Azuria Water Solutions Success Story
How a Global Infrastructure Leader Transformed Microsoft Support with US Cloud
Azuria Water Solutions is a global leader in infrastructure protection—specializing in the coating, lining, strengthening, and safeguarding of critical oil & gas and water/wastewater systems. With more than 170 offices across 18–20 countries and $1.6B in annual revenue, the organization operates in nearly every time zone, including Antarctica. Despite its size and complexity, Azuria’s IT team runs lean, supporting a diverse global footprint that depends heavily on Microsoft technologies.
As the organization expanded, so did its need for fast, reliable, and genuinely helpful Microsoft support. What it didn’t expect was how drastically Microsoft’s service quality would decline—and how much better things could be with a pure-play third-party support provider.
Quick Stats
Organization: Azuria Water Solutions (formerly named Aegion)
Location: Missouri, USA
Industry: Construction
Size: Large (1,000 – 10,000 employees)
Why They Replaced Unified: Unreliable Microsoft Support, Unpredictable Support Costs, Lack of Crucial Client/Vendor Relationship
Challenges with Microsoft Unified Support
Despite being a billion-dollar enterprise, Azuria Water Solutions struggled to get meaningful partnership or value from Microsoft. These are just some of the struggles they encountered with Microsoft Unified Support.
- No Customer Relationship: Microsoft felt more like a utility bill than a partner. Meetings were overloaded with Microsoft personnel focused on selling, not supporting.
- Skyrocketing Costs: Azuria’s Microsoft Premier Support renewal jumped from $80K to $140K, with no increase in service or priority.
- Wasted Hours and Long Delays: Proactive Service (PS) hours routinely went unused because Microsoft was booking six to seven months out.
- Unreliable Support Quality: Most break/fix cases were routed to external “V-dash” contractors—consultants with limited expertise and long resolution cycles.
Azuria Water Solutions needed better support, faster resolution times, predictable costs, and a true partnership—not more sales pitches and missed deadlines.
Breakthrough Moment: A Support Experience That Actually Works
When presented with Microsoft’s steep renewal increase, Azuria Water Solutions explored alternatives and discovered US Cloud. The initial quote—$27K, nearly one-fifth of Microsoft’s price—made the decision easy to test.
What followed was a transformative shift. Here’s what changed once they switched to third-party Microsoft support through US Cloud.
Rapid, Expert-Driven Proactive Engagements
US Cloud implemented Microsoft Labs across Azuria Water Solutions with every PowerShell script prewritten, taking the organization from demo to production in 48 hours—a process Microsoft couldn’t even schedule for half a year or more.
Consistently Fast Break/Fix Support
Here’s an example of how US Cloud supported Azuria Water Solutions through tickets hours before Microsoft even called back.
- Ticket submitted: US Cloud called back within 15 minutes
- Additional guidance: 20 minutes later, US Cloud called back with an idea and a follow-up
- Full resolution: In under one hour, a resolution was fully in place
- Microsoft’s follow-up: six hours after the issue had already been solved
A Partner, Not a Pipeline to Contractors
US Cloud handled the escalation process proactively and efficiently, while Microsoft wanted to “sit down and have a conversation” about closing a ticket they didn’t touch.
This stark contrast made the value—and reliability—of US Cloud impossible to ignore.
Why US Cloud Was the Clear Winner
The team at Azuria found that US Cloud delivered what Microsoft no longer could.
Real Expertise—Not V-Dash Guesswork
Instead of offshore contractors, Azuria Water Solutions now works with seasoned U.S.-based engineers who know Microsoft technologies deeply, escalate appropriately, and prioritize resolution—not handoffs.
Faster Time to Resolution
US Cloud routinely solves cases same-day, often in under an hour. Microsoft, by comparison, typically required weeks to locate someone truly knowledgeable.
Predictable, Transparent Pricing
Microsoft wanted nearly $140K for the next renewal.
US Cloud provided more responsive, higher-quality support for $27K—without hidden fees, sales quotas, or wasted hours.
Partnership, Not Sales Pressure
US Cloud shows up to fix problems. Microsoft shows up to sell Power BI.
A Pure Support Model
US Cloud focuses on one thing: Microsoft support done right. Microsoft focuses on upselling licensing, cloud consumption, and value-add tools.
Azuria Water Solutions needed a support provider, not a sales organization. They found it in US Cloud.
Ongoing Impact
Since switching to US Cloud, Azuria Water Solutions has gained:
- Significant annual savings which can be reinvested in innovation and operations
- Confidence in reliable, human, U.S.-based support
- Access to experts who resolve issues before Microsoft even responds
- Efficient PS engagements that move from planning to production in days, not months
- A long-term partner aligned with their goals—not Microsoft’s sales metrics
The relationship continues to grow, with Azuria Water Solutions relying on US Cloud as a trusted extension of their IT operations.
Conclusion
Azuria’s experience is a clear example of how enterprises can regain control of their Microsoft support—improving service quality, accelerating resolutions, and dramatically reducing costs—by breaking free from Microsoft Unified/Premier Support.
US Cloud delivered what Microsoft no longer offered:
- Faster support
- Deeper expertise
- A real partnership
- A fraction of the cost
For organizations frustrated with long wait times, escalating prices, and sales-driven support experiences, Azuria’s story proves there is a better path—and US Cloud is leading the way.
