Is Your Cloud Set-Up Costing You More Than It Should?

Cloud computing has changed the way businesses operate, offering flexibility, scalability, and the ability to work from almost anywhere. But many businesses in Ipswich, Suffolk and beyond are discovering something unexpected: their cloud bill is higher than it needs to be.

Not because the cloud is inherently expensive- but because the environment isn’t fully optimised.

The Hidden Costs of Cloud

Even well-managed cloud environments can accumulate hidden inefficiencies over time. Here are the most common culprits:

1. Overprovisioned Resources

It’s easy to allocate too much capacity “just to be safe,” especially during a migration.
This often results in:

• Virtual machines running far below their capacity
• Excess storage that never gets used
• High-cost performance tiers that aren’t needed day-to-day

Individually these seem small, but over months, they add up.

2. Unused or Forgotten Services

Most cloud platforms make spinning up services almost effortless- and because of that, things are often left behind.
Examples include:

• Test environments still running in the background
• Licences or add-ons that remain active after projects end
• Backup jobs that duplicate more data than necessary

This is one of the biggest contributors to creeping cloud costs.

3. Poor or Legacy Configuration

As businesses evolve, their cloud setup doesn’t always evolve with them.
Misconfigurations can include:

• Storage on the wrong tier
• Traffic routing through unnecessarily expensive paths
• Lack of automation for shutting down idle resources

Often these issues go unnoticed until a bill triggers concern.

Why Does This Happen?

Many organisations in Ipswich and Suffolk assume the cloud will automatically reduce costs, and it certainly can, but only when it’s regularly monitored and refined.

Common reasons costs spiral include:

• ‘lift and shift’ migrations where on-prem systems are copied into the cloud without resizing
• A fast-growing environment without clear ownership
• Pricing models that change over time
• New services being added but old ones never removed
• No central dashboard or cost management policies

Cloud environments aren’t static, so ongoing oversight is essential.

The Benefits of Cloud Optimisation

A well-optimised cloud environment offers more than cost savings; it supports long-term stability and operational clarity.

1. Reduced Monthly Spend

Right-sizing resources and removing unused services often leads to immediate savings- sometimes without changing performance at all.

2. Better Efficiency and Scalability

When workloads match the resources they need, systems run more smoothly and adapt more easily as demands change.

3. Improved Visibility

Clear reporting shows:

• Where your money is going
• Which services are essential
• Where adjustments will have the biggest impact

This creates more predictable budgeting.

4. Stronger Alignment With Your Business Needs

Optimisation ensures your cloud environment reflects how your business actually operates today — not how it looked during the initial migration.

How Corbel Can Support You

Many businesses across Ipswich and Suffolk come to us because cloud environments can be complex, and it’s not always clear where unnecessary costs are hiding or which services are essential.

At Corbel, we can help by:

• Reviewing your current cloud usage
• Highlighting areas where resources are under or over-utilised
• Recommending straightforward adjustments that align with how your organisation actually works
• Providing ongoing visibility so your environment stays efficient over time

Our aim is simply to ensure your cloud setup is working effectively for your business- secure, streamlined, and cost-aware.

A well-structured cloud environment shouldn’t be a mystery. Understanding how your resources are being used, and where costs can creep in, helps you make clearer, more confident decisions about the technology your business relies on every day.

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Corbel Solutions are an Ipswich based IT Support Provider who work proactively throughout Ipswich and the wider Suffolk region including Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Newmarket, Sudbury. Providing a range of IT Support Services including Cyber Security , Cloud Services,  Office 365 Support and IT Consultancy Services. To take a look at what others have had to say about us, check out our Google Review page. To find out more information or to have a chat with one of our team, feel free to give us a call on 01473 241515 or email us on info@corbel.co.uk. Or alternatively you can book in a call with one of our team members here.