Discover how Elmera Group is saving $300K annually with Ceeview’s Cost Control solution. In this interview, Rune Bergsvåg, IT Specialist, shares how gaining visibility across 130 Azure subscriptions has helped optimize costs and improve efficiency across their diverse business units. Learn the strategies behind their success and see if your organization could benefit too.
In a recent conversation, Ken Vanderweel, Ceeview Marketing Director, spoke with Rune Bergsvåg, IT Specialist at Elmera Group, about their experience using Ceeview’s Cost Control solution. The discussion illuminated the significant impact Ceeview has had on Elmera Group’s cloud cost management, operational efficiency, and collaboration with their MSP/CSP partner, Innofactor.
The Challenge of Managing Cloud Costs at Elmera Group
Ken: Rune, could you share how Ceeview’s Cost Control solution has impacted your approach to cloud cost management?
Rune: Absolutely, Ken. Implementing Ceeview’s solution has been transformative for us. Before Ceeview, managing cloud costs across our 130 Azure subscriptions was a nightmare. We had to manually check each subscription, which was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors.
With Ceeview, we now have a unified dashboard (see image below) that provides a comprehensive overview of our cloud expenditure, enabling us to identify cost-saving opportunities and optimize our resources efficiently.
Achieving Significant Savings and Operational Efficiency
Ken: That sounds like a significant improvement. What kind of savings have you been able to achieve?
Rune: We’re currently seeing about 10% savings annually, which translates to around $300,000 USD. The dashboard allows us to quickly identify areas where costs are escalating and take immediate action. For example, when our Databricks reservation expired, costs suddenly spiked by 30%. With Ceeview, we noticed this change immediately, and we were able to address it before it became a bigger issue.
The Power of Visibility Across Business Units
Ken: Visibility seems to be a key factor in managing these costs. Can you elaborate on how Ceeview’s solution enhances visibility across different levels within Elmera Group?
Rune: Definitely. Ceeview provides us with visibility not just at the top level but across all our business units and teams. We can break down costs by Azure subscriptions, business units, and even specific teams within those units. This granular visibility allows us to facilitate more focused cost review and optimization meetings. Every product team leader or tech lead can access the dashboard to see their specific costs, which fosters accountability and proactive cost management. This has been crucial in helping us manage our cloud spend more effectively.
Collaboration with Innofactor: A Strategic Advantage
Ken: It’s clear that having this detailed insight is powerful. How does this level of visibility enhance your collaboration with Innofactor?
Rune: Innofactor has been crucial to our success. They introduced us to Ceeview and have been actively involved in our cost optimization efforts. The ability to share the same data through the Ceeview dashboard means that both parties are always on the same page during our cost optimization meetings. There’s no ambiguity about the numbers, which makes the whole process much more efficient.
Ken: With such a robust tool at your disposal, what have been the most significant operational benefits for your team?
Rune: The biggest benefit has been time savings. My team is small—just three people—so we don’t have the bandwidth to spend hours each day manually checking cloud costs. With Ceeview, we can allocate our time to more critical tasks and strategic initiatives. It has also reduced the pressure from management, who are constantly asking about cloud costs. We now have the data at our fingertips to provide them with immediate answers.
Maximizing Value with a Unified Cloud Cost View
Ken: That sounds like a tremendous improvement. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?
Rune: I would just emphasize the importance of having a tool like Ceeview in place. Cloud costs can easily get out of control if you don’t have the right visibility and controls. Ceeview has given us the tools we need to manage our cloud environment effectively and has been a key partner in our journey toward more efficient and sustainable cloud usage.
Ken: Thank you, Rune, for sharing your insights and experiences with us. It’s been great learning about the positive impact Ceeview has had on Elmera Group.
For more details on how Ceeview helped Elmera Group transform their cloud cost management, read the full success story here.
To learn more about how Ceeview can optimize your organization’s hybrid cloud spending, visit our Enterprise Cost Control solution page.
