When it comes to migrating your applications to the cloud, it can be expensive and time-consuming to do it all on your own. Should you decide to outsource this, it’s important to choose an experienced cloud services provider to help you with both the initial migration and the long term upkeep. Only you can decide exactly what your company needs from a cloud services provider, but there are some factors you should take into account, including compatibility and support.
In this guide, we’ll examine the companies that were recognized both as leaders by Gartner in its 2020 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Professional and Managed Services and leaders or strong contenders in The Forrester Wave: Application Modernization And Migration Services, Q3 2019. These companies are:
We’ve also included a couple of honorable mentions that didn’t quite meet the criteria we set but had excellent user reviews and might provide what you need.
Deloitte
Key takeaway: a genuine partner for end-to-end cloud services for large companies
Deloitte placed first in execution on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant and tied in first place for vision. They also had the strongest strategy of the companies Forrester examined. One of the services they offer is application modernization to turn any business-critical applications into cloud-friendly versions to provide a smooth migration. Their approach is mostly product-based.
Because Deloitte’s traditional business offerings include audit, risk advisory, and financial advisory, they are uniquely equipped to become a subject matter expert and provide MSP services to highly regulated industries. Unfortunately, they tend to keep their focus on large end-to-end projects and migrations, so it can be extremely difficult for smaller companies to get the help they need. Large companies with complicated cloud deployments should consider Deloitte, while smaller companies may want to look elsewhere.
Clients appreciate Deloitte’s:
- Thorough, unique approaches
- Technical knowledge
- Live support
Customers complained about:
- Cost
- Consultants’ varying levels of expertise
- Difficulty with rapid-fire migrations
Wipro
Key takeaway: custom, flexible solutions for any sized business
Wipro is an India-based MSP that supports both multi-cloud and hybrid IT approaches for large enterprises. They are continuously enhancing their functionalities for container organization, analytics integration, and dynamic contract management, and they are gaining notoriety for their innovative cloud solutions. Wipro does a good job of balancing migration and modernization to give their clients the best cloud infrastructure for their business.
The downside to Wipro is that they don’t have the geographically-broad sales presence that many other companies do, making it difficult for them to support their clients as much as they’d like. Businesses based geographically close to Wipro are likely to have better results than those in North or South America. The good news is that it seems like both large and smaller companies can benefit from their services.
Clients appreciate Wipro’s:
- Flexibility and responsiveness to their requirements
- Custom solutions
- Knowledgeable team
Customers complained about:
- Lack of support
- No proactive suggestions about how to optimize cloud infrastructure
- Tools and UX design are a bit unsophisticated
Accenture
Key takeaway: highly-rated firm with thorough, flexible solutions for large migrations
Accenture tied Deloitte for first place in vision on the magic quadrant, and their execution wasn’t far behind, coming in third. They were also the highest rated in the Forrester Wave report for their current offerings. In 2019, this global systems integrator acquired Cirruseo, a French consulting firm, to help boost their Google Cloud offerings.
Accenture has engaged with over 5,000 startups in more than 40 different countries, and they heavily emphasize innovating the cloud architecture. In fact, they have close relationships with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to increase their team’s knowledge and expertise. The main downside to working with Accenture is that they don’t really specialize in minimal migrations. If your company is in the early stages of cloud migration or has a lower level of managed service requirements, Accenture’s approach is probably going to be much more than you need.
Clients appreciate Accenture’s:
- Surprising flexibility
- Extensive cloud knowledge
- Varied offerings
Customers complained about:
- Pricing complexity
- IP capabilities
- Internal hierarchy
Cognizant
Key takeaway: strong choice for companies who need rapid cloud migrations
Cognizant boasts a US base and a portfolio that includes modernization for your data, platform, and applications. They have more offerings than just cloud services, but they use those cloud options to help build a foundation for a better hybrid IT system. Their clients have praised them for smooth migrations and continuous engagement, and their acquisition of Softvision has expanded their global and technical ranges. Cognizant also does a good job integrating with other third-party cloud management tools to create a more cohesive system.
Compared with the other companies, they don’t have nearly as much experience managing complex commercial applications. Based on some customer reviews, it also appears clients outside of India may have some trouble receiving timely help from consultants. If you need fast cloud migrations and don’t necessarily need consultants onsite, your company may be able to benefit from Cognizant’s services.
Clients appreciate Cognizant’s:
- Competitive pricing
- Qualified consultants
- Varied cloud environment options
Customers complained about:
- Recommendations sometimes lack business sense
- Global availability
- Project management skills
Capgemini
Key takeaway: well-rounded offerings for ERP-centric migrations
Capgemini’s Cloud Platform includes consulting, tools, and services that are compatible with all of the major cloud providers. They can help your company strategize the early stages of your move along with the ongoing management of your cloud infrastructure. One of the benefits the company offers is that they’ll let you design what you want your final cloud architecture to look like and then create a migration model to work towards that final goal.
Capgemini’s cloud management provider features multi-cloud capabilities that include both Iaas and Paas technologies, and they have a large focus on ERP modernization. As for the downsides, some users don’t feel like they’re getting enough human interaction and support, since Capgemini invested heavily in automation and tool-based operating. If ERP software is essential to your business, Capgemini may be the best option for getting it to the cloud.
Clients appreciate Capgemini’s:
- Strength in migration and modernization
- Technical confidence
- Execution track record
Customers complained about:
- Lack of business expertise
- Level of guidance and support
- Unclear value
Tata Consultancy Services
Key takeaway: experienced team for modernizing while you migrate
In addition to their public cloud and managed services, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) offers a broad array of services, including cloud apps, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and analytics and insights. They tend to favor modernization in their cloud migration approach and seek to update clients’ applications to cloud-native versions. Several of their users have praised TCS on their knowledge of the Oracle platform.
The company has been working hard to train many of their staff members in the top public cloud platforms to help them provide better support. Unfortunately, TCS has been unable to meet the high demand in regions like the Middle East, China, and Japan. Additionally, clients warned that TCS relied heavily on the clients’ internal teams. Because TCS takes an approach weighted towards modernization, those companies looking for more than a simple lift-and-shift migration would benefit from TCS’s industry experience.
Clients appreciate TCS’s:
- Large pool of qualified resources
- Understanding of client industry
- Thorough assessments and advice
Customers complained about:
- Gaps in knowledge
- Delays
Honorable Mentions
While these companies weren’t counted as leaders or strong contenders in both reports, they were on at least one and did have good user reviews, so they deserved to be mentioned here.
NTT Data was a leader in The Forrester Wave report and a challenger in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, and they have high user reviews. They acquired Dell Services in 2016 which only added to their already strong application management capabilities. NTT Data tends towards modernization over simple migrations, and compared to other firms, they don’t rely on lift-and-shift much at all. Possibly most impressive, there don’t seem to be any major client complaints. Companies looking to modernize their cloud infrastructure and create or extend hybrid IT functionality would benefit from working with NTT Data.
Clients appreciate NTT Data’s:
- Flexibility and responsiveness
- Tailored approach
- Quality resources and exceptional communication
Customers complained about:
- More upfront client explanation needed
Infosys was listed as a strong contender in The Forrester Wave report and high marks from users, although it was ranked fairly low on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. Their migration approach is pretty balanced between simple lift-and-shifts and lift-and-extend operations to help their clients modernize apps for the cloud. Infosys specializes in migrations for large banks with their Finacle platform. With some of the visa issues Infosys has been having, businesses that don’t actually need consultants onsite will benefit most from their services.
Clients appreciate Infosys’:
- Dedication and service
- Design and implementation experience
- Customized environments
Customers complained about:
- Visa issues causing delays
- Limited IP and tooling capabilities
- Weak project management skills
Choosing the right cloud migration service for your business
As you can see, there are many cloud migration service providers that could help your business move to the cloud and keep your infrastructure running smoothly. The type of approach you’re planning to take as well as which platform you’re using will affect your choice, as many of these favor modernization over rapid, lift-and-shift migrations. You should make a cohesive plan for your cloud migration before talking to vendors, so you’ll know what you need when you go into those meetings. This way, you can narrow down your list considerably, and you’ll know right away who can meet your needs and who can’t.
