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Gerresheimer: maximum flexibility with multi-cloud

Gerresheimer relies on the combination of Managed Azure and Future Cloud Infrastructure

At a glance

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  • Decentral IT generates high internal expenses and offers no future security
  • Consolidation of the IT systems for better transparency, standardized governance, and greater operating efficiency
  • Design of a future-capable IT landscape using the Cloud (also sustainability aspects)
  • Search for comprehensive cloud expertise for migration and operation

The challenge

By outsourcing to the Cloud, Gerresheimer did not just want to implement central IT governance to obtain increased transparency of the IT landscape and its costs. Consolidation in the Cloud was simultaneously intended to relieve the personnel of administrative effort and bundle this across the company to increase operating efficiency. As part of this, consolidation of the IT partners was also planned to optimize supplier management. Another important aim in moving to the Cloud was also future-proof mapping of privacy aspects. While moving forward on its own, the company was looking for a partner for Managed Cloud Services, which could guide it through the cloud transformation process and as a result offer reliable maintenance of the cloud systems based on sound SLAs. A total of 900 – mainly VMware-based – systems were in focus. Fifty of these were already in the Azure Cloud. T-Systems came into play in this situation.  

We have found a partner in T-Systems, which accompanies us competently into and through the Cloud. The multi-cloud approach has provided us with an ideal set-up for the future.

Benjamin Benning, Global Director IT Infrastructure, Global IT, Gerresheimer AG

The solution

Together with T-Systems, Gerresheimer AG analyzed the situation and went through various scenarios. This revealed that a complete migration of the systems to the Azure Cloud would not be the ideal target scenario. Based on the application needs as well as consideration of privacy aspects, the partners developed a multi-/hybrid cloud concept for the future Gerresheimer IT landscape. It turned out that the Future Cloud Infrastructure (FCI), a modern private cloud solution from T-Systems, would offer great advantages in the migration process. Since most of the IT systems are based on VMware technology (as is the FCI), they could be migrated completely in “as is” status to the FCI. This meant Gerresheimer was able to rapidly achieve its primary goal of platform consolidation and enhanced operating efficiency.

The room for maneuver gained allowed those responsible at Gerresheimer together with the T-Systems experts to make a detailed analysis of the application landscape and develop an optimized target vision. As part of the cloud migration framework, the partners envisioned different target scenarios for the servers – depending on the technical and privacy needs of the applications. Some would remain in their current state, while others would be migrated to new platforms: Systems with high dynamism and need for innovation move as before into the Azure Cloud. There they are administered in a standardized landing zone by T-Systems. This landing zone also features state-of-art security. Systems with lower dynamism, which continue to be operated on VMware, remain on the FCI. There they are managed either in-house or by T-Systems – depending on how relevant direct access to the platform and the application is for Gerresheimer.  

Customer benefits

Gerresheimer has acquired a strategic partner for the future of its IT systems in the form of T-Systems, which can support the complete life cycle from advice and migration to Managed Services. Gerresheimer is not only realizing its goal of IT consolidation, transparency, and efficiency enhancement but is also acquiring an IT landscape with the multi-/hybrid cloud concept that is ideally aligned with the needs of the company.

As a result, the IT team can react flexibly to business developments. The company is also considerably reducing the number of its partners with this step. Several interfaces and communication paths have been eliminated. Managed Services allow Gerresheimer to cut down on its own administrative effort and create room for maneuver for strategic IT topics. The Service Level Agreements secure trouble-free operation of business processes. Last but not least, Gerresheimer has achieved important sustainability aspects with this step into the Cloud. The more efficient IT resource capacity utilization - irrespective of whether in the private or public cloud - lowers the carbon footprint by more than 90 percent.

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About Gerresheimer

Gerresheimer AG from Dusseldorf has a wide-ranging product portfolio: the company is well-known for its medication packaging and medical accessories. These include inhalers, medicine bottles, injection systems, insulin pens, and ampules. Gerresheimer serves companies in the pharmaceutical, health, wellness, and biotechnology segments with these products, vital for many people.

But the portfolio of the Dusseldorf company also includes cosmetic packaging and glass vessels for the food and beverages industry. Pharmaceuticals and healthcare generate the lion’s share of turnover. The company has a workforce of 10,000 and produces worldwide in 36 plants. The listed company generated revenue of 1.8 billion euros in 2022.

www.gerresheimer.com

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