Our client Sahadi is over a hundred-year-old retailer based out of Brooklyn, New York. They have multiple business locations that offer over 2000 premium specialty foods.
Offering great ancient grains and beautiful spices, over 200 bulk bins of freshly roasted nuts, dried fruits, exotic olives, and old-fashioned barrels of coffee beans, Sahadi’s is an old-world establishment where you may experiment with new flavors. We are in business with this client for over a couple of years now. Our usual service offering was providing them with the server licenses and upgrading them whenever required.
Client Requirement
With the recent cyberattacks across the globe, Sahadi was alert to the possible data breaches and needed a secured IT environment for their business. Their idea was to safeguard their crucial customer information and leverage the backup facilities.
The Solution: The Azure Lift and Shift by CSE
Our client was using 2003 on-premise servers, which needed a makeover in the modern time to stay competitive. We pitched them the Azure lift and shifted wherein our experts would lift all the on-premises resources and turn it to Azure cloud. This involved moving all the data as well.
They transitioned to cloud-based services, including Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive, and implemented additional security measures such as Azure Active Directory and multi-factor authentication. We sought to develop a virtual solution that would assist their design team while also optimizing their Microsoft 365 E5 subscription. With this, we provided the client to perform the following:
1. Install the most recent version of their software.
2. Concurrent users are supported, which is a perfect configuration for collaborative design teams.
3. Integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 Apps in a familiar desktop environment.
4. Using Azure AD Conditional Access, apply the appropriate access controls to people and devices.
5. Utilize qualifying Windows or Microsoft 365 licenses to save licensing and infrastructure costs.
6. Rapidly deploy users with boundless scalability and complete automation based on business requirements.
7. Define predictable monthly IT expenditures per employee, lower the cost of end-user equipment, and pay for only what employees require.
Other Services for a Robust IT Environment
Once Sahadi selected Microsoft Azure as their cloud of choice and Windows Virtual Desktop as their remote work solution, they began planning implementation. Rapidly establishing secure connections between their network was a huge task.
We pitched them the Microsoft 365 Business Premium to ensure implementing the baseline security. This was followed by Office 365 Backup Protection. This was necessary to back up their entire Office data to the cloud multiple times a day. Here is the list of services we offered to Sahadi that set them up for a secured IT environment.
Designing a WVD Pilot Program
Our virtualization team began by developing a Windows Virtual Desktop prototype programmed for six members of their design team who were collaboratively working on a project. Our consultants examined new software and rendering during the pilot, which had been a long-standing sore point. Before the WVD pilot, designers would process renderings on a specialized machine. However, the machine had to be relocated for large-scale projects due to the firm’s four sites. Not only was this method inefficient, but they were also paying for a device that was idle for 80% of the time. They could activate a WVD throughout the rendering process and then switch it off when not used with Azure.
When they were working on a shared project, we started a trial program to create a Windows Virtual Desktop for six design team members. Each designer was provided with a separate virtual machine on which to run AutoCAD and Revit. Our consultants examined new software and rendering during the pilot, which had been a long-standing sore point.
Optimizing Spend with Azure
Our client’s spending continues to be optimized with Microsoft 365. They may retire pricey and compute-intensive devices in favor of thinner, longer-lasting endpoints using Windows Virtual Desktop. Their team can now work with AutoCAD and 3D rendering tools while collaborating with other vendors on standard design programs without requiring a large amount of memory. They have enhanced identity and threat security with integrated and automated security as part of their Microsoft 365 E5 subscription, which helps prevent cyber threats. After Windows Virtual Desktop is implemented, they will add audio conferencing and calling features via Cloud Business Voice to optimize the environment.
Looking Ahead—a Cloud-based Future.
Sahadi anticipates that the benefits of Microsoft Azure and Windows Virtual Desktop will continue to grow over time. There are so many places of Azure that they intend to use further with the cloud. Their on-premise servers were at the end-of-life and with time switch to Azure, they can now benefit from the cost of maintaining the same while minimizing all the possible risks of server failure. Cost savings will also apply to staff device refreshes, as these devices will no longer be required to perform processor-intensive tasks. Since they are expanding, we will be offering them the Teams Voice services to streamline their internal communication.
