TL;DR — What is Microsoft Azure consulting?
Microsoft Azure consulting is the strategic and technical advisory practice of designing, migrating, securing, and operating workloads on Microsoft Azure. A qualified Azure consultancy delivers Cloud Adoption Framework strategy, enterprise-scale landing zones, migration assessments and execution, security and compliance baselines (HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, CMMC), FinOps cost optimization, and managed services. EPC Group has delivered Azure consulting for 29 years as a Microsoft Solutions Partner holding all six current designations, with senior-architect delivery on every Statement of Work.
EPC Group is a 29-year Microsoft Solutions Partner delivering governance-first Azure consulting services — strategy, enterprise-scale landing zones, migration, security, FinOps, and 24/7 managed services. Senior-architect-led, fixed-fee scoping, HIPAA / SOC 2 / FedRAMP / CMMC / FINRA / GxP compliance baselines built in from day one.
Key Facts
- Microsoft Solutions Partner — all six current designations (Data & AI, Modern Work, Infrastructure, Security, Digital & App Innovation, Business Applications)
- 29 years of Microsoft consulting · founded 1997 · one of the oldest continuous Microsoft partners in the United States
- 11,000+ enterprise engagements delivered · 70+ Fortune 500 clients · G2 Spring 2026 Leader with NPS 100
- Enterprise-scale Azure landing zones deployed in 4–7 days via Bicep / Terraform automation (vs. 6–12-week industry norm)
- Six core Azure service pillars: Strategy, Landing Zone, Migration, Security & Governance, FinOps, Managed Services
- Compliance baselines: HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP Moderate / High, CMMC 2.0 Level 2/3, FINRA, GxP, GDPR, FERPA
- FinOps cost-optimization audits typically identify 30–50% savings · client average $150K–$500K annual savings
- Senior architect named on every Statement of Work · no offshore handoff · fixed-fee scoping
- Founder Errin O’Connor: four-time Microsoft Press bestselling author, original Power BI Project Crescent + SharePoint Project Tahoe beta team member
- Hourly rates $150–$500 · fixed-fee accelerators starting at $25,000 · enterprise migrations $50K–$2M+
Why EPC Group for Microsoft Azure
Five reasons regulated enterprises and Fortune 500 buyers select EPC Group for Microsoft Azure consulting in 2026.
Microsoft Solutions Partner — all 6 designations
Data & AI, Modern Work, Infrastructure (Azure), Security, Digital & App Innovation, Business Applications.
29 years of Microsoft consulting
Founded 1997 — one of the oldest continuous Microsoft partners in the United States. 11,000+ enterprise engagements delivered.
Azure landing zones in 4–7 days
Enterprise-scale landing zones automated via Bicep / Terraform — vs. the 6–12-week industry norm.
FedRAMP-compliant deployment expertise
Azure Government IL4 / IL5, 800-53 controls, continuous monitoring (ConMon), HIPAA, SOC 2, CMMC 2.0 Level 2/3.
Senior-architect delivery — every SOW
A named senior architect on every Statement of Work. No offshore handoff. Fixed-fee scoping with predictable pricing.
Founded by Errin O'Connor in 1997 — see the founder bio for Microsoft Press authorship, Project Crescent / Project Tahoe beta participation, and MVP history.
The 6 Azure Service Pillars
EPC Group delivers Microsoft Azure consulting across six pillars — each scoped as a discrete engagement or combined into an end-to-end program. Every pillar is delivered by a named senior architect under a fixed-fee Statement of Work.
Azure Strategy
Cloud adoption roadmaps, target-state architecture, business-case modeling, and Azure Well-Architected Framework reviews — built by senior architects with 29 years of Microsoft experience.
- Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) workshops
- Well-Architected Framework reviews
- Total cost of ownership modeling
- Multi-year cloud roadmap and waves
Azure Landing Zone
Enterprise-scale landing zones deployed in 4–7 days via Bicep and Terraform — management groups, hub-spoke networking, Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud, and Sentinel wired in from day one.
- Enterprise-scale management groups
- Hub-spoke network topology + Azure Firewall
- Azure Policy + tagging governance
- Bicep / Terraform infrastructure as code
Azure Migration
Assessment, wave planning, and execution — VMware-to-Azure, datacenter exits, SAP on Azure, Azure SQL replatforms, and Azure Kubernetes Service modernizations with minimal downtime.
- Azure Migrate assessments + dependency mapping
- Lift-and-shift, replatform, and refactor strategies
- Cutover orchestration with rollback plans
- Post-migration cost and performance tuning
Security & Governance
Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Sentinel SIEM, Entra ID Conditional Access, Purview DLP, and Zero Trust architectures — HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and CMMC baselines built in.
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud + Sentinel SIEM
- Entra ID Conditional Access + PIM
- Purview data loss prevention + sensitivity labels
- HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, CMMC, FINRA, GxP baselines
FinOps & Cost Optimization
FinOps audits, rightsizing, Reserved Instance planning, Spot strategy, storage tiering, and idle-resource cleanup — typical EPC audits identify 30–50% savings.
- Azure Cost Management dashboards + budgets
- Reserved Instance and Savings Plan modeling
- VM rightsizing + Spot Instance strategy
- Storage tiering + orphaned resource cleanup
Managed Services
24/7 managed Azure operations — monitoring, patching, incident response, optimization, and senior-architect escalation. Fixed-fee monthly engagements, no offshore handoff.
- 24/7 monitoring + incident response
- Azure Update Manager + patching cadence
- Continuous cost + security optimization
- Senior-architect escalation on every ticket
Azure Migration Process — 4 Phases
A repeatable, audit-defensible Azure migration methodology — proven across 6,500+ deployments and refined for 2026 enterprise workloads.
Assessment & Planning
Azure Migrate inventory, cloud readiness scoring, dependency mapping, and a costed wave plan — typically delivered in 3–4 weeks.
Landing Zone & Pilot
Enterprise-scale landing zone deployed in 4–7 days. Low-risk pilot workloads migrated to validate architecture, performance, and cost.
Production Migration
Wave-based production cutover using rehost, replatform, or refactor strategies with documented rollback plans and minimal downtime.
Optimize & Operate
Post-migration FinOps tuning, security hardening, and 24/7 managed services with senior-architect escalation.
Azure Compliance & Security
Compliance is built into the landing zone from day one — not bolted on after audit findings. EPC Group has delivered Azure deployments under all major U.S. regulatory frameworks.
HIPAA Compliance
Azure BAA, PHI encryption (at rest + in transit), Private Link isolation, Entra ID with MFA, audit logging to Azure Monitor, and quarterly risk assessments.
SOC 2 Type II
Security, availability, and confidentiality controls aligned to SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria. Continuous monitoring via Microsoft Defender and Sentinel.
FedRAMP-Aligned
Azure Government IL4 / IL5 deployments, NIST 800-53 control implementation, and continuous monitoring (ConMon) for federal and defense workloads.
GDPR & CMMC
EU data residency, GDPR data processing agreements, CMMC 2.0 Level 2/3 baselines for the defense industrial base, and FINRA / GxP for regulated industries.
Industry-Specific Azure Solutions
Deep delivery experience across the four most regulated U.S. industries — each with named senior architects who have shipped compliant Azure environments end-to-end.
Healthcare
Key Challenges
PHI protection, HIPAA compliance, legacy EHR integration, and clinical AI deployment.
EPC Group Solutions
Azure Health Data Services, HIPAA-compliant landing zones, encrypted data lakes, Purview governance, and signed Business Associate Agreements.
Financial Services
Key Challenges
SOC 2 compliance, high availability, disaster recovery, FINRA model-risk controls, and low-latency requirements.
EPC Group Solutions
Multi-region architectures, Azure Dedicated Host, ExpressRoute private connectivity, Sentinel SIEM, and SOC 2 / FINRA attestation support.
Government & Defense
Key Challenges
FedRAMP authorization, IL4 / IL5 data handling, CMMC 2.0 Level 2/3, air-gapped environments, and legacy modernization.
EPC Group Solutions
Azure Government deployment, NIST 800-53 control implementation, impact-level classification, CMMC enclave design, and continuous monitoring (ConMon).
Education
Key Challenges
FERPA compliance, HPC research computing, budget constraints, and hybrid on-premises / cloud architecture.
EPC Group Solutions
Azure for Education pricing, HPC clusters for research, Azure Lab Services, and Reserved Instance optimization for predictable workloads.
Azure Consulting FAQs
What is Microsoft Azure consulting?
Microsoft Azure consulting is the strategic and technical advisory practice of designing, migrating, securing, and operating workloads on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. A qualified Azure consultancy delivers Cloud Adoption Framework workshops, enterprise-scale landing zone design, migration assessments and execution, security and compliance baselines (HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, CMMC), FinOps cost optimization, and managed services. EPC Group has delivered Azure consulting for 29 years as a Microsoft Solutions Partner holding all six current designations.
How much do Microsoft Azure consulting services cost?
Microsoft Azure consulting rates range from $150 to $500 per hour depending on specialization. EPC Group fixed-fee accelerators start at $25,000 (assessment, landing zone, or pilot migration). Mid-size enterprise Azure migrations typically range from $50,000 to $500,000. Large enterprise migrations (1,000+ VMs, multi-datacenter exits) range from $500,000 to $2 million or more. Cost depends on workload count, compliance requirements, integration complexity, and managed-services scope.
How long does an Azure migration take?
Azure migration timelines depend on workload complexity. Simple lift-and-shift migrations of 50–100 VMs take 2–4 months. Complex replatform migrations with database modernization take 4–6 months. Large enterprise migrations of 1,000+ VMs across multiple datacenters require 9–18 months in phased waves. EPC Group uses Azure Migrate assessment tools to deliver an accurate, costed timeline within the first 3–4 weeks of any engagement.
What is an Azure landing zone?
An Azure landing zone is a pre-configured, governance-ready Azure environment that gives every subsequent workload a secure, compliant starting point. The Microsoft enterprise-scale landing zone includes management groups, hub-spoke networking with Azure Firewall and Private Link, Azure Policy assignments, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel SIEM, Entra ID Conditional Access, and Azure Monitor — all deployed via Bicep or Terraform. EPC Group deploys enterprise-scale landing zones in 4–7 days versus the 6–12-week industry norm.
How do you ensure HIPAA compliance in Azure?
HIPAA compliance in Azure requires seven controls: (1) a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Microsoft, (2) PHI encryption at rest and in transit, (3) Azure Private Link for network isolation, (4) Entra ID with MFA for all PHI-adjacent access, (5) audit logging to Azure Monitor and Log Analytics, (6) quarterly risk assessments with documented remediation, and (7) a tested incident response plan. EPC Group implements all seven from day one using Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, and Purview.
Is EPC Group a certified Microsoft Azure partner?
Yes. EPC Group is a Microsoft Solutions Partner holding all six current designations — Data & AI (Azure), Modern Work, Infrastructure (Azure), Security, Digital & App Innovation (Azure), and Business Applications. EPC Group was the oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner in North America from 2016 until Microsoft retired the program on September 30, 2022. Founder Errin O’Connor is a four-time Microsoft Press bestselling author and an original member of the Power BI Project Crescent and SharePoint Project Tahoe beta teams.
Can you reduce our existing Azure spend?
Yes. EPC Group FinOps audits typically identify 30–50% savings in established Azure environments. We target five areas: rightsizing over-provisioned VMs, Reserved Instance and Savings Plan modeling (up to 72% savings vs. pay-as-you-go), Spot Instances for batch workloads (80%+ discount), idle-resource cleanup, and storage tiering to Archive for cold data. Typical client savings: $150K–$500K annually for mid-market clients; $1M+ for large enterprises.
What is your approach to Azure disaster recovery?
EPC Group designs Azure disaster recovery using multi-region architectures with automated failover. Databases use Azure SQL geo-replication or Cosmos DB multi-region writes. VMs use Azure Site Recovery for replication and orchestrated failover. Typical RPO is 15 minutes; typical RTO is 1 hour for critical workloads. We test DR procedures quarterly with documented runbooks to ensure business continuity is real, not theoretical.
About the author and firm
EPC Group was founded in 1997 by Errin O'Connor — four-time Microsoft Press bestselling author and an original member of both the Power BI Project Crescent and SharePoint Project Tahoe beta teams. The firm holds all six current Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations and has delivered 11,000+ enterprise engagements across 70+ Fortune 500 clients.
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