Ageing servers, retired to the cloud.

The challenge

A manufacturing business was running on ageing on premise servers, the kind that have quietly become a liability. They still worked, mostly, but they were nearing the end of their life, and the choice was the one every business in this position faces: spend heavily on replacement hardware and keep maintaining a server room, or find a better way.

Underneath the hardware question sat a harder one. The servers held the things the business actually ran on: shared files, the Active Directory that governs who can log in, and the line of business applications that keep production moving. Whatever happened, those could not skip a beat.

Our approach

We moved the business off its ageing servers and onto hosted cloud infrastructure, taking the whole environment rather than just the easy parts. The file server came across, so people kept the shared data they depend on. Active Directory moved too, preserving the identity and access structure the business already relied on rather than forcing a disruptive rebuild.

The line of business applications, the ones specific to how this manufacturer works, were migrated alongside, with VPN connectivity tying everything together so people reach their systems securely wherever they are. The point was a like for like home in the cloud that simply runs better, not a half move that leaves loose ends on old hardware.

The outcome

The manufacturer now runs entirely on hosted cloud infrastructure, with the file server, Active Directory, and line of business apps all moved across and reachable over VPN. The ageing servers, and the looming bill to replace them, are gone.

There is no capital outlay on new hardware and no server room to nurse, and the hosted environment delivers 99.9% uptime, so the systems the business depends on are there when production needs them.