--- title: Obsium Kubernetes Consulting description: Production Kubernetes design, migration, security hardening, GitOps, observability, and cost optimization across cloud, on-prem, hybrid, and air-gapped environments. url: https://obsium.io/services/kubernetes-consulting/ markdown_url: https://obsium.io/services/kubernetes-consulting.md company: Obsium last_updated: 2026-10-05 --- # Obsium Kubernetes Consulting Obsium is a cloud, DevOps, and Kubernetes consultancy with offices in Pleasanton, California and Kochi, India. Obsium designs, secures, migrates, and operates production Kubernetes in the cloud, on-prem, hybrid, or fully air-gapped. Engagements are led by CKA/CKS certified senior engineers, built on 100% open source, with observability included from day one. ## Services | Service | What it covers | Tools / scope | | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- | | Cluster Design & Architecture | HA, multi-tenant clusters. Node topology, CNI, storage, upgrade strategy | EKS, AKS, GKE, bare metal | | Migration & Modernization | From VMs, docker-compose, ECS, or drifted clusters, with tested rollback paths | Zero-downtime, per-workload plans | | Security & Compliance Hardening | RBAC, Pod Security Standards, network policies, secrets, audit logging | CIS, SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001 | | GitOps, CI/CD & Platform Engineering | Golden-path templates and Git-driven, auditable changes | Argo CD, Flux, Helm, Terraform | | Observability & Reliability | Metrics, dashboards, tracing, SLOs, and tuned alerting on every cluster | Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry | | Cost Optimization & Autoscaling | Right-sized requests/limits, autoscaling, bin-packing, spot strategy | Karpenter, HPA/VPA, FinOps | ## Where Obsium runs Kubernetes | Environment | What's included | | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Cloud | Managed EKS, AKS, or GKE with landing zones, IAM, and networking | | Hybrid | Cloud and datacenter under one control model and observability stack | | On-premises | Self-managed clusters with control-plane tuning, storage, and data residency | | Air-gapped (specialty) | Offline registries, private CAs, air-gapped upgrade pipelines, nothing phones home | ## Engagement process | Stage | Timeline | Deliverables | | ----------------------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1. Assess & Baseline | Weeks 1-2 | Audit against CIS benchmarks, reliability targets, and cost ceiling. Findings ranked by risk | | 2. Architect & Document | Weeks 2-4 | Topology, networking, security model, GitOps, upgrade strategy. Terraform and Helm in your repo | | 3. Build & Migrate | Weeks 4-12 | Staged migration workload by workload, rollback tested before each cutover | | 4. Operate & Evolve | Ongoing | Escalation point or managed partner, optional 24/7. Monthly drift, security, and cost reviews | ## Pricing Obsium scopes by outcome, not billable hours. There is no public price list. | Engagement | Pricing model | | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | | Cluster audit with written remediation plan | Fixed range | | Greenfield production cluster or migration | Fixed range | | Managed Kubernetes | Monthly retainer | | Escalation support after handover | Hourly | A free 30-minute scoping call ends with a written fixed range. Most engagements run 6 to 14 weeks. Most audited clusters run 40-60% over-provisioned. ## How Obsium compares | | DIY in-house | Typical consultancy | Obsium | | ------------------------ | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | | Time to production-ready | 9-18 months of trial and error | Fast build, slow handover | 6-14 weeks, staged | | Who does the work | Engineers learning as they go | Seniors pitch, juniors deliver | CKA/CKS senior engineers | | Air-gapped and on-prem | Possible, painful | Usually declined | Routine | | Lock-in | None | Proprietary tooling, retainers | 100% open source, yours to keep | | Observability | Bolted on later | Optional line item | Built in from day one | | Knowledge transfer | Stays in-house | Leaves with the consultants | Your team builds alongside | | Pricing | Salaries + opportunity cost | T&M that creeps | Fixed range, scoped by outcome | ## Results ### Internal developer platform (financial services) GitHub Actions, Argo CD, Kyverno, cert-manager. Deploys with policy, DNS, TLS in under 2 minutes, 300+ concurrent CI/CD runs. Case study: https://obsium.io/case-studies/self-service-kubernetes-internal-developer-platform/ ### VMware to AWS migration (enterprise) 54 Windows Server workloads, ~18 TB with 0 hours downtime, 100% data integrity, 100+ concurrent users. Case study: https://obsium.io/case-studies/vmware-to-aws-migration-windows-server/ ### Private observability on EKS (US banking SaaS) Multi-tenant Grafana LGTM, S3 backend, Terraform. Agents cut from 3 to 1 per cluster, zero-touch tenant onboarding. Case study: https://obsium.io/case-studies/full-stack-observability-for-a-us-banking-saas-platform/ 100+ clients. Client references include Thoughtminds.io, Ellow Technologies, Wizr.ai, Sayone Technologies, and ServerAudit. ## Partnerships Certified partner across Microsoft Azure, AWS Partner Network, and Google Cloud. ## FAQ ### What does a Kubernetes consultant do? Designs, builds, secures, and operates container platforms: cluster architecture, workload migration, RBAC and network policies, GitOps and CI/CD, observability, cost optimization, and training for your engineers. ### How much does Kubernetes consulting cost? Priced by outcome. Audits and builds are fixed ranges, managed Kubernetes is a monthly retainer. Written range after a free 30-minute call. ### Managed Kubernetes (EKS, AKS, GKE) or self-managed? Managed is the default for most cloud teams. Self-managed fits on-prem, air-gapped, specific control-plane tuning, or strict data-residency needs. ### Can you deploy in air-gapped or on-prem environments? Yes. Offline registries, private CAs, air-gapped upgrades, and observability that stays inside the network, with SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 controls verified before workloads land. ### How long does a migration take? Usually 6 to 14 weeks, staged by workload. Complex or compliance-heavy estates take longer. ### Do we actually need Kubernetes? Not always. A few services with predictable load may be cheaper on a simpler platform. Kubernetes pays off with many services, multiple independent teams, real scaling needs, or hybrid/on-prem constraints. ### What happens after the engagement? Full handover with docs and IaC, hourly escalation support, or managed Kubernetes with optional 24/7 coverage. Most clients take escalation support for the first 90 days. ## Related reading - [Kubernetes cost optimization: how to find and fix wasted compute](https://obsium.io/blog/kubernetes-cost-optimization/) - [Kubernetes Observability Guide](https://obsium.io/blog/kubernetes-observability-guide/) - [VMware to Kubernetes migration playbook](https://obsium.io/blog/vmware-to-kubernetes-migration/) ## Contact Book a free scoping call at [obsium.io/contact-us](https://obsium.io/contact-us/) or email hello@obsium.io. - US: 6200 Stoneridge Mall Rd, Pleasanton, CA 94588 - India: GB4, Ground Floor, Athulya, Infopark Phase 1, Kakkanad, Kochi 682042