Client story Global Mining Company Taps Into OpEx ROI for Cloud-Native Environment
By Insight Editor / 13 Jul 2023 / Topics: IT optimization Cloud Consulting services
Facts at a glance
Client industry:
Mining
Challenge:
Improve speed and functionality of global data centers while containing costs.
Solution:
Cloud-native data centers with Global Accelerator
Insight provided:
- Consulting services
- Proof of Concept (PoC) for migrating physical data centers to the cloud
- Onboarding for the operationalizing the environment
- Professional services
- Data center migration
- Site-to-site VPN connections
Outcomes:
Download the client story
- Lowered CapEx costs
- Decreased carbon footprint
- Moved to OpEx model
- Fully cloud-native environment for data centers
The vision: Migrate physical data centers to the cloud for enhanced performance and functionality.
For this international mining company, quick access to data had become a top priority when it partnered with Insight. Wanting to avoid future expansion of on-premises data centers, the client was motivated to find a more cost-efficient and time-saving alternative that wouldn’t disrupt the flow of business. Starting with one location segment of the company, the client wanted to see what the impact on the local offices and data access would be after migrating to a cloud environment.
Initializing a smooth migration and deployment
During the migration process, the client opted to set up its AWS® landing zone with full functionality from the start. While this process can require more upfront investment of time and resources, it allows for a smoother transition to deployment without hiccups that might come from layering in security or other features that can require refactoring. This choice meant that once the client saw efficiencies from migration, there was no delay in operationalizing the solution permanently.
As part of this fully functional landing zone, Insight implemented robust security and performance features to help reach the client's goals. With AWS Global Accelerator, cloud data is secure and quicker to access for credentialed employees. Regardless of where employees are in the world, they are able to access the data from the cloud in a timely manner. Additionally, AWS Control Tower® was set up for seamless, comprehensive security and governance of the cloud environment.
Unlocking the benefits of OpEx
Ultimately, the client wanted to avoid expanding its physical data center presence and eventually move away from the CapEx model completely for its data. Not only did this move make sense financially — it was also time saving. Rather than having to order hardware, wait for delivery and then spend time configuring the physical data center before it could become operational, the client could purchase additional cloud storage and have immediate access to it. This OpEx model also opens the door for actively managing storage and reducing costs during the slower season, rather than being burdened by unused, expensive hardware.
The outcome: A high-speed and high-availability cloud environment
With the success of this location segment migration, the client is eager to contract its on-premises data center presence — significantly decreasing its carbon footprint and CapEx costs as a result. Additionally, this project is poised to initiate a domino effect that will take the international company to a fully cloud-native data environment. With this new foundation, the client will soon seek to modernize legacy applications and infuse even more cutting-edge technology into the company — putting it ahead of the industry curve.
The outcome: Increased uptime, an estimated $20K saved per day — and stability of its most valuable platforms
Insight’s proposed radical Agile approach with 24-hour feedback loops allowed for quicker implementation of changes and progress toward the client’s end goal. This helped to resolve multiple challenges the client was facing from using a scaling framework with six-week increments with delayed feedback and collaboration. Flexibility and constant collaboration were key to the success of the migration and client satisfaction. This accelerated the anticipated client delivery schedule by three months, saving the client an estimated $20K a day. With a successful migration, this transportation and logistics giant is continuing to work with Insight to modernize its infrastructure, and in the future, it wants to pursue the modernization of its applications.
