Lightstream becomes an extension of the IT team, delivering ongoing support, savings and optimization of its AWS cloud environment
Business Challenge
This medical corporation is a global developer and marketer of medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. At the core of the company’s mission is the commitment to grow by remaining focused, building on their technology leadership and providing unique high-quality products through worldwide distribution.
The company’s IT leadership became aware in 2015 that migrating to a cloud environment would give them the agility and innovation they needed to carry out that mission well into the future. So, they partnered with Lightstream to design and implement their first AWS infrastructure. Soon thereafter the company designated Lightstream as its AWS reseller in order to take advantage of additional discounts the provider was able to obtain for them. For the next four years the company relied on Lightstream to perform quarterly analyses of the company’s cloud performance and provide advice on its technical optimization strategy.
By early 2020, the company’s IT team had become overburdened with the day-to-day management of its cloud environment. Their hands-on approach had become cumbersome and was pulling the team’s focus away from their core mission to build on their technology leadership. On top of that, cloud spending had become exorbitant and they lacked the internal resources to uncover and remedy inefficiencies. The IT management team knew it was time for a change, so they once again turned to Lightstream for help finding ways to overcome these challenges.
Solution
Lightstream’s first recommendation was to enter into to an AWS Enterprise Discount Program (EDP) contract to allow the company to take advantage of additional savings. The next step would be to start utilizing Lightstream’s Cloud Managed Services (CMS) to capitalize on the ongoing optimization of the financial, security, technological and operational aspects of its cloud environment. Entrusting Lightstream to procure cloud services on its behalf and relying on the provider to do some of the heavy lifting in terms of engineering and professional services would free up the IT team to focus on its core competencies. And the recommended Platinum service level contract would essentially add a certified Lightstream cloud engineer to the company’s workforce.
Lightstream created and manages the company’s cloud environment using best practices provided by AWS Control Tower. This ensures a well-architected multi-account environment and the tools to govern AWS workloads with rules for security, operations and internal compliance. Lightstream works with AWS to ensure that the company receives the ideal storage performance and cost, which is currently EC2 Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud — a level that gives the company the ability to rent virtual computers on which to run apps.
Lightstream’s CMS ensures maintenance of cloud-native security controls and provides guidance on overall security as well as comprehensive visibility across its cloud infrastructure. This enables protection for state and activity monitoring, turning insight to action while meeting compliance demands.
Business Outcomes
Ongoing Cloud Optimization
The company’s procurement of Lightstream CMS has allowed it to return its focus back to advancing the company’s technology leadership. Weekly meetings between the company’s IT professionals and its dedicated Lightstream team provide insight into the ongoing optimization of the financial, technical and operational aspects of its cloud environment.
Cloud Cost Savings and GP3 Migration
By entering into an AWS EDP contract, the company saved nearly $200,000.00 in cloud expenses in 2020. Lightstream is currently working with the company to iron out the terms of its upcoming contract renewal, which promises even greater savings for the medical device company in the coming months and years. Lightstream is also upgrading the company to Amazon’s newly introduced GP3 storage volume in order to take advantage of higher volumes at a 20% lower cost.
Supporting Business Growth
The company has achieved exponential growth in the last several years, most recently expanding into Europe and Asia. As it continues to build on its technology leadership and accomplish worldwide distribution of its life-saving products, Lightstream will be there to support the company every step of the way.
