What does a Google Cloud consultancy actually do?

A good Google Cloud consultancy assesses your current estate, builds a governed landing zone in Terraform, migrates and modernises workloads in waves, sets up the data platform (BigQuery, AlloyDB, Cloud SQL), and delivers AI use cases on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. It also runs FinOps, security and skills transfer underneath every stage so your own team can operate the platform afterwards.

How much does Google Cloud consulting cost in the UK?

Assessments typically run 2 to 4 weeks. Landing zones 3 to 6 weeks. Full migrations for a mid-market UK business usually take 3 to 6 months in waves. Google's RaMP programme can fund part of the partner services and return platform credits on migrated workloads, which a consultancy should apply for on your behalf.

Can Google Cloud keep my data in the UK?

Yes. The London region (europe-west2) has three zones, and Gemini models including Gemini 3.5 Flash are available with data residency at rest and in-region ML processing. Assured Workloads and VPC Service Controls enforce the boundary. Support staff are routed globally, so ask your consultancy to document what stays in region and what does not.

How do I check a Google Cloud partner's credentials?

Since January 2026 the Google Cloud Partner Network uses Select, Premier and Diamond tiers plus Competencies (Baseline and Advanced) in areas such as Data and AI, Infrastructure Modernisation and Security. Ask which Competency applies to your scope, and ask for references at your scale delivered by the named team you will actually get.

Choosing a Google Cloud Consultancy: What Good Looks Like in 2026

Google Cloud reported $24.8bn revenue in Q2 2026, up 82%, with 15% global share and 40% of the FTSE 100 as customers. A real engagement moves through four stages: assessment (Migration Center, TCO, RaMP funding), a Terraform landing zone with UK residency controls, wave-based migration with BigQuery and AlloyDB, then AI on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. The article covers the FinOps traps (BigQuery on-demand scans, Cloud Logging, egress, uncommitted fleets), what europe-west2 data residency does and does not cover, how to read the new Partner Network tiers and Competencies, and seven questions to ask a consultancy before signing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Google Cloud consultancy actually do?: A good Google Cloud consultancy assesses your current estate, builds a governed landing zone in Terraform, migrates and modernises workloads in waves, sets up the data platform (BigQuery, AlloyDB, Cloud SQL), and delivers AI use cases on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. It also runs FinOps, security and skills transfer underneath every stage so your own team can operate the platform afterwards.
How much does Google Cloud consulting cost in the UK?: Assessments typically run 2 to 4 weeks. Landing zones 3 to 6 weeks. Full migrations for a mid-market UK business usually take 3 to 6 months in waves. Google's RaMP programme can fund part of the partner services and return platform credits on migrated workloads, which a consultancy should apply for on your behalf.
Can Google Cloud keep my data in the UK?: Yes. The London region (europe-west2) has three zones, and Gemini models including Gemini 3.5 Flash are available with data residency at rest and in-region ML processing. Assured Workloads and VPC Service Controls enforce the boundary. Support staff are routed globally, so ask your consultancy to document what stays in region and what does not.
How do I check a Google Cloud partner's credentials?: Since January 2026 the Google Cloud Partner Network uses Select, Premier and Diamond tiers plus Competencies (Baseline and Advanced) in areas such as Data and AI, Infrastructure Modernisation and Security. Ask which Competency applies to your scope, and ask for references at your scale delivered by the named team you will actually get.

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