Cloud Cost Optimization and FinOps
SUE reduces your cloud costs on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes—and keeps them low afterward. We analyze where your budget is going, implement the savings ourselves in collaboration with your team, and set up FinOps so that engineering, finance, and IT leadership are all aligned on the same metrics. In the analyses we’ve conducted since 2021, we’ve found average savings of between 20% and 50% on monthly bills.
To learn how cloud costs arise and how FinOps works, read our guide on reducing cloud costs.
What are the benefits of cloud optimization ?
Most organizations pay for capacity they don’t use. Gartner estimates that, on average, 29% of cloud budgets are wasted, and that estimate is rising again due to AI workloads. In Kubernetes, the gap is even wider. We often see an average CPU utilization of 8% of what clusters have available. In the analyses SUE has conducted since 2021, we found average savings of between 20% and 50%. Some of these savings can be realized immediately through cleanup, rightsizing, and procurement; the rest require adjustments to architecture or workflows.
When should you activate SUE?
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Cloud costs are rising faster than usage, and no one can explain exactly why.
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Finance wants to see costs broken down by team, product, or customer, but the costs cannot be allocated.
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After a migration, the bill ends up being higher than expected.
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AI and GPU costs are rising rapidly, and you want to get them under control before they spiral out of control.
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Your Kubernetes clusters cost much more than the applications running on them.
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You're considering switching to a different cloud or setting up your own data center because of the costs. We'll first assess what can be achieved within your current environment and what the cost of a switch would be.
What does SUE optimize ?
SUE reduces cloud costs in eight areas: compute, procurement, Kubernetes, data and storage, networking, AI and GPUs, licensing, and processes. Below are the measures we are implementing for each area.
How does SUE approach cloud optimization ?
We operate according to the principle “Show. Do together. Do yourself.”: we show you where the money is going, implement the cost savings together with your team, and ensure that your team can do it on their own afterward.
We operate in accordance with the FinOps Framework from the FinOps Foundation and the Cost Optimization pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework.
01
Analysis
We analyze costs and usage by account, service, and workload, as well as architecture and procurement agreements.
02
Setting Priorities
For each measure, we determine the savings, effort, and risk. We align procurement commitments with your roadmap so that you don’t commit to capacity you won’t need later on.
03
Implement
Our cloud engineers carry out the optimizations themselves, from cleanup and rightsizing to architectural adjustments. We implement every change in a controlled manner, with a fallback option.
04
Ensuring Security with FinOps
We set up cost allocation, budgets, alerts, and a regular review cycle, while transferring knowledge to your team. If desired, this can be provided as a managed service through Agentic FinOps: AI agents that identify anomalies and suggest optimizations, which are then reviewed by a engineer .
Cloud Cost Optimization Assessment
The Cloud Cost Optimization Assessment shows you what savings are possible within a week. You’ll receive:
- A breakdown of costs by account, service, and team;
- A list of measures, organized by savings, effort, and risk;
- Guidance on purchasing obligations (coverage and term);
- A FinOps Plan for Your Organization: Roles, KPIs, and Review Frequency.
"Their expertise in AWS was nothing short of amazing."
Modernize the code. Optimize the cloud. Run the platform.
SUE Cloud Native Solutions is a Dutch cloud-native solutions partner that modernizes mission-critical applications, reduces cloud costs, and manages your platform. Specialists in Linux, Kubernetes, and the cloud.
29+
Years Experience
150+
Engineers and consultants
1.150+
Certifications
500+
Projects
75+
Research papersFrequently Asked Questions About Cloud Optimization at SUE
All frequently asked questionsQuick wins—such as decluttering, rightsizing, and decommissioning test environments—often show up on the bottom line within a few weeks. At Colect, the first savings were realized within a month. Architecture changes take more time, so we implement them in phases.
Not if you understand the risks associated with each measure. The provider can reduce spot capacity, and Kubernetes requests that are too tight can lead to throttling or OOM kills. That’s why we assess the risk of each measure, test changes, and implement them in consultation with the team. Often, performance actually improves because resources are better aligned with usage.
Yes. The approach is the same; the tools and procurement models vary by cloud. We include multi-cloud environments, Kubernetes clusters, and AI workloads in the same analysis.
Not necessarily. You can gain a lot of insight from the tools that AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer as standard, and all three provide cost data in the FOCUS format. Additional tools are especially worthwhile when dealing with multiple clouds, Kubernetes, or SaaS costs. We’ll recommend what’s right for your organization’s size.
Discuss your situation with an expert
Discuss your situation with an expert
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