AWS, Azure, Google Cloud… Or Is There a Better Alternative?

The Journey So Far

In the pursuit of cost efficiency, many organisations have followed a similar path:

1. Transitioning from physical servers to virtual machines (VMs).
2. Then shifting those VMs from on-premises infrastructure to public cloud providers.

Note: VMs are virtual servers; hosts are the physical machines that run them.

Step 1: Benefits of Virtualisation

• Cost & Energy Efficiency: Maximise existing hardware without major new investments.
• Reduced Downtime: Live migration and fault tolerance minimise service disruption.
• Improved Disaster Recovery: VMs can be easily backed up and restored.
• Agility: Rapidly deploy new systems using preconfigured templates.

Step 2: Benefits of Cloud Hosting

• Pay-as-you-go: Pay only for what you use.
• Scalability: Instantly scale up or down as demand changes.
• Access to Expertise: Benefit from providers’ large technical teams.
• Security: Often promoted as superior to on-premise systems.

While these benefits sound appealing, not all are as they seem. For instance, cloud security is often marketed as superior — yet in practice, it can be weaker due to larger attack surfaces and the loss of data sovereignty — and with it, direct control.

The Bigger Picture: UK Gov’s Choices

The UK Government has often prioritised short-term savings over supporting local industry and safeguarding national sovereignty:

• UKCloud: 250 skilled jobs lost when hosting contracts went overseas.
• Gaia: UK wind turbine manufacturing collapsed after mismanaged contracts.
• COVID PPE: Shortages highlighted an overreliance on foreign production.

Sovereignty matters. These examples reflect a long pattern of short-sighted decisions that weaken our domestic capability.

The Hidden Cost of Cloud Outsourcing

If your department has migrated UK Government infrastructure to AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, you have — perhaps unknowingly — contributed to:

• Strengthening foreign economies instead of UK companies.
• Increasing UK unemployment and welfare dependency.
• Compromising national data sovereignty.
• Subsidising overseas tech billionaires with UK tax money.

Globalisation isn’t fair. UK companies must comply with rigorous employment and welfare laws that many foreign competitors do not. Choosing non-UK providers undermines the very standards we legislate.

Where Does the Money Go?

This graphic shows how UK Government spending on cloud services impacts the national economy, jobs, and data sovereignty — depending on whether the provider is UK-based or foreign.

Left path: UK money flows out of the economy and reduces sovereignty.
Right path: UK money circulates locally, creating jobs, innovation, and tax return.

If You're in UK Gov

Even if you don’t choose Cirel Tech, please prioritise UK-based technology providers. Support local innovation and jobs. Don’t let the UK’s technology sector follow manufacturing’s path to decline.

Performance Warning: Cloud May Not Be Right for You

If most of your users are concentrated in one location, cloud hosting may actually reduce performance:

• Latency: Internet-based access introduces delay compared with local servers.
• Bandwidth: Cloud performance depends on external internet links, unlike fast internal LANs.

Bandwidth: Cloud vs On-Prem

The Middle Ground: Managed Micro Data Centers

Imagine a complete data centre condensed into a single rack — equipped with:

• Compute, storage, and networking hardware
• UPS, fire suppression, and precision cooling

With modern high-density systems, a single micro data centre can comfortably host 1,000+ VMs.

Why Choose This Approach?

• Cost Efficient: Outstanding VM-per-watt and VM-per-pound performance.
• Scalable: Easily scale up or down to meet demand — offering more capacity than most organisations will ever need.
• Expert Support: Fully managed by UK-based teams with on-site assistance when required.

Final Thoughts

Consider a Managed Micro Data Center. Consider Cirel Tech Ltd.

We manage your hardware, virtualisation, and backups — giving you cloud-like agility without sacrificing sovereignty, performance, or UK jobs.

If your organisation operates 200+ VMs, contact us at andrewcirel@cireltech.com to explore a managed micro data centre solution.

And if not Cirel Tech, then please choose another UK-based technology company. At the very least, ensure any foreign provider you engage offers equivalent working conditions, wages, and employee protections. The choice isn’t just economic — it’s about integrity and the values we stand for as a nation.