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While a reliable infrastructure is integral to the success of virtually any business, it\u2019s especially vital to an organization like SHBrooks, whose services rely and revolve around data exchange. \u201cThe kind of consulting we provide is very data-intensive\u201d explains Brooks, \u201cso most of the time we spend with a client is spent understanding their data, making sure we access their data, capture it, secure it, and load it into our own database.\u201d Before moving to Azure, SHBrooks tried a number of solutions\u2014from on-prem servers to co-located servers to hosting machines\u2014none of which enabled the organization to operate with the degree of professionalism it desired for itself or was expected from its clients. \u201cWhen the power went down, our clients could not access ETools and our geo-diverse staff could not communicate – we lost time\u201d recalls Brooks. The occasional unreliability, coupled with the fact that they \u201cdidn\u2019t have any security systems in place,\u201d motivated Brooks to look for an easy-to-navigate cloud-based solution that would allow the company to professionalize its processes and follow best practices.<\/p>\n
After exploring alternative cloud-based platforms, and working for a brief stint with a third-party IT firm, Brooks made the decision to begin the migration to Azure. Already leveraging Microsoft\u2019s ClickOnce Applications and a few SQL databases, Brooks was confident in Azure\u2019s user-friendly environment to support, and grow, his business. Despite having to make unanticipated operational changes, Brooks maintains that not only have these changes led to major infrastructure-related savings, but in Azure\u2019s fluid ecosystem, \u201cwe\u2019re doing it better, we\u2019re giving better service, and we\u2019re much more confident about the best practices and industry standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Partnering with Metrolink Networks to streamline the migration to Azure<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMost people rely on us for answers\u201d says Brooks, but the economist is quick to credit much of his organization\u2019s successful cloud migration to its partnership with Metrolink, a Maryland-based company that specializes in cloud migrations, and its founder, Husein Sharaf. \u201cWe had lots of questions,\u201d says Brooks, \u201cand they were able to answer a great deal, if not all, of them. And that wasn\u2019t like the experience we were having before.\u201d SHBrooks, uncertain of how to approach a data transfer of this magnitude, recruited help from Metrolink to organize several tests before initiating the actual transition.<\/p>\n After considering all of Brooks\u2019 requirements, \u201cAzure was a much better fit\u201d than any other platform, said Sharaf. Azure\u2019s scalable environment and advanced security features would keep SHBrooks security compliant and enable future growth. Certain Azure could support SHBrooks\u2019 existing systems, Metrolink executed the migration and brought it to fruition in less than 30 days.<\/p>\n In partnership with Metrolink, SHBrooks\u2019 \u201ctransition to the cloud was easy, the experience was good, and it\u2019s been easy to maintain and optimize functionality ever since.\u201d According to Brooks, clients are \u201cgetting a smoother set of services,\u201d and employees are getting an \u201coverall better experience\u201d\u2014a harmony that\u2019s been sustained with ongoing support from Sharaf. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how big or small of a customer you are,\u201d says Sharaf, \u201cyou get to benefit from industry leading security that Microsoft has spent untold millions of dollars putting together.\u201d Today, with their reliable and advanced cloud-platform, the lean SHBrooks team can approach the world\u2019s leading institutions with confidence.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2018\/09\/18310_MSFT_SHBrooksCustomerStoryMIBBlog_EMBEDDED2_R1_v2.png\")
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