Client story Coleg Cambria chooses Nutanix to avoid rising VMware costs

Background

Increasing VMware costs, combined with resource limitations and budgetary restrictions, meant that Coleg Cambria needed to find a more cost-effective, easy-to-manage alternative to its existing, VMware-based hyperconverged infrastructure platform.

Insight designed and implemented a new Nutanix solution, running AHV, and provided expert supervision and guidance for migrating the college’s existing VMware workloads to the new solution.

Challenge

As one of the country’s largest colleges, serving thousands of learners at multiple sites, reliable and efficient IT services are critical.

Coleg Cambria was facing significant cost increases from the ongoing VMware licensing and support costs, associated with its existing VxRail infrastructure. Additionally, its existing VxRail solution required complex updates and frequent support, which took up valuable IT resources. With a relatively small IT team working within strict budget parameters, the college required a reliable and simple to manage hyperconverged infrastructure that would meet the increased demand for IT services, without overburdening its team with additional day-to-day infrastructure management.

Solutions and outcomes

Insight was selected by Coleg Cambria to design and implement a modern hyperconverged infrastructure. The aim of the project was to avoid a significant increase in VMware costs, while meeting the college’s requirements for a reliable and simple to manage infrastructure.

Insight recommended a Nutanix solution, using Nutanix’s Acropolis Hypervisor instead of VMware’s vSphere. The new Nutanix solution broadly mirrored the functionality of the college’s existing VxRail platform, but offered simpler day-to-day operations, easier upgrades and improved cost predictability and avoided significant licensing increases.

Insight’s expertise was critical in creating the overall solution design and deploying the new solution. Following Nutanix best practice for AHV throughout the project, the team also provided professional services to assist with the college’s VMware to AHV migration and a technical roadmap that aligned with the college’s long-term objectives.

Overall, the modernised infrastructure significantly simplified IT management, enhanced reliability, reduced expenditure and helped Coleg Cambria’s IT team better manage its resources. Routine updates that previously required complex procedures and vendor support calls are now performed in just a few clicks. The Nutanix solution is also scalable and can evolve to meet the college’s future needs, supporting both current operations and long-term digital strategies.

Why Insight?

Insight was chosen by Coleg Cambria due to its deep Nutanix expertise and because of its excellent record delivering similar HCI solutions to other colleges and public sector organisations. After demonstrating a clear understanding of the college’s technical and budgetary challenges, Insight was able to deliver a reliable but cost-effective solution.

Insight worked collaboratively with the college’s IT team to assess needs, recommend the right platform and then deliver a seamless migration, ensuring minimal disruption.