Azure Cloud Services for Government & Public Sector
Senior Architecture, UK Data Residency, Compliance Built In
Independent, on the Wirral, Microsoft partner. You deal with Eric, and the person who scopes the work is the person who does it.
Not ready to talk yet? The health check is six questions and about two minutes, and you get a written fix list in the order worth closing things. We reply within 2 working hours.
Public sector cloud needs more than a generic migration. We’ve already designed, deployed and run Azure environments to UK data residency and compliance requirements, so you get the shortcut past the mistakes, not an experiment on your infrastructure. Independent design, deployment and management, with nothing to resell and no surprise bills.
Planning a cloud migration or new Azure deployment? Book a scoping call – we’ll go through your requirements and compliance needs. No obligation.
Azure Services for Public Sector
The full range of Azure services public sector organisations need, designed for compliance and security from day one.
Azure Virtual Desktop
Secure virtual desktops hosted in UK Azure data centres. Access your applications from anywhere while keeping data within controlled boundaries.
- UK South and UK West data centres
- Multi-factor authentication enforced
- Conditional Access integration
- Session recording available
Azure Backup & Disaster Recovery
Business continuity solutions that meet government requirements for data protection and availability.
- Immutable backup vaults
- Cross-region replication (UK only)
- Retention policies for compliance
- Regular DR testing
Secure Infrastructure
Virtual networks, firewalls, and security controls designed for government workloads and data classifications.
- Network segmentation and isolation
- Azure Firewall and NSGs
- Private endpoints for services
- DDoS protection
Azure SQL & Databases
Managed database services for line-of-business applications with encryption and access controls.
- Transparent data encryption
- Advanced threat protection
- Automated patching
- Point-in-time recovery
Azure Files & Storage
Cloud storage solutions with appropriate security controls for government data.
- SMB and NFS file shares
- Encryption at rest and in transit
- Soft delete and versioning
- Access control and auditing
Hybrid Connectivity
Secure connections between Azure and on-premises infrastructure or other networks.
- Site-to-site VPN
- ExpressRoute for dedicated connectivity
- Virtual WAN for multi-site
- PSN connectivity options
Why Public Sector Organisations Choose Azure
UK Data Sovereignty
Azure operates UK South and UK West data centres, allowing you to keep citizen and sensitive data within UK borders. Essential for OFFICIAL and OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE classifications.
Government-Grade Security
Microsoft invests over $1 billion annually in security. Azure is designed to meet the security requirements of governments worldwide, with controls that map to NCSC Cloud Security Principles.
Compliance Certifications
Azure maintains ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 1/2/3, and is listed on the G-Cloud Digital Marketplace. Pre-certified infrastructure reduces your compliance burden.
OpEx vs CapEx
Move from capital expenditure to operational expenditure. No more large upfront hardware purchases – pay monthly for what you use, making budgeting more predictable.
Scale On Demand
Handle seasonal peaks, elections, or emergency response without over-provisioning. Scale resources up during busy periods and back down when demand reduces.
Business Continuity
Built-in disaster recovery, geo-redundant backup, and high availability. Keep critical services running even when local infrastructure fails.
Procurement & Frameworks
G-Cloud Framework
On our roadmap
We aren’t on G-Cloud yet. If you need to buy through a framework, tell us how you procure and we’ll tell you straight whether we can work with it.
Alternative Procurement Routes
Available Now
In the meantime, we are happy to quote and work within other procurement capabilities outside of the frameworks. We understand public sector procurement requirements and can support your process through:
- Direct award for contracts under threshold
- Competitive quotation processes
- Request for Quotation (RFQ) responses
- Invitation to Tender (ITT) submissions
- Framework sub-contracting arrangements
- Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) opportunities
Need to procure now? Contact us to discuss your requirements and procurement route. We can provide quotes, supporting documentation, and references from existing public sector clients to support your procurement process.
Ready to Discuss Your Azure Requirements?
Choose your starting point:
Compliance & Security Standards
Azure provides the compliance certifications and controls government needs. We configure your environment to take full advantage of these capabilities.
🇬🇧 UK Data Residency
- UK South and UK West data centres
- Data sovereignty for OFFICIAL workloads
- Geo-restriction policies enforced
- Documentation for compliance evidence
Cyber Essentials Alignment
- Secure configuration baselines
- Access control implementation
- Patch management automation
- Firewall and boundary controls
NCSC Cloud Security
- 14 Cloud Security Principles addressed
- Shared responsibility documented
- Asset protection controls
- Separation of customer data
Audit & Monitoring
- Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
- Activity log retention
- Security alerts and notifications
- Compliance reporting dashboards
Azure Platform Certifications
Microsoft Azure maintains certifications including ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 1/2/3, and UK G-Cloud accreditation. These certifications cover the Azure platform – your configuration and usage determines your overall compliance posture.
Our Public Sector Migration Approach
We understand public sector constraints – budget cycles, change freezes, security requirements, and stakeholder approvals. Our migration approach is designed to work within these realities.
Discovery & Assessment
Comprehensive audit of current infrastructure, applications, and data. Identify dependencies, compliance requirements, and migration complexity. Output: detailed assessment report and recommendation.
Architecture Design
Design your target Azure environment aligned with security requirements and NCSC principles. Define network topology, security controls, backup strategy, and cost model.
Pilot Deployment
Build non-production environment. Migrate a representative workload to validate approach, test connectivity, and refine procedures before touching production systems.
Production Migration
Phased migration of production workloads. We work around your operational constraints – weekends, out-of-hours, or scheduled maintenance windows.
Hypercare & Optimisation
Enhanced support period post-migration. Monitor for issues, optimise costs based on actual usage, and ensure your team is confident with the new environment.
Migration Assurance
Why Choose HiltDigital for Public Sector Azure
Twenty Years in the Public Sector
Eric has spent twenty years on NHS trusts, councils and national infrastructure. The person who scopes your Azure work is the person who builds it.
Public Sector Experience
Eric has spent twenty years securing systems for hospitals, government and national infrastructure, so your operating environment, procurement constraints and stakeholder requirements aren’t new.
Remote-First, UK-Wide
We work remotely as standard and serve organisations across the UK. On-site is available for scheduled onboarding or key meetings when it genuinely adds value, not as a fixed response commitment. That keeps your cost down without cutting corners on service.
Right-Sized Partner
Large enough to deliver complex projects, small enough to care. You’ll work with senior engineers who understand your environment – not junior staff rotating through accounts.
Independent, Compliance Focused
We run our own environment to Cyber Essentials standards, and we have nothing to resell. We design environments with compliance in mind from the start, not as an afterthought that adds cost and complexity later.
Plain English
We explain things clearly. No jargon-filled reports designed to confuse. You’ll understand what we’re proposing, why, and what it will cost.
Azure Pricing for Public Sector
Azure is consumption-based – you pay for what you use. Here’s what typical public sector deployments cost:
Small Department (10-25 users)
- Azure Virtual Desktop (pooled)
- UK data centre hosting
- Azure Backup with 30-day retention
- Basic monitoring and alerting
Plus Microsoft 365 licensing as required
Medium Organisation (25-75 users)
- Azure Virtual Desktop (mixed pooled/personal)
- Azure Files for shared storage
- Enhanced backup with extended retention
- Azure Firewall and advanced security
- Reserved instances for cost optimisation
Plus Microsoft 365 licensing as required
Larger Organisation (75-200 users)
- Personal and pooled virtual desktops
- Azure SQL for line-of-business applications
- Full disaster recovery with failover
- Comprehensive security and compliance logging
- Hybrid connectivity to on-premises
Plus Microsoft 365 licensing as required
Note: Actual costs depend on your specific requirements – application complexity, performance needs, storage volumes, and retention requirements. You get detailed cost estimates and can help optimise existing Azure spend.
*Note: prices correct at time of writing, Microsoft reserve the right to update their licensing cost and product entitlement.
Ready to Move to Azure?
Start with a scoping call. We’ll review your current setup, understand your requirements, and give you a clear roadmap for your Azure journey, whether you choose us or not.
Current State Review
We assess your existing infrastructure, applications, and data to understand migration complexity.
Compliance Mapping
Review your security and compliance requirements against Azure capabilities.
Cost Projection
Detailed Azure cost estimates based on your actual requirements, not generic calculators.
Migration Roadmap
Phased approach with realistic timelines and risk mitigation built in.