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Client Challenge
A mid-sized enterprise was facing steadily-rising VMware virtualization costs. VMware alternatives required major changes in a short timeframe, leaving the organization feeling locked into an increasingly expensive platform simply to minimize the risks associated with rapid transformation.
Solution
Partnering with IBM Cloud and PrimaryIO, the client was presented with, and adopted, a walk–run–fly modernization strategy. The first step was a lift-and-shift migration, moving VMware workloads directly onto IBM Cloud bare metal (no OS). This provided immediate hardware refresh with core optimization, eliminated CapEx spend, and transitioned the environment to an OpEx-based model.
Once established in IBM Cloud, the client began reducing its reliance on VMware by transitioning many VMs into a hybrid mix of IBM Cloud-native Virtual Server Instances (VSIs) and Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization Engine (OVE) VMs. This approach yielded significant infrastructure and licensing savings while paving the long-term path for fully exiting VMware as well as identifying applications that were ideal candidates for containerization via IBM’s Red Hat OpenShift Kubernetes Service (ROKs).
Results
Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Eliminated the need for costly hardware-centric infrastructure and achieved immediate cost optimization.
Lower Licensing Costs: Both OVE and VSIs contributed to significant savings—OVE delivered an 80% reduction in per-core licensing cost.
Optimized Infrastructure Spend: IBM Cloud-native VSIs enabled dynamic scaling and hourly billing, replacing previously over-provisioned on-premises servers designed for infrequent peak loads.
Increased Flexibility: The ability to remain on VMware initially simplified the move to cloud. Once cloud-resident, the client seamlessly shifted workloads to OVE or VSIs within a unified network environment. This unlocked immediate savings and created a future-ready path to containerization for modern applications.
Why It Matters
This engagement demonstrates a low-risk, low-disruption path away from VMware that drives immediate cost benefits. More importantly, IBM Cloud and PrimaryIO’s joint approach provides a strategic, future-proof foundation for modernization—empowering enterprises to evolve toward OpenShift, cloud-native services, and containerized workloads at their own pace.
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PrimaryIO Inc., the leader in data protection SaaS supporting the Cloud Journey, enables organizations and government entities to discover, migrate, protect, recover and manage their data leveraging IBM Cloud. With the scale and efficiencies of IBM Cloud VPC, PrimaryIO facilitates outcomes for companies to create seamless and protected Cloud-inclusive configurations for VMware workloads and associated data.
For additional information, visit https://primaryio.com