Breaking Free from Vendor Lock-In: Enhancing IT Resilience with Sky Data Vault’s Managed Cloud Solutions
The Customer
A mid-sized company in the oil and gas sector with an annual revenue of approximately $60 million and 300+ employees.
The Challenge
The Customer had previously consolidated all its IT needs with a single vendor, thinking it would simplify operations and streamline vendor management. This vendor was expected to deliver a comprehensive suite of services including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), cybersecurity, patch management, and technical support. However, over time, the Customer began to experience significant issues.
Service Gaps & Unmet Expectations
- Inadequate Support: The Customer quickly realized that their vendor’s customer service was insufficient, resulting in long wait times and unresolved issues.
- Lack of Specialized Expertise and Inefficient Disaster Recovery: Offering a broad range of services, the vendor couldn’t provide in-depth focus on critical areas like disaster recovery, leading to prolonged recovery times when incidents occur.
- Escalating Infrastructure Costs: Over time, the Customer discovered that the vendor’s pricing model was not as flexible as promised. Hidden fees and unexpected price increases became a significant burden to their IT budget.
- Vendor Lock-in & Dependency: The Customer was heavily invested in infrastructure provided by the vendor and was effectively locked into the relationship due to the complexity of migration and dependency on the vendor’s proprietary systems.
Realizing the ongoing risks of this arrangement, the Customer reached out to their Technology Advisor for a solution that would provide better reliability, flexibility, and control over their IT systems.
The Solution
The Technology Advisor recommended a new direction, suggesting partnering with Sky Data Vault (SDV) for scalable, secure IT infrastructure. First was moving critical IT services to SDV, a recognized leader in Managed Cloud Services, for IaaS, DRaaS, and Microsoft 365 backup. This provided the following key benefits:
- Scalable, Secure Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS): SDV offers a highly secure, scalable, and reliable cloud platform that hosts the Customer’s mission-critical applications and data. By migrating to SDV’s cloud infrastructure, the Customer gained the flexibility to scale resources as needed, with no upfront capital investment required.
- Robust Disaster Recovery (DRaaS): SDV’s DRaaS transformed the Customer’s disaster recovery capabilities. Automated backups and rapid failover capabilities ensured the Customer could recover from disruptions in minutes instead of hours or days. With geographically distributed data centers, SDV’s DRaaS provided the Customer with peace of mind, knowing their data was secure and always accessible when needed.
- Ownership and Recoverability of Data in Microsoft 365: SDV’s managed O365 Backup solution protects the Customer’s data in OneDrive, SharePoint, Exchange, and Teams Channels.
- Cost Transparency & Flexibility: SDV’s transparent pricing model enabled the Customer to manage its IT budget better. With flat-fee pricing and scalable options, they could adjust resources on-demand without fear of hidden fees or unpredictable price hikes. This brought much-needed flexibility and cost control to the Customer’s IT operations.
Second, the Technology Advisor recommended a new Managed Service Provider (MSP) to manage day-to-day IT management, including patch management, technical support, and proactive monitoring. With these two dedicated teams managing different areas of IT, the Customer now enjoys seamless, round-the-clock support.
The Outcomes
Customer Outcomes
- Business Continuity: SDV’s DRaaS solutions transformed the Customer’s disaster recovery process. With automated backups, rapid failover capabilities, and geographically distributed data centers, the Customer now has peace of mind knowing that their data is secure and can be restored in minutes rather than hours or days.
- Cost Transparency & Flexibility: The Customer now benefits from a more transparent and flexible pricing model. SDV provides transparent flat fee pricing with scalable options, meaning the Customer can adjust resources as needed without worrying about hidden fees or sudden price hikes.
- Cost Savings: The Customer now benefits from a predictable and cost-effective pricing structure. By working with specialists in IaaS, DRaaS, and O365 Backup, they have optimized their infrastructure costs and can scale as needed without worrying about excessive fees or limitations.
Technology Advisor Outcomes
- Strengthened Long-Term Relationship: The Advisor deepened their long-standing relationship with the Customer, further solidifying their trusted position as a strategic partner.
- Expansion Opportunities:Opened avenues for further engagement and services as the Customer evolves and grows.
- Introduced a Unique Solution Provider: Demonstrated value by introducing the Customer to SDV, offering a solution that quickly addressed their IT challenges with a customer-focused approach and at an affordable cost.
- Seamless Implementation & Simplified Management: Highlighted the Partner’s commitment to innovation through SDV’s white-glove implementation, simplifying the Customer’s IT management and boosting efficiency.