Extending the value of VMware by migrating to Azure
For two decades VMware has been the go-to virtualisation solution for many organisations, enabling a data center revolution in the deployment and management of various workloads. Inhouse VMware skills were adopted to reap a wide range of benefits, from running multiple operating systems on a single physical machine to improving disaster recovery capabilities.
But what happens when those same organisations want to explore the agility and scale of the cloud? While public clouds like Azure are increasingly recognised as instrumental for achieving digital transformation, the business case for migrating can be harder to make if there’s a sizeable data centre investment in VMware skills and tools.
The good news is that the close relationship between VMware and Microsoft has led to a best-of-both-worlds fix, called Azure VMware Solution (AVS). Because Ergo has skills in both camps, we were quick to embrace the solution and became the first indigenous Irish IT services company to achieve Microsoft’s Azure VMware Solution (AVS) Advanced Specialisation.
Single control plane
With AVS, Ergo can provide customers with a single control plane between their VMware on-premise and Azure estates, to increase scalability, reduce complexity and ensure operational efficiency. It enables a seamless and efficient way to extend on-premise VMware environments, leveraging existing VMware skills and tools while unlocking the cloud computing benefits of Azure.
Cloud migration becomes easier for inhouse IT teams because they are working with familiar tools. They can run their existing VMware workloads in Azure without having to re-architect applications and services. At the same time, they can explore the power of Azure’s scalable and secure cloud infrastructure, with built-in security and compliance capabilities that bring added layers of protection to VMware workloads.
AVS also increases the scope for service optimisation and cost benefits. An economic impact study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Forrester Consulting found that customers can lower overall costs for Microsoft applications running on vSphere, VMware’s cloud computing virtualisation platform. It found a projected return on investment of between 125% and 274%. Projected total cost of ownership savings ranged from $3 million to more than $7 million over three years.
Disaster recovery and virtual desktops
AVS avoids significant capital expenditure in migrating apps and services, but the value proposition goes much further. Much more than a ‘lift and shift’ proposition, the depth of synergies between Microsoft and VMware opens the door to innovating and doing things differently. Organisations can explore new services, such as using Azure for disaster recovery (DR) to ensure high availability of all VMware workloads.
Another compelling use case is for customers to adopt Horizon, VMware’s VDI (Virtual desktop Infrastructure) solution, and run it from Azure. Using a cloud-based VMware console and Software-as-a-Service tools, Horizon ensures greater efficiency in deploying, managing, monitoring and scaling virtual desktops and apps across a multicloud infrastructure.
End-to-end security is built in, ensuring remote access to applications – from any device, anywhere – is always locked down. Horizon can be adjusted to meet the needs of different user profiles, granting different levels of access without compromising their productivity. Coupled with Azure DR capabilities, it makes VDI a strong fit for organisations looking to support hybrid work without increasing their exposure to cyber security threats.
At Ergo, we believe cloud journeys must involve choice. Every organisation will have preferences when it comes to enterprise technologies and hard-earned skills to support them. In the case of AVS, we give VMware users the power to modernise applications with Azure native services, using familiar tools. By providing scale, automation and the fast provisioning of VMware workloads on global Azure infrastructure, we can persuade even the most sceptical CFO of the benefits of cloud migration through AVS.
If you want to learn more about AVS and how it can be used in your organisation, fill in the form below and our team of specialists will contact you.
