Azure Infrastructure Migration

Overview

The client is a leading actuarial consulting firm serving health plans, insurers, and government programs across the United States. With a strong focus on analytics, compliance, and data driven insights, they rely on a secure and reliable technology environment to support its consulting operations and client deliverables. The firm’s work depends on access to sensitive data, analytical models, and collaboration across distributed teams.

As part of a broader effort to modernize its infrastructure, the client evaluated its on premises data center environment and long term technology strategy. Aging infrastructure, evolving security requirements, and the need to support a more flexible workforce prompted a closer look at cloud adoption. The organization engaged Oakwood Systems Group to assess its existing environment, design a future state architecture, and execute a phased migration to Microsoft Azure with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

Business Challenge

They were operating within an on premises infrastructure that required increasing effort to maintain and secure. Existing server and network configurations limited flexibility, made scaling more difficult, and increased operational overhead for the IT team. Routine maintenance, hardware refreshes, and disaster recovery planning introduced ongoing complexity and cost.

In addition, the organization needed to strengthen its security posture and improve device management for its distributed workforce. Supporting secure access to sensitive data and applications across a variety of locations required more consistent governance and endpoint control. The client sought a migration strategy that would not only move workloads to the cloud but also establish a modern foundation for security, identity, and device management.

Solution

Oakwood delivered the engagement using a structured methodology that spanned discovery, design, build, and migration activities. The project began with a detailed assessment of the existing on premises environment, including servers, applications, data, and networking. Oakwood worked with the client to prioritize workloads, identify dependencies, and define a clear migration roadmap.

During the design phase, Oakwood architected a target state environment in Microsoft Azure aligned with business and security requirements. This included designing the network topology, identity and access management through Azure Active Directory, and security policies. The migration plan utilized Azure Migrate to move server workloads, while endpoint management was modernized using Microsoft Intune and Autopilot to support remote device provisioning and governance.

Oakwood executed the migration in phases, beginning with core infrastructure and followed by application workloads. Data was migrated securely, and connectivity was established between on premises and Azure environments during the transition. Oakwood also configured Azure Backup and Site Recovery to ensure business continuity and resilience.

Throughout the project, Oakwood focused on knowledge transfer and operational readiness. The firm’s IT team was involved in the implementation and received training on managing the new Azure environment and endpoint management tools. Comprehensive documentation was provided to support ongoing operations and governance.

Outcome

The migration delivered a modern, scalable, and secure Azure environment that improved security, reliability, and operational efficiency for the client. Core server workloads were successfully migrated to Azure, reducing reliance on on premises hardware and simplifying infrastructure management while improving resiliency.

Endpoint management and security were strengthened through the adoption of Azure Active Directory and Intune, enabling more consistent device governance and improved support for remote users. Standardized policies and update management improved visibility and control across the device landscape. With clear documentation and knowledge transfer, the internal IT team gained confidence in managing the new environment. As a result, the organization established a scalable and secure cloud foundation that supports current consulting operations and positions the organization for future growth.

About Oakwood

Our Team of seasoned professionals delivers unparalleled expertise in consulting and implementation services across the Microsoft Azure stack, ensuring our clients harness the full potential of their technology investments. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for driving business success, Oakwood Systems stands at the forefront of technological innovation, helping businesses navigate and excel in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.