Modernising IT: How Ozedi Transformed Operations with AWS

Many businesses face mounting pressure to modernise IT infrastructures as regulatory demands and operational complexities increase to counter growing threats and meet evolving customer needs. It’s a challenging project on its own, but to do it while maintaining stringent compliance and security standards adds even more complexity. High costs, inflexible systems, and urgent deadlines also often force organisations to act quickly to avoid disruption and stay competitive.

Ozedi: The Growing Need for Modernised IT in a Changing Landscape

With over 40 years of experience, Ozedi is a leader in secure business messaging solutions for business-to-business and government communications with over 50,000 clients. Their offerings include Single Touch Payroll, eInvoicing, SuperStream compliance, and business funding solutions. Ozedi has played a pivotal role in shaping industry standards, including pioneering superannuation and payroll solutions, earning them a reputation for reliability and innovation.

Challenges of Legacy Infrastructure and Rising Costs

Ozedi’s legacy infrastructure had supported their operations for years, but as they grew in scale and scope, modernisation became increasingly essential. While the existing setup had served them well, it was no longer equipped to keep pace with changing demands. This lack of agility was further compounded when their on-premises provider announced a 50% cost increase, prompting an urgent need to reassess their IT environment.

Several challenges emerged as priorities for resolution:

• High Operational Costs: The existing data centre environment incurred escalating operational costs, particularly due to changes in VMware licensing fees. Maintaining the data centre was becoming increasingly expensive and unsustainable.
• Urgent Migration Timeline: With a mandated exit from the data centre by June, Ozedi was under pressure to swiftly transition their operations to avoid financial penalties and potential disruptions.
• Limited Scalability and Flexibility: The on-premises setup lacked the scalability and flexibility required to adapt to evolving business needs, which stifled innovation and hindered response times to market changes.
• Security and Compliance Concerns: As regulatory demands increased, Ozedi recognised the urgent need to enhance their security posture. The existing infrastructure posed risks related to data protection and compliance, necessitating a more secure environment.

Simplifying IT Modernisation: Ozedi’s AWS Migration

DNX Solutions, specialising in cloud migration and cloud transformation, provided Ozedi with a secure, scalable AWS environment to reduce costs, enhance cloud security, and ensure operational resilience. Given the strict timeline and the need to avoid disruptions, DNX adopted an agile, customer-focused strategy designed for rapid deployment. The approach not only enabled the seamless migration of Ozedi’s infrastructure but also laid the groundwork for long-term flexibility and scalability to meet evolving business demands. 

Key steps in the engagement included:

1. Agile Project Kickoff: DNX conducted a rapid alignment session to establish goals, priorities, and a clear roadmap for delivery.

2. AWS Foundation Implementation: To build a robust and scalable cloud environment, DNX established a strong AWS foundation that prioritised security, compliance, and ease of management. This groundwork ensured that Ozedi’s cloud infrastructure could support their immediate and future needs while adhering to best practices.

• Infrastructure as Code: DNX utilised Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to provision a secure AWS cloud foundation, ensuring centralised management of resources and adherence to best practices across multiple AWS accounts.
• Networking Blueprint Development: A secure network foundation was established using AWS networking services, creating logically isolated environments that meet compliance and security requirements.

3. Lift and Shift Migration: To address Ozedi’s urgent need to transition from their on-premises infrastructure, DNX employed a lift-and-shift migration strategy. This approach allowed for the rapid relocation of existing workloads to the AWS cloud without altering their architecture, ensuring minimal disruption and meeting the tight deadline. 

• DNX executed a controlled migration of up to six workloads, including critical applications such as Exchange and Terminal Services. The agile approach allowed for quick adjustments in response to any challenges encountered during the migration process.
• AWS Backup Integration: Implemented AWS Backup to protect workloads, ensuring compliance with Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).

4. Enhanced Security: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, Single Sign-On (SSO), and AWS CloudWatch were implemented to fortify security and ensure continuous monitoring.

5. Knowledge Sharing: DNX conducted comprehensive training sessions, equipping Ozedi’s team with the skills needed to manage and optimise their new environment. With documentation and hands-on guidance, DNX ensured that Ozedi’s team could maintain, troubleshoot, and scale their new cloud infrastructure.

AWS Migration: Cost Savings, Improved Security, and Enhanced Agility

The migration to AWS delivered tangible benefits for Ozedi, streamlining operations, improving security, and enabling growth. Here’s how the move to the cloud made an impact:

Cost Reduction

By modernising IT and moving from an on-premises data centre to AWS, Ozedi saw a significant reduction in operational costs. They no longer had to maintain expensive hardware or deal with the rising costs of VMware licensing. The shift to AWS allowed them to take advantage of a flexible pricing model, delivering savings almost immediately.

Improved Security Posture

Ozedi’s security and compliance were strengthened with AWS. With tools like IAM, encryption, and CloudWatch, Ozedi could ensure their sensitive data was protected and that they met all necessary regulatory requirements. The cloud environment also provided a more robust framework for managing risks, something the previous infrastructure couldn’t fully support.

Increased Scalability and Flexibility

Ozedi now has the ability to scale operations quickly and efficiently, something that was increasingly difficult with their legacy infrastructure. AWS enabled them to rapidly deploy new resources to support growing business needs, improving agility in delivering services and responding to market changes. As a result, they’re better positioned to innovate and roll out new offerings without worrying about infrastructure limitations.

Operational Efficiency

With the migration to AWS, Ozedi was able to free up valuable time and resources. The cloud-based infrastructure automated routine tasks, reducing the amount of manual management required. This allowed Ozedi’s team to focus on more strategic projects, driving innovation and improving overall productivity.

On-Time Delivery and Agility

Meeting the tight migration deadline was critical to avoiding financial penalties, and DNX’s agile approach ensured that Ozedi transitioned smoothly. Despite the urgency, the migration was completed on time with minimal disruption, ensuring business continuity and eliminating any risk of penalties associated with the data centre exit. The speed and adaptability of DNX’s team meant Ozedi could meet their goals without compromising on quality or security.

Future-Proofing Business Operations with Cloud Modernisation

The migration to AWS allowed Ozedi to overcome the significant challenges they faced with their legacy infrastructure. By addressing high operational costs, improving scalability, and enhancing security, Ozedi not only resolved their immediate concerns but also positioned themselves for sustainable growth. The on-time delivery of the project ensured they avoided penalties, while the modernised environment enabled their team to focus on innovation and service delivery.

For businesses grappling with outdated systems, escalating costs, or increased compliance demands, Ozedi’s transformation serves as a compelling example of what’s possible with the right cloud strategy. DNX Solutions’ expertise in modernisation and migration helps businesses like yours achieve secure, scalable, and cost-efficient operations, empowering you to respond to market demands with agility and confidence. Whether it’s meeting critical deadlines or future-proofing your infrastructure, DNX Solutions can guide your organisation to success.