A seamless VMware to AWS migration for a leading SaaS provider
A leading Australian SaaS provider, sought to migrate from on-premises VMware to VMware Cloud to the cloud for improved scalability, performance and security. The unexpected Broadcom acquisition of VMware accelerated their transition to an AWS-native solution, presenting challenges with unfamiliar technology and a tight migration timeline. Cevo, supported by D6 Consulting’s expertise in digital project management, implemented a tailored AWS migration strategy using AWS Application Migration Service, ensuring seamless data synchronisation and minimal disruption. As a result, the Saas company achieved a smooth migration, enhanced performance and gained the confidence and in-house capability to manage and optimise their AWS environment independently.
Zero downtime
Across 25 workloads
25% faster performance
Improving latency
ISV
Industry
Business challenge
With an impending data centre exit in the UK, the SaaS provider planned to migrate its UK operations to VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS, following the successful transition of its Australian systems a few months prior. However, Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware introduced a shift in strategy, with anticipated increases in licensing costs leading to a reassessment.
Cevo partnered with the company to explore alternatives, leading to a decision to transition fully to AWS-native services. While this offered long-term scalability, performance and security benefits, it also introduced new challenges. The organisation’s team had decades of experience in VMware, but no prior AWS expertise. With critical operations spanning both Australia and the UK, and a large customer base to support, they needed to upskill rapidly, develop a well-defined migration strategy, and ensure business continuity; all while navigating unfamiliar cloud-native technologies.
Solution
Cevo and D6 Consulting collaborated to execute a seamless migration to AWS-native services over four months. Cevo provided deep technical expertise, while D6 supported with project management capabilities to ensure smooth project coordination.
A phased migration approach to reduce risk
To minimise risk and ensure a smooth transition, Cevo leveraged its trusted Assess, Launch, Migrate and Modernise migration approach. After evaluating several options, Cevo recommended AWS Application Migration Service to facilitate a seamless lift-and-shift migration of VMware-based applications. This allowed the organisation to synchronise data to AWS ahead of time, ensuring a seamless cutover without impacting production workloads. Importantly, production workloads remained operational during the process, providing a safety net in the event of any issues.
Cevo also designed and implemented a centralised network solution with a checkpoint firewall to enhance security for the SaaS provider’s UK operations. This multi-region deployment ensured secure and reliable access for users while maintaining redundancy across AWS regions. Finally, Cevo also built a disaster recovery solution in the AWS Ireland Region, further strengthening cloud resilience and ensuring business continuity in case of any regional failures.
Building AWS capability
With no prior AWS experience, the organisation needed support to confidently manage and optimise its new cloud environment. Cevo embedded knowledge transfer at every stage of the migration, delivering hands-on training, documentation and recorded materials to set the team up for long-term success. Regular stand-ups across UK and Australian teams facilitated real-time collaboration and alignment.
With D6 ensuring smooth coordination and Cevo’s technical expertise guiding the transition, the SaaS organisation quickly gained confidence in their new cloud environment, positioning itself for greater agility, performance and long-term cloud success.
Outcomes
The migration, executed seamlessly in collaboration with Cevo and D6, transformed the SaaS provider’s infrastructure, eliminating reliance on VMware while enhancing performance, security, and efficiency. Outcomes include:
- Zero-downtime migration – Successfully migrated 25 workloads to AWS within a tight timeframe with no service outages, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
- 25% performance improvement – Reduced latency by bringing systems closer to the SaaS provider’s UK customer base, enhancing application responsiveness.
- Scalability and global standardisation – Unified the organisation’s infrastructure across Australia and the UK, enabling a consistent, AWS-native environment.
- Operational efficiency – Consolidated billing and streamlined infrastructure management into a single AWS environment, reducing administrative overhead.
- Enhanced security and resilience – Established consistent security protocols across both the Australian and UK operations and implemented a disaster recovery solution to ensure business continuity.
- Empowered development teams – Provided hands-on training, documentation and recorded sessions to upskill internal teams, equipping them to confidently manage and optimise in a unified AWS environment.
- Future-ready foundation – Positioned the SaaS company for ongoing cloud innovation, enabling faster application development and future data initiatives.
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