The world of software development is rapidly changing. More and more companies are adopting DevOps practices to improve collaboration, increase deployment frequency, and deliver higher-quality software. However, implementing DevOps can be challenging without the right people, processes, and tools. This is where DevOps managed services providers can help.
Choosing the right DevOps partner is crucial to maximizing DevOps’s benefits at your organization. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about selecting the best DevOps managed services provider for your needs.
What are DevOps Managed Services?
DevOps managed services provide ongoing management, support, and expertise to help organizations implement DevOps practices. A managed services provider (MSP) becomes an extension of your team, handling tasks like:
- Automating infrastructure provisioning
- Configuring deployment pipelines
- Managing logs and monitoring
- Providing DevOps coaching and adoption guidance
- Supplying specialized skills (security, compliance, etc.)
This removes the burden of building in-house DevOps competency. It lets your engineers focus on delivering business value instead of struggling with new tools and processes.
Benefits of Using DevOps Managed Services
Here are some of the main reasons to leverage an MSP to assist your DevOps transformation:
Accelerate Time-to-Market
A mature MSP has developed accelerators and blueprints based on years of project experience. This allows them to rapidly stand up CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure, and other solutions. You’ll be able to deploy code faster.
Increase Efficiency
MSPs scale across clients, allowing them to create reusable frameworks, scripts, and integrations for data warehouse services, for example. By leveraging this pooled knowledge, you avoid “reinventing the wheel,” which gets your team more done.
Augment Internal Capabilities
Most IT teams struggle to hire DevOps talent. Engaging an MSP gives you instant access to specialized skills like site reliability engineering (SRE), security hardening, and compliance automation.
Gain Expertise
Most companies are still learning DevOps. An MSP provides advisory services based on what works well across its broad client base, helping you adopt best practices instead of making mistakes.
Reduce Cost
While the exact savings will vary, research shows DevOps and managed services can reduce costs through fewer defects, improved efficiency, and optimized infrastructure usage.
Key Factors to Consider
Choosing the right MSP gives you the greatest chance of success. However, evaluating providers can seem overwhelming, given the diversity of services available. Here are the 5 criteria to focus on:
1. DevOps Experience and Maturity
Confirm that the provider has real-world expertise, specifically in DevOps engagements. Ask questions such as:
- How long have they offered DevOps-managed services?
- How many clients have they assisted with DevOps improvements?
- Can they share case studies and client references?
They can guide your organization on the DevOps journey if you want confidence.
Also, examine their internal DevOps maturity. An MSP that “walks the talk” by using DevOps practices in their operations is better positioned to help instill those disciplines in your teams.
2. People, Process, and Tools
A quality MSP considers all three pillars of DevOps success:
People – They have strong technical talent in place and provide training to address any skill gaps. Cultural change is considered part of any engagement.
Process – They enforce proven frameworks for infrastructure management, CI/CD, metrics gathering, etc. But also customize it to your environment vs. taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Tools – They have preferred platforms and toolchains based on experience. But integrate well with your existing investments vs. demanding wholesale changes.
Aligning an MSP across people, processes, and tools ensures a smooth partnership.
3. Delivery Model and Location
Understand how the MSP prefers to deliver services:
- On-site – Providing resources at your office that work closely with your teams
- Remote – Staff work from the MSP’s delivery centers with scheduled interactions
- Hybrid – Mix of on-site and remote staff
If you have on-site personnel, also consider geographic proximity. An MSP with a delivery center nearby can rotate staff more easily.
Most MSPs are flexible to align with what works best for a client. Be clear on communication and availability expectations upfront.
4. Security and Compliance Expertise
Today, DevOps and security should go hand-in-hand. Evaluate how much security knowledge the provider brings to the table. Relevant capabilities can include:
- Secure infrastructure configuration and hardening
- Security testing automation in CI/CD pipelines
- Vulnerability scanning, remediation, and reporting
- Compliance automation for standards like SOC2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, etc.
Not all clients require advanced security skills. However, given increasing regulatory demands, an MSP that offers broader experience can provide long-term value.
5. Cloud vs On-Premises Support
Many DevOps initiatives – particularly when starting – focus on the public cloud, given cloud platforms’ automation capabilities.
However, most enterprises take a hybrid approach, leveraging both on-premises and public cloud. Be clear if you need an MSP able to support:
- Cloud-only – Services focused on AWS, Azure, GCP, or other hyperscalers
- On-premises/private cloud – Expertise with virtualization platforms (VMware, OpenStack), on-premises infrastructure
- Hybrid – Holistic services spanning both public cloud and on-prem environments
The required mix of cloud vs. on-prem support should factor into provider selection.
Engagement Models for DevOps Managed Services
MSPs offer varying ways clients can procure their DevOps expertise:
Staff Augmentation
Add skilled DevOps consultants to your team for a fixed time period (typically 3-6 months). This works well to fill immediate talent gaps.
Project Based
Engage an MSP for a specific initiative, such as building a CI/CD pipeline for a business-critical application. Clear the scope and deliverables.
Ongoing Managed Services
Retain an MSP to provide ongoing DevOps support under a longer-term (1+ year) contract. More strategic partnerships where MSP metrics and incentives align with client goals.
Hybrid Approaches
Blend staff augmentation, project work, and managed services. Provides flexibility to get quick wins while building long-term capabilities.
Evaluate which model (or combination) suits your requirements and budget.
Overview of Top Managed Service Providers
The market for DevOps-managed services features a wide range of global systems integrators, niche specialists, regional firms, and digital transformation agencies.
Here is a sampling of leading options across various categories:
Langate
- Offers complete DevOps solutions, including CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and automated testing
- Expertise with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud allows easy conversions and optimizations
- Provides customized service agreements to achieve business goals for each firm
Accenture
- Global SI with extensive DevOps consulting experience
- Offers Cloud Native Development studio to build cloud-based apps rapidly
- Develops custom software for specialized client needs
- Broad security, compliance, and SRE capabilities
Cognizant
- Global technology services firm supporting major cloud migrations
- Skilled with CI/CD automation, infrastructure as code, and data/ML pipelines
- DevOps Competency Center helps clients instill cultural change
- Partner with leading tool vendors like HashiCorp, Datadog, and AWS
Wipro
- Global technology consultancy with a large DevOps practice
- Significant experience with regulated industries like Financial Services and Healthcare
- End-to-end model spanning people change management through platform implementation
- Onshore/offshore delivery capabilities
EPAM
- Focus on software engineering services and digital transformation
- High level of automation expertise around testing, infrastructure provisioning, compliance
- Experience with embedded systems and the Internet of Things
- Nearshore Agile Pods provide integrated teams for clients
Advanced Technology Consulting
- The boutique firm focused purely on DevOps, SRE, and Cloud-Native consulting
- Deep expertise in Kubernetes, containerization, and open-source tooling
- Named official training partner by Kubernetes Solutions Provider Program
- The lean delivery model provides senior-level attention
ClearScale
- AWS-native specialist supporting cloud migrations and modernization
- Skilled with infrastructure as code, container platform configuration, and microservices patterns
- Launch Acceleration Bundles provide fixed-fee access to reference architectures
- Named an official AWS Managed Service Provider
This sampling shows the diversity of options and demonstrates key commonalities, such as automation skills, CI/CD expertise, and experience driving cultural change.
As you evaluate providers, develop a shortlist of 2-3 options that seem best aligned. Then, further validation will be made through detailed discovery conversations and proposal walkthroughs.
A Framework for Comparing Providers
With so many aspects to examine, it helps to use a scorecard to track your assessment as you engage potential DevOps MSPs:
| Criteria | Weight | Provider 1 | Provider 2 | Provider 3 |
| Years of Experience | 10% | |||
| Client References/Case Studies | 15% | |||
| Delivery Locations | 10% | |||
| Cultural Change Methodology | 15% | |||
| Security and Compliance Capabilities | 10% | |||
| Public Cloud Skills | 15% | |||
| On-Premises Infrastructure Expertise | 15% | |||
| Budget Fit | 10% | |||
| Total Score | 100% |
Customize categories and weighting based on your priorities. Scoring forces clearer decisions compared to general impressions. Share the framework with stakeholders to build consensus on the optimal DevOps partner selection.
Key Takeaways
- DevOps managed services provide experience and skills to accelerate capability building
- Choosing the right MSP drives better DevOps outcomes
- Look for proven experience, technical breadth, delivery model alignment, and cultural fit
- A wide range of providers exist – from global consultants to niche specialists
- Approach comparisons systematically using a scorecard framework
- The best MSP becomes a seamless extension of your team
With these steps, you’re well-positioned to choose DevOps-managed services for your organization and use cases. Partnering with the top provider fuels transformation success.
