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Optimizing Cloud Infrastructure for an Event Industry Leader
Business Situation
This global leader in event management drives brand loyalty and audience engagement through impactful exhibitions, exhibits, and events. Operating out of Dallas, the company leverages nearly a century of experience alongside cutting-edge technology to fulfill its mission of bringing people together.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, presented unprecedented challenges, leading to significant staffing reductions, including in IT. This reduction affected the deployment and stability of the company’s Azure infrastructure—a vital cloud platform for app modernization and AI solutions.
As business resumed, the organization identified a need to optimize its Azure environment for better IT management, cost efficiency, and security. Recognizing the need for expert guidance, the company sought a technology partner with deep Azure expertise to perform a comprehensive audit.
Solutions
As a certified Microsoft Solutions Partner with a specialization in Azure, we were engaged in early 2024 to conduct an in-depth assessment of the company’s Azure infrastructure. Our goal was to identify opportunities for modernization and cost optimization.
Our analysis uncovered a complex setup combining on-premises and in-cloud elements, leading to inefficiencies. We recommended a streamlined data infrastructure and an enhanced governance model for Azure, which would not only bolster stability and security but also optimize costs. These improvements included consolidating duplicate data sources, right-sizing infrastructure, and removing unused applications.
At the conclusion of the audit, we presented leadership with a report outlining three tiers of Azure optimization options, each designed to achieve varying levels of cost savings and operational efficiency.
Results
Our recommendations revealed that moving 80 percent of on-premises infrastructure to the cloud could reduce costs by up to 40 percent—potentially saving hundreds of thousands annually based on current IT expenditures.
In addition to financial benefits, we identified specific Azure tools, such as tagging, that could further enhance data security and system reliability.
The organization is now in the process of implementing our recommendations to align its Azure infrastructure with its evolving needs and improve efficiency.
Our partnership continues as we provide ongoing guidance for the company’s broader technology initiatives, supporting its leadership in the fast-paced event management industry.
AZURE OPTIMIZATION
IS NO SMALL EVENT
How Core BTS Helped an Event Management Industry Leader
Assess its Azure Footprint to Maximize its Potential
Business Situation
The Freeman Company is a global leader in event management with a mission of helping brands build greater loyalty and trust through exhibitions, exhibits, and events that bring people together and drive audiences to action.
The Dallas-based company achieves its mission through full-service solutions that leverage nearly a century of event industry experience along with today’s latest technologies.
But during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to many in-person events being canceled or postponed, Freeman was forced to reduce its staffing. The impact of layoffs in the company’s IT department led to an inconsistent deployment of infrastructure for Azure – Microsoft’s cloud computing platform that enables users to build and modernize apps and create cutting-edge AI solutions.
As Freeman’s event business eventually picked back up in the years following the pandemic, the company recognized shortcomings and the need to assess its Azure footprint in order to optimize IT management moving forward. However, in order to determine which foundations, security measures, and cost efficiencies could be improved upon for Azure, the company needed a technology partner with the Microsoft expertise to conduct a thorough audit.
Our Solution
As a certified Microsoft Solutions Partner and an expert in Azure, Core BTS was brought in by Freeman in early 2024 to conduct a thorough, multi-week audit of its Azure infrastructure. We were asked to determine how the company could benefit from modernizing its Azure footprint.
Through our analysis, Core BTS recognized that Freeman’s current data environment was pieced together with a combination of on-premises and in-cloud solutions that was not optimally stable, secure, or cost-efficient. Our team determined that by streamlining the data infrastructure, optimizing Azure governance, and developing a more comprehensive strategy for data backup and recovery, Freeman would be able to significantly improve its stability and security.
Additionally, the company could generate sizable cost savings from a variety of measures to right-size its Azure footprint, including the consolidation of duplicate data sources and the elimination of unneeded application deployments.
Upon completion of our audit, Core BTS presented Freeman’s leadership with a report detailing three tiers of options for Azure optimization to consider, with each involving different levels of action and resulting cost savings.
The Results
Our optimization recommendations showed Freeman that by preparing its data environment to move 80 percent of the company’s on-prem infrastructure to the cloud could result in cost savings up to as much as 40 percent. Based on the company’s current IT spend, that total is as high as several hundred thousand dollars on an annual basis.
Our recommended optimizations also included taking advantage of various Azure tools, such as tagging, that currently were not being utilized. In addition to cost savings, these measures could result in greater data security and system stability.
Currently, Freeman is working on implementing our recommended Azure optimizations to right-size its footprint and upsize its efficiency and productivity.
Meanwhile, our team at Core BTS continues to provide the company with counsel and support for a variety of other technology initiatives as Freeman continues to strengthen its leadership position in the growing event management space.