EPC Group vs Slalom — Microsoft Consulting Comparison for Mid-Enterprise & Fortune 500 Buyers
Both firms are Microsoft consulting specialists. Both hold Microsoft Solutions Partner status. Both have Fortune 500 references. The choice between them is a delivery-model and platform-focus question, not a Microsoft capability question.
Delivery model
EPC Group runs a senior-architect-led delivery model. The same 20+ year Microsoft veteran who scopes the engagement designs it and hands off to a lean implementation crew. Every named architect on an EPC Group SOW has authored or contributed to reference architectures Microsoft engineering peer-reviews.
Slalom runs a local-market build-and-run model. The firm staffs from local metros (Seattle HQ, plus Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Boston, San Francisco, London, Toronto, and 40+ others), pairs consultants with account teams inside those markets, and delivers via a build-and-run playbook that emphasizes coaching internal teams over hand-off delivery. Slalom Build delivers custom cloud engineering across multiple cloud platforms.
Platform focus
EPC Group is 100% Microsoft-focused Since 1997. The founder was on the original SharePoint (Project Tahoe) and Power BI (Project Crescent) beta teams and is a bestselling Microsoft technology author (Microsoft Press and Sams/Pearson). All six current Solutions Partner Designations. 6,500+ SharePoint implementations, 1,500+ Power BI deployments, 500+ Fabric implementations.
Slalom holds Microsoft Solutions Partner status and has a substantial Microsoft practice — but the firm's total portfolio spans Azure + AWS + GCP + Salesforce + Snowflake + custom cloud engineering via Slalom Build. For buyers who value multi-cloud coverage with Microsoft as one option, Slalom fits. For buyers who want the deepest Microsoft-only bench, EPC Group is the specialist.
Pricing
EPC Group publishes fixed-fee accelerator prices: $15,000 Copilot Readiness Assessment, $25,000 Power BI Quick-Start, $25,000 Microsoft 365 Security Hardening, $35,000 SharePoint Migration Accelerator, $40,000 Azure Landing Zone, $75,000 AI Governance Framework, plus a $6,500-$35,000/month Managed Microsoft Services retainer. Larger enterprise programs are scoped after discovery. EPC Group does not publish hourly rates.
Slalom is predominantly time-and-materials or custom-scoped SOWs sized to the specific engagement. Both firms scope large enterprise programs after discovery. For a bounded outcome, EPC Group's fixed fee is more predictable. For a multi-workstream Fortune 100 program spanning multiple metros, Slalom's model matches the shape of the work.
Sector specialization
EPC Group runs the compliance patterns as the default posture: HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, CJIS, StateRAMP, FINRA, SEC Rule 17a-4, CMMC 2.0, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GxP, NERC CIP, FERPA. 70+ Fortune 500 clients concentrated in healthcare, financial services, federal, energy, and life sciences.
Slalom serves nearly every vertical globally with strong practices in retail/CPG, healthcare, financial services, technology, energy, and public sector. Slalom's sector expertise is broad and local-market-informed. EPC Group's is deep and compliance-informed.
When to pick each
Pick Slalom if:
- Fortune 100 program spanning multiple metros where local-market delivery is a procurement requirement.
- Multi-cloud engagement blending Azure + AWS + GCP + Salesforce + Snowflake in the same program.
- Coaching-heavy build-and-run partner that transfers ownership to internal teams over multi-year.
- Existing Slalom MSA or preferred vendor list makes adding scope inside the relationship low-friction.
Pick EPC Group if:
- You want the deepest Microsoft-only ecosystem bench — Since 1997, all six Solutions Partner Designations, Microsoft Press author leadership.
- You want published fixed-fee accelerator prices for bounded outcomes.
- You are in a compliance-heavy vertical and want the default-posture team.
- You want a firm with 11,000+ enterprise engagements, 216+ M&A tenant migrations, and North America's oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner heritage without a multi-metro overhead layer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental firm-type difference between EPC Group and Slalom?
Both are Microsoft consulting specialists. Both are Microsoft Solutions Partners. Both have Fortune 500 references. The structural difference is Slalom's local-market build-and-run model — Slalom staffs from local metros (Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Boston, San Francisco, London, Toronto, etc.), pairs consultants with account teams inside those markets, and delivers via a build-and-run playbook that emphasizes coaching internal teams over hand-off delivery. EPC Group runs a senior-architect-led delivery model — every engagement is led by a senior architect with 20+ year Microsoft stack depth, lean crew below, fixed-fee accelerators for bounded outcomes. Slalom's model scales to Fortune 100 accounts across multi-market footprints; EPC Group's model produces faster time-to-decision and lower fixed costs for regulated mid-enterprise buyers who want the architect on the whiteboard.
On Microsoft ecosystem depth, what is the practical difference?
EPC Group is 100% Microsoft-focused since 1997 of continuous Microsoft ecosystem consulting: 6,500+ SharePoint implementations, 1,500+ Power BI deployments, Microsoft Fabric implementations at enterprise scale, original SharePoint (Project Tahoe) and Power BI (Project Crescent) beta team involvement, all six current Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations, founder is a bestselling Microsoft technology author. Slalom has a substantial Microsoft practice — the firm is a Microsoft Solutions Partner and holds multiple Microsoft awards, and Slalom Build delivers custom cloud engineering including on Azure. But Slalom's total practice spans AWS, GCP, Salesforce, Snowflake, and other cloud/data stacks. For buyers who want the deepest Microsoft-only bench, EPC Group is the specialist. For buyers who value Slalom's build-quality and local presence across a broader cloud portfolio, Slalom fits.
On pricing, what is the practical difference?
EPC Group publishes fixed-fee accelerators for common engagement patterns: Copilot Readiness Assessment ($15,000), Power BI Quick-Start ($25,000), Microsoft 365 Security Hardening ($25,000), SharePoint Migration Accelerator ($35,000), Azure Landing Zone ($40,000), AI Governance Framework ($75,000) — plus a Managed Microsoft Services retainer ($6,500-$35,000/month) and prepaid Consulting Blocks. Slalom is predominantly time-and-materials or scoped SOWs sized to the specific engagement. Both firms scope larger enterprise programs after discovery. For a bounded outcome (a specific accelerator, a specific migration wave, a specific Copilot rescue), EPC Group's fixed fee is more predictable. For a multi-workstream Fortune 100 program spanning multiple metros, Slalom's model matches the shape of the work. EPC Group does not publish hourly rates.
On sector specialization, what is the practical difference?
EPC Group runs the compliance patterns as the default posture: HIPAA (healthcare), SOC 2 (financial services), FedRAMP + CJIS + StateRAMP (government), FINRA + SEC Rule 17a-4 (banking), CMMC 2.0 (defense), FDA 21 CFR Part 11 + GxP (life sciences), NERC CIP (energy), FERPA (higher ed). 70+ Fortune 500 clients concentrated in regulated verticals. Slalom serves nearly every vertical globally with strong practices in retail/CPG, healthcare, financial services, technology, energy, and public sector. Slalom's sector expertise is broad and local-market-informed. EPC Group's is deep and compliance-informed. For heavily regulated work (HIPAA/SR 11-7/FedRAMP/GxP/NERC CIP/CJIS), EPC Group's default-posture team fits better. For broad-vertical Fortune 100 work benefiting from local-market presence, Slalom fits.
When would a buyer pick Slalom over EPC Group?
Four scenarios: (1) The buyer is a Fortune 100 organization with headcount concentrated across multiple metros where Slalom has established local practices, and local-market delivery is a procurement requirement. (2) The buyer values Slalom Build for custom cloud application engineering that spans Azure + AWS + GCP (Microsoft is one platform among several in the engagement). (3) The buyer wants a coaching-heavy build-and-run partner that transfers ownership to internal teams over a multi-year program. (4) The buyer already has Slalom on a preferred vendor list or existing MSA and adding scope inside that relationship is a lower friction path than standing up a new vendor.
When would a buyer pick EPC Group over Slalom?
Four scenarios: (1) The buyer wants the deepest Microsoft-only ecosystem bench — Continuous Microsoft consulting since 1997, Microsoft Press author leadership, original SharePoint / Power BI beta team involvement, and all six current Solutions Partner Designations. (2) The buyer wants fixed-fee accelerators with bounded scopes for bounded outcomes rather than T&M or custom-scoped SOWs. (3) The buyer is in a compliance-heavy vertical (healthcare, financial services, federal, energy, life sciences) and wants the delivery team that has run those regulatory patterns hundreds of times as its default posture. (4) The buyer wants a firm with 11,000+ enterprise engagements, 216+ M&A tenant migrations moving 1.83 million users (2023-2025), and North America's oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner heritage — delivered by senior architects on every SOW.
Do EPC Group and Slalom directly compete on Microsoft engagements?
Yes, in mid-enterprise and Fortune 500 Microsoft consulting shortlists. When they show up in the same procurement, the choice typically comes down to: (a) whether the buyer values Microsoft-only depth (EPC Group) or broader multi-cloud coverage (Slalom); (b) whether the buyer wants fixed-fee bounded outcomes (EPC Group) or T&M/scoped-SOW flexibility (Slalom); (c) whether local-market presence is a procurement requirement (Slalom advantage); (d) whether the vertical is compliance-heavy enough to prefer default-posture delivery (EPC Group advantage).
Talk to a senior architect
If you are actively evaluating EPC Group vs Slalom for a specific engagement, the fastest path is a 30-minute discovery call with a senior EPC Group architect. We will tell you honestly which firm fits your shape of work.
Email contact@epcgroup.net or call 888-381-9725.
North America's oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner (2000 until Microsoft retired the program in 2022) — today holding all six Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations.