Originally published on Cloud Computing Magazine

Advanced Virtual Machine Solutions (AVMS) announced the completion of the first phase of an alternative cloud cost optimization platform it describes as being developed in the cloud to help manage the cloud and designed specifically for Managed Service Providers. MSPs can access the solution through top global IT distributors.

After years of development working directly with MSPs and with a founding team that comes out of the IT managed services space, the company has been renamed Kalibr8, while also naming a new Board made up of global tech industry veterans and attracting growth capital as part of its seed round.

Established by Ben McGahon out of Dublin, Ireland, Kalibr8 also announced it has established a team in the U.S. to help develop and promote the “Optimizer Loop” platform, which provides an automated cloud optimization and cost management platform. The platform includes an intuitive and efficient “single pane of glass” view into “all aspects that impact getting the most value for the least cost, across the three most popular cloud providers – Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).”

Today the platform securely manages Microsoft Azure assets with a goal to continually improve the economics and ROI of cloud consumption. AWS and GCP modules will be available by the first quarter of 2023. Data automatically harvested from all three hyperscalers will be enriched through orchestration software developed by Kalibr8, presented through an automated, unified portal with an intuitive user experience.

“The big challenge lies in reconciling a complex ecosystem of physical and virtual platforms, with full transparency into the related economics as cloud offerings, pricing, policies, and business models morph within the highly competitive cloud services market,” McGahon said. “There has been a dramatic shift over the last ten years in how cloud services and cloud-based offerings are discovered, procured, and managed – or mismanaged. MSPs and their customers have learned the hard way about how cloud-related expenses can skyrocket. Our mission is to bring next-level transparency and control to MSPs with the most automated, intelligent, and unified cloud management platform in the market.”

McGahon also explained that, over the coming years, organizations will increasingly operate across multiple clouds and multiple data centers, given the multitude of benefits cloud computing and communications deliver, including the support of digital transformation, innovation, distributed and remote workforces, increasingly sophisticated cloud-native business applications and more.

Kalibr8’s platform has a commercial model that is straightforward, based on delivery analytics, with a “Pay as you Optimize” model. The solution also includes no blanket percent of subscription, cumbersome resources, and instance- or subscription-based pricing that requires constant monitoring to ensure underlying costs stay with predefined product categories.

With a well-designed user experience through a web-based portal, the model also allows MSPs to easily onboard as many customers as they wish, with streamlined onboarding, a “pay only for what you use” approach, with clearly defined benefits showing precisely how much is being spent on cloud consumption and where the spend can be reduced in near real-time. The Optimizer Loop runs continually and with no human intervention necessary when each instance is defined, with policies set and notifications and alerts that drive greater productivity for MSPs who no longer need to worry about conducting manual analyses.

“Our platform makes it easy for MSPs to collaborate with their customers to maximize budgets and confidence in their cloud operating expenses, and to clearly understand costs and savings by resources, group, subscription or tenant,” McGahon said.

Kalibr8 is continually assessing Microsoft Azure cloud services, releasing  further capabilities to manage customer environments to a more granular level. Kalibr8 aims by Q1 of 2023 to integrate Azure, AWS, and GCP accessible and managed within a unified environment, orchestrating all data into a “single pane of glass” view and experience. Designed from the ground up for MSPs, Kalibr8’s operations, analytics, and reporting features can be configured to any service provider’s specific needs.

The company also announced a Chairman of the Board and board members who come from the IT, networking, Internet, and cloud industries, including:

• Paschal Naylor, Board Chairman and co-founder, and former CEO of Arkphire, the Irish IT Consulting, and managed-services company acquired by US tech firm Presidio in 2021.
• Dermot Benson, Board Member and longtime executive consultant expert in leadership development, team building, corporate training, change management, executive mentoring, management consulting, business consulting, and individual motivational focus.
• Howard Roberts, Board Member, and CTO at Kalibr8, after co-founding and serving as the CTO of Arkphire. Prior to joining Arkphire in 2006, Howard was Technical Director with Xnet Information Systems, Country Manager for Redstor Ltd, and Principal Consultant with Sabeo Technologies Ltd.
• Alex Russo, Board Member (US) and former Executive Chairman and CEO who has led a series of tech-driven, PE-sponsored global companies over the past 20 years, managing their sale for a total of $1.25 billion in cash, representing a cumulative shareholder return of >3X.
• David Walsh, Board Member (US) and disruptor and innovator across a range of technology-driven markets over the course of his 30+ year career in fintech, networking, cloud, software, and services who has built, scaled, and sold companies from start-ups to global enterprises, generating billions of cumulative gains for investors and management teams.
• McGahon is also a Board Member, in addition to serving as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

The company is recruiting talent across the spectrum, from software engineers and developers to project managers, as well as leaders in sales, marketing, business development, channel success, and more, as it continues to invest in its “pure channel” go-to-market strategy.