and you only pay for what you use. Best for most small and mid-sized businesses.

Best for: Businesses that want to avoid maintaining their own hardware.

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Hybrid solutions

Parts of your infrastructure in the cloud, others on-premises. Ideal when you have legacy systems that can’t be migrated immediately, or specific requirements about where data is stored.

Best for: Businesses with legacy systems or industry-specific compliance requirements.

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On-prem modernisation

For businesses that need to keep certain infrastructure local. We modernise with virtualisation, Entra ID integration, and secure connectivity to the cloud.

Best for: Businesses with specific local data handling or network latency requirements.

How we deliver your cloud journey

Four steps from current state to a working cloud environment — without surprises.

Current state assessment

We map your systems, licences, users, and dependencies. You get a clear picture of what can be migrated, what should be modernised, and what should stay.

Architecture & planning

We design the target environment with secure landing zone, identity, networking, and backup. You get a timeline, cost projection, and risk analysis before we start building.

Migration in stages

We migrate email, files, applications, and infrastructure in controlled stages. Users notice minimal disruption — often none at all — and critical systems are verified before cutover.

Management & optimisation

After migration, we take over daily operations, security monitoring, and cost optimisation. You get monthly reports and ongoing improvement recommendations.

Thinking about moving to the cloud?

Tell us about your current setup and we’ll come back with an assessment and a proposal for how your cloud journey could look. First consultation is always free.

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Frequently asked questions about cloud services

How much does it cost to move to Microsoft 365 or Azure?

The cost has two parts: licences and implementation. Microsoft 365 licences typically run between £8–35 per user per month depending on the tier you need. Azure costs depend entirely on which services you use — from a few hundred pounds per month for small environments to significantly more for production systems. Implementation is a one-time cost that varies with complexity. After a free assessment, we can give you a clear estimate based on your user count and systems.

How long does it take to migrate to Microsoft 365?

A straightforward migration for a business with 10–30 users typically takes 2–4 weeks from decision to everyone being live. This includes planning, technical preparation, email and file migration, and user training. Larger organisations with hundreds of accounts, more complex infrastructure, or specific integration requirements take longer — often 2–4 months. We work in stages so the business never needs to stop, and we always run pilot groups before full rollout.

Is my data safe in the cloud?

Yes — provided it’s configured correctly. Cloud services like Microsoft 365 and Azure are generally more secure than typical on-premises infrastructure because Microsoft invests enormous sums in physical security, patching, and threat detection. But it requires MFA to be enabled, conditional access to be properly configured, permissions to follow the principle of least privilege, and a functioning backup solution — Microsoft does not back up your data for you. We set all of this up as standard in every implementation.

Do we need backup when we’re on Microsoft 365?

Yes, absolutely. It’s a common misconception that Microsoft backs up your M365 data. Microsoft guarantees platform availability, but the responsibility for your own data lies with you. If a user accidentally deletes files that disappear after 30 days, if ransomware encrypts OneDrive files, or if someone maliciously deletes an entire mailbox — you need a third-party backup to recover. We set up automated backup of Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams with extended retention.

Can we keep some systems in the cloud and others on-premises?

Yes — hybrid setups are common and often the smartest path for small and mid-sized businesses. You might have email, files, and collaboration in Microsoft 365 while keeping a legacy business system on-premises until it’s time to replace it. We tie the environments together with shared identity via Entra ID, secure network connections, and integrated security policies. Users don’t notice which systems are where — they just sign in once and everything works.

What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 and Azure?

Microsoft 365 is a SaaS service delivering ready-made products: Exchange for email, Teams for collaboration, SharePoint for files and document management, plus the Office apps. Azure is an IaaS/PaaS platform where you build your own infrastructure — virtual machines, databases, networking, storage, and so on. Most businesses use both: Microsoft 365 for the daily workplace and Azure for infrastructure that doesn’t fit in the standard products. The identity layer (Entra ID) is shared, so everything ties together.

How do you help us keep cloud costs down?

We use FinOps methodology to optimise costs on an ongoing basis. It starts with a licence review to identify redundant or duplicate licences — many businesses pay for E5 when E3 is sufficient, or have inactive accounts still racking up charges. For Azure, we analyse resource usage, shut down what’s not needed, right-size virtual machines, and use reservations for long-term workloads. Cost optimisation isn’t a one-off exercise — it’s an ongoing process with monthly reports and concrete improvement recommendations.

What happens if we want to switch cloud providers later?

Vendor lock-in is a fair concern and we help you avoid it from the start. For most productivity services (email, files, collaboration), migration between providers is entirely possible but requires planning. For cloud infrastructure, we recommend building with open standards where possible — containers, Kubernetes, open databases, and infrastructure as code — so you have flexibility long-term. We document everything you need to take over or migrate independently, and we never have hidden lock-in periods.

Complement your cloud services

Cloud services work best with the right security, support, and operations.

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Cybersecurity

MFA, backup, GDPR compliance, and security audits.

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IT Support

Fast helpdesk via phone, remote, and on-site.

⚙️

Managed IT

Proactive management of servers, networks, and workstations.

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IT Strategy

Advisory, roadmapping, and long-term planning.

Cloud services across the UK

We deliver cloud services digitally to businesses across the country.

Contact us

Tell us briefly what you need help with and we’ll get back to you within one working day. First consultation is always free.

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