Azure migration aimed at significant cost reduction and productivity gains.

The Warehouse Group is migrating the bulk of its operations to Microsoft Azure in a multi-year project aimed at saving millions of dollars over the next three years.

With more than 750 on-premises servers, and infrastructure reaching the end of its useful life, The Warehouse Group faced substantial ongoing costs for maintenance and replacement of technology.

The NZX-listed retailer has now partnered with LAB³ to move its applications to Microsoft’s public cloud, meaning the company will no longer have to manage its own infrastructure, providing predictability around cloud costs as well as greater resilience and security.

“It’s great for our stores to be able to rely on 24/7 accessibility, and no longer be reliant on a single datacentre on our premises,” said The Warehouse Group general manager of group technology operations Ankit Gupta.

The migration process is happening in stages, with around a third of the group’s applications already moved ahead of the new local Microsoft cloud region opening in New Zealand later this year. The NZ North cloud region will be up to 98 per cent more energy-efficient than standard on-premises infrastructure, and LAB³’s Dr Migrate tool will allow the retailer to monitor the carbon footprint of its cloud use.

“Right now, every business, especially in retail, is being challenged to do more with less, understand their customers better, keep up with the rapid development of AI and be more sustainable,” said Microsoft NZ managing director Vanessa Sorenson.

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Additional Information:

• LAB³ Guide to Accelerating Cloud Adoption – Discover practical and actionable insights based on our extensive local and international experience in Australia and New Zealand – Secure your copy of The Guide

• LAB³ helps organisations prepare for the new Microsoft hyperscale cloud region in New Zealand – Learn More