Objective
The Knight Frank team in Australia aimed to streamline its on-premises data center operations and drive operational efficiencies by transitioning to the cloud. Beyond enhancing resiliency and capacity, the goal was to leverage data intelligently and lay the groundwork for offering innovative services to customers.
Approach
Initially, Knight Frank evaluated several major cloud providers and determined that Microsoft Azure best suited their requirements. With an existing partnership with RSI, recognized as Microsoft’s largest Australian business partner and an Azure Expert MSP, Knight Frank was confident in their ability to deliver the solution.
IT Outcome
Migration of Azure workloads from on-premises data centers
Implementation of Azure BI and Analytics
Knowledge sharing with the Knight Frank team
Enhanced performance, visibility, and agility
Business Outcome
Introduction of new services for customers
Improved insights from data analytics
Local management of support needs
“We accelerated as a team, and cloud was pivotal in that. We became a more agile organization, capable of moving at the speed our clients required.” – Craig Holt, Head of IT, Knight Frank Australia
Background
Knight Frank is a globally respected property brand, with a significant presence in Australia. With a tradition of quality and service excellence, Knight Frank’s Australian business combines tradition with modern technology, offering customers access to advanced capabilities.
Challenge
Managing on-premises infrastructure with support from the UK proved challenging due to time differences. Transitioning to the cloud was essential to modernize services and overcome support challenges, setting the stage for continuous digital transformation and enhanced customer experience.
Solution
Knight Frank partnered with RSI and Microsoft for a cloud migration assessment and a three-phase project to migrate data centers to Azure. The focus was on developing a ‘cloud-first’ strategy and leveraging Software as a Service (SaaS) alternatives to existing applications.
IT Outcome
Rsi Technologies and Microsoft specialists collaborated with Knight Frank to develop a detailed transition plan to Azure, focusing on modernizing apps and workloads. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Knight Frank successfully rolled out the project, benefiting from the scalability and agility of the cloud platform.
Business Outcome
Cloud adoption empowered Knight Frank to introduce new customer services and derive valuable insights from data analytics. Flexibility and support from RSI and Microsoft were instrumental in adapting to changing requirements and driving successful outcomes.
Conclusion
Knight Frank’s proactive approach to cloud adoption and data analytics enabled them to respond effectively to unexpected challenges, positioning them as a more agile organization in their industry. The positive response from customers underscores the value of leveraging technology to drive business transformation and improve decision-making capabilities.