AWS modernization
Improve AWS environments that have become expensive, fragile, manual, or difficult to operate after growth or lift-and-shift migration.
Cloud Consulting Services
Cloud platforms built to cost less, scale cleanly, and stay operable.
CCS helps businesses modernize AWS and Kubernetes environments, reduce operational waste, strengthen delivery workflows, and make infrastructure ownership clear.
Verified experience
Operational credibility, stated with context.
These figures describe selected historical experience and are intentionally approximate where the source material is approximate.
8+ yearsRemote infrastructure deliveryRemote technical leadership and platform delivery experience.
USD 100k+Historical AWS estate scaleApproximate operating scale from selected prior employment, not current client spend.
~USD 50k/monthHistorical AWS cost reductionApproximate collaborative reduction from about USD 140k/month to below USD 90k/month.
SeniorDevOps and platform leadershipExperience includes Head of DevOps and Lead DevOps Engineer roles.
Kubernetes and platform engineering
Design, improve, and operate Kubernetes and EKS platforms with reliable deployment workflows, GitOps, observability, and practical team ownership.
Cloud cost optimization
Find recurring cloud waste, improve cost visibility, and turn AWS cost analysis into practical remediation without promising unrealistic savings.
DevSecOps and infrastructure security
Review IAM, secrets, pipelines, account hardening, offboarding paths, and infrastructure controls that protect cloud delivery.
Technology capability
Tools selected for the environment, not for a logo wall.
CCS works across practical cloud, platform, automation, security, delivery, observability, and data technologies. Badges indicate capability, not vendor certification or partnership.
Cloud
Cloud platforms are selected and shaped around the client environment.
- AWS
- GCP
Containers and orchestration
Platform foundations for running, deploying, and operating workloads.
- Kubernetes
- Amazon EKS
- Docker
- Helm
- Argo CD
Infrastructure and security
Repeatable infrastructure, secrets, and operating-system foundations.
- Terraform
- Vault
- Linux
Delivery
Source control, automation, and CI/CD workflows for repeatable delivery.
- GitHub
- GitHub Actions
- CI/CD
Observability and data
Operational visibility and data systems commonly found in platform work.
- Prometheus
- Grafana
- PostgreSQL
- ClickHouse
Engagement model
Scoped around outcomes, with direct technical accountability.
Engagements can be outcome-based projects, fixed-fee scoped work, or paid advisory support. Client accounts and infrastructure normally remain client-owned.
CCS can work independently or alongside internal teams. Trusted specialists may be coordinated when a project needs additional expertise, while Nico remains responsible for architecture, review, delivery quality, and client communication.
Understand the problem
Start with the environment, constraints, ownership model, risks, and the business reason the work matters.
Define the outcome
Shape the engagement around scoped deliverables, acceptance checks, and the decisions the client needs to make.
Deliver and validate
Implement the work, review the architecture, test the operational path, and keep communication direct.
Hand over or support
Leave client-owned accounts and infrastructure understandable, documented, and ready for internal operation or continued support.
Nico Smuts
Senior infrastructure leadership behind the CCS delivery model.
Nico Smuts leads delivery with experience across DevOps leadership, AWS operations, Kubernetes platforms, automation, security review, and remote technical delivery.
- Experience includes Head of DevOps and Lead DevOps Engineer responsibilities.
- Practical work across AWS, Amazon EKS, RDS, Redis, Cloud cost review, Kubernetes, Argo CD, Helm, Karpenter, Docker.
- Direct involvement in architecture, review, quality, and client communication.
Large e-commerce or digital platform environment
Reducing AWS spend while improving operational visibility
A sizeable AWS environment was reviewed and improved to reduce recurring spend while strengthening cost visibility and operational decision-making.
Anonymized professional work
~USD 140k/monthApproximate prior monthly AWS spend
<USD 90k/monthApproximate reduced monthly AWS spend
AWS and Amazon EKS platform environment
Standardizing Kubernetes delivery across a growing AWS platform
Kubernetes delivery and platform operations were standardized across AWS environments using infrastructure automation, GitOps, CI/CD, observability, and operational handover patterns.
Anonymized professional work
Adjacent capability
Practical foundations around the core platform work.
Some businesses need supporting technical setup alongside cloud and platform work. These services remain secondary and are scoped according to the requirement.
Startup technology foundation
Domains, DNS, business email, basic monitoring, and practical platform setup for teams that need a clean technical start.
Managed networking and operations
Supporting infrastructure work such as managed networking, monitoring, and operational handover when it fits the main engagement.
VoIP and business systems setup
Adjacent implementation support for practical business technology foundations, scoped separately from core cloud platform work.
Discovery
Start with a focused 15-minute conversation.
Use the introductory call to check fit, clarify the requirement, and decide whether paid advisory work or a scoped project is the right next step.