Partnering with technology specialists to optimize Azure environments for their clients

Sometimes even experts need experts. There are so many niche specialties that even technology companies doing similar work on the surface will need to tap each other for complementary skills. Service providers working together is more common than you may think — and is often the best way to ensure clients get exactly what they need.

When we get an opportunity to work alongside another respected service provider like PSD Solutions, we don’t take it lightly. They trust us to work with their clients and deliver a level of service that matches their own. It’s an opportunity for us to prove we can match the best of them, and to put our technical bonafides to the test of fellow experts.

“Deft provides us with peace of mind”

Howard Simon

Managing Partner, PSD Solutions

Why PSD Solutions and Deft are complementary, not competitors

On paper, PSD Solutions and Deft are in the same line of work. We both help businesses transform with technology. That can mean a whole world of things, however. To do what’s best for our clients, we both have had to specialize in the things we do best. In practice, it means there’s very little overlap between our two businesses, and a lot of opportunities to help each other.

PSD Solutions had been investing aggressively in Azure environments since 2014 in response to client requests. The team could meet those needs, but wanted to take it to the next level. Those slight optimizations, plus staying on top of all of the Azure platform developments, required a Trusted Advisor. And while Azure offers support, it couldn’t provide PSD with the strategic consulting required.

To unlock that last bit of potential, they reached out to us. Deft and PSD Solutions had worked together in the past, and PSD knew we could be trusted to bring complementary skills at a matching level of service. 

Migrating legacy technology to a new Azure Services environment

PSD Solutions had been running a mission-critical application on Azure virtual servers since 2014. When the client wanted to migrate the Azure virtual servers to managed Azure services, PSD knew it needed a strategic partner to design and configure the optimal system.

Our job at Deft was to find every potential weak spot, vulnerability and inefficiency. By going through the environment with a fine-toothed comb and armed with the knowledge that comes from managing numerous, complex Azure environments, we were able to give PSD Solutions and its client the peace of mind to move forward.  

“The discovery phase with Deft was awesome. It was like a deposition; it was very hands-on. Working with the team, they just knew the stuff. We collaborated together on implementation and on closing the project. They brought their expertise on Azure and got us where we needed to be.”

Howard Simon

Managing Partner, PSD Solutions

Matching our skills to PSD Solutions’ speed

During the discussions of partnering together, PSD Solutions mentioned there was a sense of urgency in getting this work done. We explained to them that we could start quickly. 

They said they were available to start tomorrow. 

So we did. 

“We knew there was stuff that we didn’t know. And we were looking for a resource that we could work with directly. So we called Deft.”

Howard Simon

Managing Partner, PSD Solutions

We put together all of our documentation and extended a scope of work to them within 24 hours. Having the skills is one thing. At Deft, our job is to use those skills to help our clients do what they need to, when they need to. With PSD Solutions, that meant jumping right into an engagement. We worked together on discovery, keeping total transparency and a steady flow of knowledge throughout. 

Speed, trust and expertise secured our relationship with PSD Solutions

PSD Solutions follows the same process for all its engagements: Meet, Plan, Build. So that’s what we did — at speed.  

Our Azure experts were able to quickly sync with the PSD Solutions team, learn what they were hoping to accomplish and assess what would need to change to get them there. Working with PSD’s team of technical operators and developers sped the process up, since we all spoke a shared language and approached problems with a shared framework. Throughout the partnership, we worked closely together. We were able to benefit from the PSD team’s understanding of its technical goals, and we were able to show them the tools and tricks they’d need to optimize their environments going forward. 

Not only did we work quickly. We also documented everything. We wanted to leave the PSD team with everything they’d need to understand and reproduce the work going forward. Leaving them with pages of text specific to their solution set proactively answered the questions PSD didn’t know to ask, and inspired confidence going forward. 

Working with PSD Solutions to make Azure secure for the future

After the engagement with us, PSD Solution was able to improve the uptime, scalability and security of its Azure environment, meeting client needs proactively. With more companies considering Azure for their applications, it was the right time to get PSD Solutions’ environment into the shape needed to scale them. 

Deep collaboration between the Deft team and PSD Solutions was the crucial element that led to such positive results. When we take on a client, it really is a partnership, whether it’s another technology service provider or a business in an entirely different industry. With PSD Solutions, that meant collaborating closely with their team, trading information and ultimately leaving them in a position to carry the work forward on their own. 

“We’re using AWS in our manufacturing environment. That isn’t something we had anticipated — it’s something new Deft brought to the table. It’s made our manufacturing facility a lot more efficient, which was an unexpected benefit.”

Howard Simon

Managing Partner, PSD Solutions