Versetal’s solution at a glance:
- Cut “Time to Delivery” by an unprecedented margin of over 60%
- Reduced both the infrastructure cost and overall Microsoft license cost by 33%
- Generated substantial savings by relieving the Application teams from the burden of managing Infrastructure, enabling them to direct their efforts towards application development with undivided focus
- Containerization of over 300 applications across 20+ clusters, spanning various global regions
Introduction
Amidst the dynamic realm of groundbreaking drug development and the acceleration of life-improving medical solutions, the intricate landscape of IT infrastructure posed persistent challenges for a prominent global pharmaceutical giant.
This company, with its research headquarters situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, faced substantial hurdles in navigating the complexities of its digital framework.
“We had implemented a variety of tools to manage our IT infrastructure; however, in simple terms, issues consistently arose,” said the Global Head of Infrastructure Engineering.
“Whether it was after applying patches, conducting upgrades, or setting up new environments, instances of breakdowns and mismatches were all too common. We looked into the situation thoroughly and knew things had to change.”
This is where our Versetal approach came into play.
“Versetal has been our valued partner for more than five years, facilitating a multitude of successful endeavors in modernizing our infrastructure and application landscape. What particularly stands out to me about Versetal is their unwavering dedication to project timeliness and the remarkable flexibility they extend throughout the project’s lifecycle.”
Automating Infrastructure Deployment and Modernizing Operations
In response to persistent challenges with their IT infrastructure, characterized by frequent breakdowns and discrepancies following patches, upgrades, or the establishment of new environments, Versetal conducted a comprehensive analysis of the situation. It became evident that a transformative approach was imperative. The catalyst for Versetal’s evolution was the strategic integration of automation and modernization principles.
“Collaborating with Versetal proved instrumental as we endeavored to revolutionize our operational landscape. By enlisting the expertise of Operating Systems and Automation Engineers from Versetal, we orchestrated the automation of server and virtual machine deployment, encompassing OS installation and application setup.”
Central to this transformation was the embrace of Infrastructure as Code, facilitated by the Infrastructure Management tool, Chef. This transition represented a significant milestone in the journey towards achieving enhanced Infrastructure Automation. The adoption of this paradigm shift marked a monumental stride in refining the operational landscape.
“The guidance of Versetal’s adept engineers was pivotal in navigating this intricate transition. This partnership not only engendered stability but also remarkably truncated our Time to Delivery by an unprecedented margin of over 60%.”
“The guidance of Versetal’s adept engineers was pivotal in navigating this intricate transition. This partnership not only engendered stability but also remarkably truncated our Time to Delivery by an unprecedented margin of over 60%.”
Why Versetal
Emerging as the chosen partner for the automation and modernization journey underscored to Versetal’s pivotal role as a central collaborator. The extensive track record in effectively managing database services for Oracle and SQL fostered unshakable trust in Versetal’s engineering expertise and commitment to project management methodologies.
How Versetal Responded
Having achieved remarkable success with the implementation of Chef Infrastructure Automation, Versetal furthered their partnership by embarking on a comprehensive transformation of Application Deployment. This phase encompassed the adoption of Continuous Integration/Deployment through DevOps methodologies and tools. Versetal helped in introducing enterprise-grade solutions like BitBucket for code repository, JFrog Artifactory for binaries/packages management, and Jenkins for orchestrating the entire DevOps toolchain. The team integrated security measures into the DevOps lifecycle, embedding automated security practices within Jenkins.
“The realization of this multifaceted advancement owes much to Versetal’s indispensable support, as modernizing our Application Deployment ecosystem to this extent would have been considerably challenging without their expertise.”
Subsequent to the comprehensive DevOps framework adoption, their journey of modernization continued. With guidance from Versetal’s engineers and architects, they crafted an exemplary Kubernetes Container Platform and effectively containerized their diverse application portfolio.
The Container team, strengthened by Versetal’s guidance, has emerged as a model within the industry, adeptly overseeing both On-Premise and Public Cloud (Azure and Amazon) implementations. Their accomplishments encompass the successful containerization of more than 300 applications distributed across 20+ clusters, encompassing diverse global regions. The adoption of a platform-agnostic Hybrid model, which harmonizes On-Premise and Cloud deployments, serves as a testament to their forward-thinking approach.
“The realization of this multifaceted advancement owes much to Versetal’s indispensable support, as modernizing our Application Deployment ecosystem to this extent would have been considerably challenging without their expertise.”
Global Head of Infrastructure Engineering
The Results
In the wake of this transformative shift toward Platform-as-a-Service modernization and Application Enhancement via Containerization, the pharmeceutical company reaped substantial benefits. Infrastructure costs diminished by a third, paralleled by a corresponding one-third reduction in overall OS licensing expenditures.
Moreover, the burden on Application teams was alleviated, liberating them from Infrastructure concerns and enabling an intensified focus on application development. This collaborative journey has undeniably catalyzed their organizational advancement and reinforces their competitive standing, allowing them to focus on what matters most – reimagining medicine.
“Versetal has been our valued partner for more than five years, facilitating a multitude of successful endeavors in modernizing our infrastructure and application landscape. What particularly stands out to me about Versetal is their unwavering dedication to project timeliness and the remarkable flexibility they extend throughout the project’s lifecycle.”
