UK Datadog Partner,
with the world's first Powered by Datadog accreditation.
The world's first Powered by Datadog accredited MSP. Critical Cloud is also a Datadog Advanced Partner in the UK. Our managed service is built on Datadog, not bolted on top of it.
We implement Datadog, stabilise it after go-live, and run it 24×7 for tech-led businesses on AWS and Azure, from offices in Cardiff, London, and Dublin.
What is a UK Datadog partner, and what does Critical Cloud do?
Critical Cloud is a UK Datadog partner: a Datadog Advanced Partner and the world's first Powered by Datadog accredited MSP. From Cardiff, London and Dublin, we implement, stabilise and run Datadog 24x7 on AWS and Azure for tech-led businesses, including those in regulated sectors.
Two independent signals that set us apart from resellers and project firms.
- Powered by Datadog, world's first. Datadog's recognition that our managed service is operationally built on the platform, not a monitoring add-on.
- Datadog Advanced Partner, certified engineers, active delivery, and independently validated customer outcomes.
- Cardiff · London · Dublin, UK-headquartered, UK contractual base, UK engineering team.
- ISO 27001 + Cyber Essentials Plus, independently audited. Available on request for procurement.
What "Powered by Datadog" actually means
Most companies calling themselves a Datadog partner are resellers or project firms. Critical Cloud is different: our managed service is built on Datadog as the operational platform. That is what the accreditation recognises and why it matters when you're choosing a UK-based Datadog partner for the long term.
Datadog reseller vs partner vs MSP
For a UK business buying a Datadog-powered managed service, this distinction matters. You want a partner who runs Datadog every day, not one who sells it or visits occasionally. Full comparison: Datadog partner vs reseller vs MSP, the difference explained.
What it means for your team
- Direct access to your Datadog environment, no black-box monitoring layer. Full visibility into your own data.
- Advice from operational engineers, not sales engineers or architects who hand off after delivery. Our people handle alerts and incidents daily, and the same discipline underpins how we run AI operations.
- Platform currency, we stay current with every Datadog release because we have to. You benefit without tracking it yourself.
- Standards that hold at scale, tagging, ownership, SLOs, and dashboards designed to survive growth, not just the initial rollout.
- UK accountability, UK-headquartered, UK contracts, UK engineering team. No offshore escalation paths or ambiguous SLAs.
Datadog and AI operations
The same operational model now extends to AI workloads. As the world's first Powered by Datadog accredited MSP, Critical Cloud is a Datadog partner for AI operations: we make AI workloads, agentic workflows and model-serving infrastructure observable, governed and production-safe. Explore AI Runtime Operations.
What we do as your UK Datadog partner
We cover the full Datadog adoption lifecycle, from first trial through to 24×7 managed operations. Every engagement is delivered by a UK-based team of certified Datadog engineers with hands-on production experience.
FETCH™, Trial enablement Get to first meaningful Datadog signals before your trial ends, with integrations, cost guardrails, and an adoption plan.
Get to first meaningful Datadog signals before your trial ends. We configure integrations, cost guardrails, and early dashboards, and build an adoption plan so your team can evaluate Datadog on real data, not just installed agents.
LaunchPad™, Managed rollout A fully managed Datadog implementation, standardising tagging, dashboards, alerting, SLOs, and governance so Datadog is production-grade from day one.
A fully managed Datadog implementation from end to end. We run delivery across assessment, pilot, and scale phases, standardising tagging, dashboards, alerting, SLOs, and governance so Datadog is production-grade from day one.
HyperCare™, Post go-live stabilisation Critical Cloud engineers embed alongside your team after go-live to reduce alert noise, expand coverage, and build Datadog into daily workflows.
The first months after go-live determine whether Datadog delivers long-term value or slowly becomes noise. HyperCare embeds Critical Cloud engineers alongside your team to reduce alert noise, expand coverage, fix what was rushed, and build Datadog into daily workflows.
Managed Datadog Continuous platform management running the backlog of monitor tuning, tagging governance, dashboard evolution, and cost visibility as you scale.
Continuous Datadog platform management for teams who want their environment to stay clean and useful as they scale. We run the backlog: monitor tuning, tagging governance, dashboard evolution, SLO lifecycle, and cost visibility.
HealthScan™, Independent Datadog assessment A read-only assessment delivering a health scorecard, prioritised backlog, and findings readout in 1-2 weeks.
A read-only assessment of your current Datadog environment. We review signal quality, tagging standards, monitor hygiene, APM coverage, and cost profile and deliver a health scorecard, prioritised backlog, and findings readout in 1–2 weeks.
Catalyst, Backlog-led improvement engineering Practitioners complete approved work from an agreed backlog, with no spend above the authorised envelope.
Practitioners complete approved work, tagging standards, alert tuning, dashboard rationalisation, SLOs, and security signal operations. Backlog agreed before work starts. No spend above the approved envelope without written authorisation.
Accelerators, One capability, four weeks Eight fixed-scope, four-week deliveries covering Infrastructure Observability, Code Security, Cloud Security, and more, with working implementation plus handover artefacts.
Eight fixed-scope, four-week deliveries: Infrastructure Observability, Code Security, Cloud Security, Threat Management, Digital Experience, Software Delivery, Service Management, AI Observability. Working implementation plus handover artefacts.
Managed Datadog, Ongoing platform operations Monthly recurring platform operations across two tiers - see full service detail for tier breakdown, access models, and monthly deliverables.
Already listed above - see full service detail for the Guided and Proactive tier breakdown, access models, and what Critical Cloud delivers each month.
Critical Support: 24×7 cloud operations with Datadog at the core
Our flagship managed service for tech-led businesses who want Datadog-powered operations running continuously. Critical Support combines 24×7 incident management with monthly improvement engineering- every alert, runbook, and escalation path is built on Datadog. This is the service the Powered by Datadog accreditation recognises.
Looking for full service detail?
The Datadog services page covers every offering in depth- including Splunk → Datadog migration, platform coverage, the full observability maturity model, and the difference between each engagement.
UK Datadog case studies
Outcomes delivered by Critical Cloud as a Datadog partner in the UK- across implementation, post go-live stabilisation, and managed observability.
OPX, Datadog-first observability on Azure
Critical Cloud made Datadog the operational backbone for OPX's Azure migration, delivering full-stack visibility and monitoring standards that scaled with the platform.
As OPX migrated to Azure, Critical Cloud made Datadog the operational backbone: full-stack visibility, faster incident response, and monitoring standards that scaled with the platform.
CETA, Getting value from a Datadog trial
CETA used FETCH to prove Datadog value fast, then extended with HyperCare for production-ready dashboards, monitors, tagging standards, and APM.
CETA used FETCH™ to prove Datadog value fast, then extended with HyperCare™ for production-ready dashboards, monitors, tagging standards, and APM.
EIP, Datadog rollout across 140+ services
A fast, reliable Datadog rollout across EIP's complex Azure environment, with HyperCare covering automation, enablement, and hands-on support at scale.
Critical Cloud delivered a fast, reliable Datadog rollout across EIP's complex Azure environment. HyperCare™ covered automation, enablement, and hands-on support at scale.
Trust & credentials
Independently certified, UK-headquartered, and operating under an audited information security framework. For a managed Datadog MSP, these aren't optional extras, they're table stakes for regulated industries, enterprise procurement, and any customer taking cloud operations seriously.
Powered by Datadog, world's first
Datadog's recognition that our managed service is operationally built on the platform. Not a reseller tier or a marketing badge, an accreditation earned by demonstrating that Critical Support runs on Datadog as its core operational system.
Datadog Advanced Partner
Requires certified engineers, active customer delivery, and independently validated outcomes- not just contract volumes or logo placement.
ISO 27001 certified
Independently audited information security management system. Relevant for any UK business or regulated industry where vendor security posture forms part of procurement or due diligence.
Cyber Essentials Plus
NCSC-backed certification covering technical security controls, independently verified, not self-assessed. Increasingly required for public sector and supply chain engagements.
AWS Partner + Microsoft Partner
Active partner status on both major cloud platforms. We implement and operate Datadog on AWS and Azure, including specialist areas such as the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.
Cardiff · London · Dublin
UK-headquartered in Cardiff, with offices in London and Dublin. UK contractual base and UK engineering team throughout. We are a UK-based Datadog partner by design, not a global firm with a UK sales office.
What a good Datadog partner looks like
Five principles that guide every Critical Cloud engagement, whether a two-week HealthScan, a Launchpad rollout, or a long-running Managed Datadog relationship.
Transparency
You keep access to your data, dashboards, and decisions at every stage. Nothing is hidden or locked away. Your Datadog environment is always yours to inspect.
Ownership
Approved backlog items are completed, not handed back half-finished. We own the delivery, not just the advice.
Collaboration
Platform, ops, development, and security work from one shared plan, not separate workstreams. Datadog delivers its full value when context is shared.
Enablement
Better standards, templates, and knowledge remain after every engagement. Your team gets stronger, not more dependent on Critical Cloud.
Integration
Datadog work is tied to reliability, security, performance, and cost outcomes- not abstract platform activity or adoption metrics.
Common questions, answered directly
What is a UK Datadog partner?
A company in the Datadog Partner Network delivering Datadog services in the UK, potentially holding tiered status and the Powered by Datadog accreditation for MSPs.
A UK Datadog partner is a company accepted into the Datadog Partner Network that delivers Datadog services in the United Kingdom. Partners can hold tiered status based on certified engineers, active delivery, and validated customer outcomes. Some partners also hold the Powered by Datadog accreditation, which Datadog reserves for MSPs whose managed service is operationally built on the platform. Critical Cloud is a Datadog Advanced Partner and the world's first Powered by Datadog accredited MSP.
What is a Powered by Datadog MSP?
A managed service provider accredited by Datadog because its managed service is genuinely built on the platform, distinct from resellers and consulting firms.
A Powered by Datadog MSP is a managed service provider accredited by Datadog because its managed service is genuinely built on the Datadog platform. This is distinct from resellers, who sell licences, and consulting firms, who deliver time-limited projects. The accreditation means the MSP runs Datadog 24x7 as its operational system, with customers having direct access to their own environment. Critical Cloud is the world's first company to receive this accreditation.
What does a Datadog implementation partner do?
Handles technical deployment of Datadog, from cloud integrations and tagging standards through to monitors, dashboards, SLOs, and ongoing managed operations.
A Datadog implementation partner handles the technical deployment of Datadog in a customer environment: configuring cloud and infrastructure integrations, establishing tagging standards, building monitors, dashboards and SLOs, and making the platform production-grade. Beyond initial implementation, some partners also offer ongoing managed operations to keep the environment healthy as the business scales. Critical Cloud covers the full lifecycle, from first trial through to 24x7 managed operations.
FAQ
Common questions from teams evaluating a UK-based Datadog partner or a managed Datadog service.
What makes a good UK Datadog partner?
The most reliable signal is operational depth: does the partner actually run Datadog every day, or do they configure it and hand over? The Powered by Datadog accreditation is Datadog's own mechanism for distinguishing MSPs whose managed service is genuinely built on the platform from resellers and project-delivery firms. Beyond accreditation, look for UK-based certified engineers, an audited security posture (ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus), and evidence of delivered customer outcomes, not just partner tier logos. Ask specifically whether the same team who handles incidents is also the team who implemented Datadog.
What does the "Powered by Datadog" accreditation actually mean?
Powered by Datadog is an accreditation Datadog awards to managed service providers whose managed service is genuinely built on the Datadog platform, not partners who simply resell licences or deliver stand-alone projects. Critical Cloud is the world's first company to achieve this accreditation. In practice it means our 24×7 managed operations. Critical Support, run on Datadog. The same Datadog environment our engineers operate from is what customers have direct access to. There is no proprietary monitoring layer in between.
Do you offer managed Datadog?
Yes, two options depending on what you need. Managed Datadog is continuous Datadog platform management: we run the backlog, maintain tagging and dashboard standards, improve signal quality, and evolve SLOs and governance as the platform grows. Your engineers stay focused on product; we keep Datadog clean and useful. Critical Support is our full managed cloud service with 24×7 incident management, where Datadog is embedded into every operational workflow, alerts, escalations, runbooks, and monthly improvement sprints. This is the service the Powered by Datadog accreditation recognises.
Do you work with both AWS and Azure?
Yes. We are an AWS Partner and a Microsoft Partner, and we implement and operate Datadog on both platforms. Most customers run a mix of AWS and Azure, and we handle Datadog instrumentation, cloud integration, and ongoing observability across the full estate. We also specialise in the AWS European Sovereign Cloud for organisations with data residency or sovereignty requirements.
How quickly can our team get to value with Datadog?
It depends on where you're starting. During a Datadog trial, FETCH™ gets you to first meaningful signals within days, integrations, cost guardrails, early dashboards, and a plan. The goal is to prove Datadog value before the trial ends, not after. For teams buying Datadog and wanting a production-grade rollout without running it yourselves, LaunchPad™ delivers standardised observability end-to-end in weeks. The fastest path is always a scoping call: we can usually recommend the right engagement within the first conversation.
Are you ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certified?
Yes to both. Critical Cloud holds ISO 27001 certification, an independently audited information security management system and Cyber Essentials Plus, the NCSC-backed UK government scheme with verified technical controls (not self-assessed). Both are maintained and renewable certifications. Certification documentation, security questionnaire responses, and evidence packs are available on request for procurement and due diligence purposes.
Is a Powered by Datadog MSP the same as an AI operations partner?
A Powered by Datadog MSP runs Datadog as its operational system 24×7. An AI operations partner takes accountable ownership of the stack a company's AI runs on. Critical Cloud is both: the accreditation is the foundation, and AI operations is what it now underpins.
Does Datadog support UK data residency?
Datadog offers multiple hosting regions, including EU1 in Frankfurt, and has announced plans for a UK data centre presence expected later in 2026. Residency still needs designing: telemetry classification, redaction, retention and access controls all affect where data lands and who can see it. As a UK-based Datadog partner we help teams design deployments around their residency and governance requirements. See our guide to Datadog data residency for the UK public sector.
How much does managed Datadog cost?
Two costs are involved. Datadog platform licensing is billed by Datadog based on usage: hosts, logs, custom metrics, traces and the products you enable. Our managed service is a monthly recurring subscription scoped to your environment and the operating tier you choose, Guided or Proactive. We do not publish rate cards: the fastest way to an accurate figure is a scoping call, and a Datadog cost review if your current spend is the problem.
Talk to a UK Datadog partner
Whether you're evaluating Datadog, mid-trial, planning a rollout, or looking for a managed Datadog MSP with genuine operational depth, we are the world's first Powered by Datadog accredited partner. Book a call and we'll recommend the simplest next step.