Cloud, a Natural Part of the Digital Journey

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Semco Maritime is taking the cloud route to support growth and reduce time to market. At the same time, there is an expected financial gain for Semco Maritime in moving to the cloud.


”Based on preliminary estimates, we anticipate achieving savings of around 25% once the full cloud migration is completed.” - Jan Topp, CIO, Semco Maritime

»Semco Maritime is experiencing significant growth, which requires us to support the business in being faster and more flexible in time to market. We need an IT platform and infrastructure that are flexible and scalable,« begins Jan Topp, CIO at Semco Maritime.

»Therefore, the Journey to Cloud is a significant element in Semco Maritime‘s overall digital strategy for 2023-2027. Additionally, there is a cost aspect to the setup we are looking into with an Azure cloud solution from Microsoft. For us, the Journey to Cloud is about scalability, flexibility, and automation,« he adds.


From On-Premises to Cloud - 25% saved on operations

Until 2022, Semco Maritime operated in a hosted data center setup, explains Jan Topp.

»We came from a purely on-premises solution and aim to go 100% cloud. We are migrating our entire setup, including +225 servers and approximately 100 applications, in a comprehensive migration during 2023, excluding our ERP system.«

The overall business case indicates that Semco Maritime quickly achieves a positive ROI by moving from the traditional on-premises environment to a scalable, modern cloud environment.

»The initial phases of the Journey to Cloud project are now underway and proceeding according to plan. Based on preliminary estimates, we anticipate achieving savings of around 25% once the full cloud migration is completed,« says Jan Topp.


Effective Business Case development

Automize has facilitated the business case, which was prepared following Microsoft‘s Migration Solution Assessment. This has resulted in an efficient roadmap towards a comprehensive business case, including a proof of concept (PoC), confirms Jan Topp.


”Semco Maritime is experiencing significant growth, which requires us to support the business in being faster and more flexible in time to market. We need an IT platform and infrastructure that are flexible and scalable.” - Jan Topp

»Automize follows Microsoft‘s processes and standards in everything they do. Their approach aligns with the way we want to execute the project and the plan. This includes the development of the business case and the PoC – everything is executed according to an efficient roadmap based on Microsoft‘s best practices,« he explains.

»The task of initially building a business case is often the most challenging part of projects like this. If you don‘t analyze thoroughly and understand which metrics in the cloud can be adjusted to achieve optimal utilization and the best design, you often end up with a skewed product that does not support the business,« elaborates René Falkenberg, CEO of Automize.

»To ensure the optimal customer journey in projects of this type, we follow the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework, which we have been working with since its introduction. The Cloud Adoption Framework ensures that as a provider, we cover what we need to deliver consistently in each project, and our projects are audited by third parties to ensure our deliveries always meet the latest standards,« adds René Falkenberg.


Funding through Automize and Microsoft

As a selected MSP, Automize has had the opportunity to obtain funding for part of the business case analysis through Microsoft‘s AMMP (Azure Migration and Modernization Program). These funds have benefited Semco Maritime.

»On our behalf, Automize has applied for funding from Microsoft based on the plan we want to execute. It has been advantageous for us that a significant portion of the analysis work has been funded by Microsoft,« notes Jan Topp.


’’Automize follows Microsoft‘s processes and standards in everything they do. Their approach aligns with the way we want to execute the project and the plan.” - Jan Topp

No concerns - Azure Cloud was the obvious choice

Many have concerns about moving to the cloud – how does Jan Topp view it?

»I don‘t see a significant risk in going to the cloud. We need to be mindful of taking the appropriate security measures when migrating to a cloud solution, but addressing these questions is an integral part of the project,« asserts Jan Topp.

»Semco Maritime is a Microsoft-oriented company. Therefore, Azure cloud was a natural choice for us,« he adds.


Automize is Cloud-Native

Jan Topp‘s focused approach to standardization and the Journey to Cloud is also reflected in the choice of Automize as a collaborative partner.

»It is important for us that the companies we engage with when going to the cloud are cloud-native and thus have the best prerequisites for facilitating the growth journey that Semco Maritime is on. Among three bidders, we chose Automize because they are cloud-native, and they provided the best proposal for migration and implementation.«

»Automize has a good track record. Our collaboration is characterized by good personal relationships, and Automize delivers on their promises and meets our agreements,« concludes Jan Topp.


’’Automize has a good track record. Our collaboration is characterized by good personal relationships, and Automize delivers on their promises and meets our agreements.” - Jan Topp

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About Semco Maritime

Semco Maritime is an international engineering and contracting company that provides project solutions to the energy sector within four key business areas: Renewable Energy, Rig & Offshore Marine, Products & Technology, and Oil & Gas. Semco Maritime designs, produces, installs, services, and maintains all types of offshore installations and facilities.

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