Background
In the dynamic landscape of cloud technology, it is crucial to collaborate with partners who can not only meet current requirements but also think visionary and plan for the future. Vorwerk, a global player and pioneer in the IoT sector, faced the challenge of continuing to manage its cloud environment effectively and securely. The collaboration between Vorwerk and glueckkanja was no coincidence. It was based on past experiences and grown trust. Vorwerk was already familiar with glueckkanja’s competencies from the Modern Workplace sector and their product RealmJoin, and was looking for an evolutionary step in its cloud strategy.
Solution
glueckkanja accompanied Vorwerk through various phases, starting with the establishment of an Azure Landing Zone, conducting a Proof-of-Concept, and continuously evaluating this strategy all the way to the conclusion of the Azure Managed Services contract. The steps were carefully planned, with glueckkanja laying a solid foundation using the Azure Foundation and guiding Vorwerk through the complex aspects of cloud management. The Cloud Competence Center was established to systematically address questions around security and compliance, ensuring effective organization and implementation of cloud onboardings. The centerpiece of glueckkanja's solution is Infrastructure as Code. This implementation provided a robust and future-proof solution that not only optimally supports Vorwerk in the current IT landscape but also offers the flexibility to work with various service providers – all under a unified governance and security umbrella. In this constellation, glueckkanja acts as a vigilant "watchdog", always ensuring that all workloads are clearly delineated and protected according to the principles of Least Privilege Access and Zero Trust.Conclusion & Outlook
The initial investment in the partnership with glueckkanja has proven to be extremely valuable. The collaboration led to significant time and cost savings, and Vorwerk benefited from a wealth of experience and best practices, minimizing the risk of making typical mistakes.
For the next steps, the migration of additional workloads is planned. glueckkanja is working on building applications to be “stateless”. Applications will not just be implemented on virtual machines and installed manually. Instead, the application infrastructure will be carefully mapped in templates and implemented using Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management. This approach goes beyond the traditional “Lift & Shift” model, aiming for a more efficient and adaptable solution.
The similar corporate cultures of Vorwerk and glueckkanja promoted open communication and knowledge transfer, creating the foundation for an effective and productive partnership.
About Vorwerk
Vorwerk is the number one direct sales company in Europe and a global leader in the direct sales of high-quality household appliances. This international family-owned company was founded in 1883 in Wuppertal, Germany. Vorwerk’s core business is the production and distribution of high-quality household products (Thermomix® kitchen appliance, Kobold vacuum cleaner). Vorwerk always seeks direct contact with its customers, with consultants being at the heart of its activities and serving as the central point of contact. The akf group is also part of the Vorwerk family. Vorwerk generates a group turnover of 3.2 billion euros (2022) and is active in more than 60 countries.