FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Get your answers below, or talk directly to our founders.
- Yes, and it works both ways. Many clients have an internal team that lacks specific expertise or bandwidth, and we work alongside them to close that gap. Others prefer for us to own the engagement fully from start to finish. Either way, we scope the relationship to fit your setup, including a proper handover if and when you want to take things fully in-house.
- Europe is our primary market, with particular depth in fintech. That said, we take on selected engagements in the US and Asia when the challenge is interesting and delivery conditions make sense.
- Yes, when it makes sense. We are remote-first by default but we travel for workshops, critical delivery phases, and situations where being in the room genuinely moves things forward faster.
- Not as a primary service. Our focus is the infrastructure and platform layer, cloud foundations, governance, migration, and architecture. Application development sits outside our core scope, though our work often enables and accelerates your development teams.
- It is built into how we work, not something we bolt on at the end. We document as we go, build runbooks your team can actually use, and make sure the operating model we leave behind is something your engineers can own and run confidently. When an engagement wraps up, we do not just disappear, handover is a proper part of the process, not an afterthought.
- Our strongest fit is companies with real budget for platform maturity, typically where security, scale, or compliance pressure is starting to bite. That said, as AWS partners we are also able to support early-stage startups through startup credit programs, so a promising early team should not hesitate to reach out either.
- Yes. Most engagements have a natural next phase, whether that is stewardship, a follow-on workstream, or periodic advisory. We are not a one-and-done shop. That said, we are not a 24/7 managed support provider by default. If ongoing involvement makes sense for your situation we will discuss it as part of the engagement.
- Yes. We work across AWS, Azure, and on-premise infrastructure, which means we can support hybrid and multi-cloud setups without needing to force everything into a single provider.
- The kick-off meeting is a free 45 minute online call with our founders. No sales pitch, no account managers. We use the time to understand your current situation, your challenges, and what you are trying to achieve. You will leave with a clear sense of whether and how we can help, and what a potential next step would look like.
- We are primarily a founder-led boutique cloud engineering company focused on outcomes, not headcount. Our core work is building, fixing, and advising on cloud foundations for regulated environments, with clear scope and accountability. While we occasionally support clients in other ways, staff augmentation and body shopping are not what we do best, or what we want to be known for.
- Yes, with an important distinction. We are not a compliance or certification firm, but our cloud foundations are built to comply from the start. We have experience at every stage of the compliance journey, from greenfield infrastructure built for audit readiness to supporting companies already operating under DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, FCA/PRA, and other regulated frameworks. Where formal certification support is needed, we work with dedicated compliance partners to cover the full picture.
- With a large consultancy you get process, account managers, and a rotating cast of engineers. With Plectrum you get direct access to senior engineers and founders who are hands-on from day one. We stay intentionally small so every engagement gets our best people, not whoever is available. We also bring a focused specialism, secure cloud foundations for regulated industries, rather than a catalogue of generic services.
- We build and fix the technical setup a company runs its software on in the cloud, things like accounts, networking, security, and how systems are monitored and backed up. Think of it as the plumbing and wiring behind your product. When it is done right, nobody notices it. When it is done wrong, it becomes a serious problem, especially for companies that get audited or operate in regulated industries.
- You do not need one, but it usually helps. A partner like us brings hands-on experience building and fixing cloud setups every day, plus practical benefits like discounts, credits, and direct access to AWS or Azure's own specialists. You still own your AWS or Azure account, we just help you get more out of it, faster and with fewer costly mistakes.
- Yes, this often comes down to the same thing we already do, secure, scalable, and audit-ready cloud foundations that support whatever workloads you run on them, AI included. Get in touch and we can talk specifics.
- Yes. We hold AWS Select Partner status, which reflects our technical certifications, delivery track record, and adherence to AWS best practices.
- Often, yes. Through our AWS partnership we can support proof-of-concept credits for new initiatives, startup credit programmes for early-stage companies, and migration funding via AWS MAP. Which of these applies depends on your situation. Full detail is on our AWS page (link).
- We can act as your AWS reseller. You keep the same services, the same accounts, and the same architecture, but your running costs come in up to 5% lower than buying direct. Nothing about what you actually use changes.
- That is how we build. Our AWS foundations work follows the Well-Architected Framework by default, so what we deliver is legible to your own engineers and to AWS's tooling without a translation step.
- Both. Your day-to-day is with our team, and our partnership opens a direct line to AWS's own architects, account managers, and specialists when a question needs them. No generic support queue in between.
- Yes. We hold Azure Cloud Solutions Provider status, which reflects our technical certifications, delivery track record, and adherence to Microsoft's partner standards.
- That is how we build. Our Azure foundations work follows the Cloud Adoption Framework by default, so what we deliver is legible to your own engineers and to Microsoft's tooling without a translation step.
- We can act as your Azure reseller. You keep the same services, the same subscriptions, and the same architecture, but your running costs come in up to 5% lower than buying direct. Nothing about what you actually use changes.
- Both. Starting fresh or moving existing workloads, we cover the whole path: Cloud Foundations first, then Cloud Migration, then ongoing Principal Advisory. For larger transformations we can also route you toward funding and support through the Frontier Accelerate for Azure programme.
- Both. Your day-to-day is with our team, and our partnership opens a direct line to Microsoft's own architects, account managers, and specialists when a question needs them. No generic support queue in between.
- No. Many clients start partway through, whether foundations are already in place, a migration is underway, or an audit is approaching. We scope the stages you actually need.
- That is typically where Advisory begins. Once foundations are built and migration is done, new priorities usually surface, roadmap planning, audit readiness, scaling decisions. Advisory is the ongoing collaboration that picks up from there.
- That is completely fine. Every step in the framework delivers a specific, standalone outcome, whether that is a scoped plan, a finished architecture, or a working migration. You can pause or end the engagement at any point without being left with something half-built.
- Yes. The six-step framework applies the same way regardless of your underlying infrastructure, whether that is AWS, Azure, on-premise, or a mix. Only the specific tools and services change depending on your setup.
- Yes, and it works both ways. Many clients have an internal team that lacks specific expertise or bandwidth, and we work alongside them to close that gap. Others prefer for us to own the engagement fully from start to finish. Either way, we scope the relationship to fit your setup, including a proper handover if and when you want to take things fully in-house.
- Europe is our primary market, with particular depth in fintech. That said, we take on selected engagements in the US and Asia when the challenge is interesting and delivery conditions make sense.
- Yes, when it makes sense. We are remote-first by default but we travel for workshops, critical delivery phases, and situations where being in the room genuinely moves things forward faster.
- Not as a primary service. Our focus is the infrastructure and platform layer, cloud foundations, governance, migration, and architecture. Application development sits outside our core scope, though our work often enables and accelerates your development teams.
- It is built into how we work, not something we bolt on at the end. We document as we go, build runbooks your team can actually use, and make sure the operating model we leave behind is something your engineers can own and run confidently. When an engagement wraps up, we do not just disappear, handover is a proper part of the process, not an afterthought.
- Our strongest fit is companies with real budget for platform maturity, typically where security, scale, or compliance pressure is starting to bite. That said, as AWS partners we are also able to support early-stage startups through startup credit programs, so a promising early team should not hesitate to reach out either.
- Yes. Most engagements have a natural next phase, whether that is stewardship, a follow-on workstream, or periodic advisory. We are not a one-and-done shop. That said, we are not a 24/7 managed support provider by default. If ongoing involvement makes sense for your situation we will discuss it as part of the engagement.
- Yes. We work across AWS, Azure, and on-premise infrastructure, which means we can support hybrid and multi-cloud setups without needing to force everything into a single provider.
- The kick-off meeting is a free 45 minute online call with our founders. No sales pitch, no account managers. We use the time to understand your current situation, your challenges, and what you are trying to achieve. You will leave with a clear sense of whether and how we can help, and what a potential next step would look like.
- We are primarily a founder-led boutique cloud engineering company focused on outcomes, not headcount. Our core work is building, fixing, and advising on cloud foundations for regulated environments, with clear scope and accountability. While we occasionally support clients in other ways, staff augmentation and body shopping are not what we do best, or what we want to be known for.
- Yes, with an important distinction. We are not a compliance or certification firm, but our cloud foundations are built to comply from the start. We have experience at every stage of the compliance journey, from greenfield infrastructure built for audit readiness to supporting companies already operating under DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, FCA/PRA, and other regulated frameworks. Where formal certification support is needed, we work with dedicated compliance partners to cover the full picture.
- With a large consultancy you get process, account managers, and a rotating cast of engineers. With Plectrum you get direct access to senior engineers and founders who are hands-on from day one. We stay intentionally small so every engagement gets our best people, not whoever is available. We also bring a focused specialism, secure cloud foundations for regulated industries, rather than a catalogue of generic services.
- We build and fix the technical setup a company runs its software on in the cloud, things like accounts, networking, security, and how systems are monitored and backed up. Think of it as the plumbing and wiring behind your product. When it is done right, nobody notices it. When it is done wrong, it becomes a serious problem, especially for companies that get audited or operate in regulated industries.
- You do not need one, but it usually helps. A partner like us brings hands-on experience building and fixing cloud setups every day, plus practical benefits like discounts, credits, and direct access to AWS or Azure's own specialists. You still own your AWS or Azure account, we just help you get more out of it, faster and with fewer costly mistakes.
- Yes, this often comes down to the same thing we already do, secure, scalable, and audit-ready cloud foundations that support whatever workloads you run on them, AI included. Get in touch and we can talk specifics.
- Yes. We hold AWS Select Partner status, which reflects our technical certifications, delivery track record, and adherence to AWS best practices.
- Often, yes. Through our AWS partnership we can support proof-of-concept credits for new initiatives, startup credit programmes for early-stage companies, and migration funding via AWS MAP. Which of these applies depends on your situation. Full detail is on our AWS page (link).
- We can act as your AWS reseller. You keep the same services, the same accounts, and the same architecture, but your running costs come in up to 5% lower than buying direct. Nothing about what you actually use changes.
- That is how we build. Our AWS foundations work follows the Well-Architected Framework by default, so what we deliver is legible to your own engineers and to AWS's tooling without a translation step.
- Both. Your day-to-day is with our team, and our partnership opens a direct line to AWS's own architects, account managers, and specialists when a question needs them. No generic support queue in between.
- Yes. We hold Azure Cloud Solutions Provider status, which reflects our technical certifications, delivery track record, and adherence to Microsoft's partner standards.
- That is how we build. Our Azure foundations work follows the Cloud Adoption Framework by default, so what we deliver is legible to your own engineers and to Microsoft's tooling without a translation step.
- We can act as your Azure reseller. You keep the same services, the same subscriptions, and the same architecture, but your running costs come in up to 5% lower than buying direct. Nothing about what you actually use changes.
- Both. Starting fresh or moving existing workloads, we cover the whole path: Cloud Foundations first, then Cloud Migration, then ongoing Principal Advisory. For larger transformations we can also route you toward funding and support through the Frontier Accelerate for Azure programme.
- Both. Your day-to-day is with our team, and our partnership opens a direct line to Microsoft's own architects, account managers, and specialists when a question needs them. No generic support queue in between.
- No. Many clients start partway through, whether foundations are already in place, a migration is underway, or an audit is approaching. We scope the stages you actually need.
- That is typically where Advisory begins. Once foundations are built and migration is done, new priorities usually surface, roadmap planning, audit readiness, scaling decisions. Advisory is the ongoing collaboration that picks up from there.
- That is completely fine. Every step in the framework delivers a specific, standalone outcome, whether that is a scoped plan, a finished architecture, or a working migration. You can pause or end the engagement at any point without being left with something half-built.
- Yes. The six-step framework applies the same way regardless of your underlying infrastructure, whether that is AWS, Azure, on-premise, or a mix. Only the specific tools and services change depending on your setup.
Get in Touch
45 min
kick-of meeting
free
Talk Directly with the Founders
No pitch, no account managers. Just an honest conversation about your cloud infrastructure.
