With a network of leading brands, our client is a leading insurance broker in the UK with a global reach that sets it apart. They embarked on a cloud migration initiative for over 800 applications as part of a wider business-driven transformation program. This ambitious project’s primary objectives included reducing costs and technological debt, enhancing cybersecurity measures, adhering to regulatory compliance, mitigating operational inefficiencies, and facilitating an aggressive expansion strategy.
The client faced significant challenges stemming from the complexity of infrastructure and security risks following extensive M&A activities, compounded by existing tech debt. Addressing these issues promptly became crucial, especially considering regulatory compliance and risk management implications, to ensure the resilience of their legacy systems.
The client was looking for a partner to set up a robust technology foundation to bolster their highly acquisitive business strategy and address pressing business needs. These included eliminating substantial inefficiencies within their cost base, operating model, and the initial Azure cloud implementation that they were actively experimenting with.
Leveraging profound expertise and a proven track record of success in facilitating seamless integration, governance, and regulatory compliance for Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as driving digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 1000 enterprises, Brillio (earlier CloudStratex) emerged as the optimal choice.
Collaboratively, the teams initially engaged to provide a current state analysis to scrutinize and document the entire physical and virtual inventory of the infrastructure estate. Their mandate included the meticulous examination and documentation of the complete physical and virtual inventory within the infrastructure estate, encompassing an exhaustive range of components, such as cloud landing zones, servers, storage, databases, etc. The overarching goal was to identify key priorities that would inform the subsequent remediation program.
The evaluation of the environment extended to the optimization of resources by eliminating under-utilized assets, minimizing technical debt, and strategically consolidating while proactively migrating to the cloud when deemed advantageous.
To support this vision, a meticulously designed end-to-end enterprise-scale Azure Landing Zone was architected. This comprehensive solution included seamless connectivity to the client’s SDWAN and the broader technology estate and campuses. Notably, the architecture incorporated a highly automated framework, ensuring the governance-led automation of all Landing Zone elements. This modular approach positioned the system for future growth and scalability.
Following comprehensive architectural planning, a substantial migration program was initiated. This program focused on migrating, refactoring, and decommissioning workloads from the legacy Landing Zone and Data Centers to the newly established Azure Landing Zone. Furthermore, the Brillio team took the lead in orchestrating additional initiatives, including dedicated programs for implementing Azure DevBox, ensuring High Availability (HA) and Resiliency, and expediting the seamless onboarding of acquired business technology solutions.
After the implementation, the client successfully transitioned to a modern and efficient hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure environment, bolstering resilience against cyber threats and critical incidents. This transformative effort resulted in substantial consolidation and simplification, evidenced by notable achievements such as 30% or more server consolidation and decommissioning. The outcome also provided a lucid architectural and operational understanding of the entire environment.
The project yielded remarkable initial cost savings, totaling £1.54 million, with several multiples of this identified to be delivered. It implemented a cloud-efficient design that has facilitated the swift migration of workloads to the cloud, contributing significantly to ongoing cost-efficiency measures.
