FirstPort’s Transformation: 84% Carbon Cut & 22% Cost Savings with Cloud Migration

FirstPort is the leading provider of real estate services and technologies. They aim to become the leading digital service provider for the residential property market, with a focus on making their buildings places their customers are proud to call home.

Post-merger growth led FirstPort to a critical crossroads: their legacy data centers were aging, lacking the necessary agility, scale, and flexibility for their expansion plans. Coupled with the soaring costs of specialist talent, it became clear that a strategic pivot was essential, one that would harmonize their tech landscape with their bold business vision.

Understanding the intricacies of FirstPort’s infrastructure was paramount. Ensono’s initial step, a Cloud Maturity Assessment, peeled back the layers of existing systems, setting the stage for a pivotal decision-making process. This comprehensive evaluation illuminated the pros and cons of upgrading the current on-premise setup versus a full-scale migration to the cloud, aiding FirstPort in crafting a compelling business case for their stakeholders.

The decision was clear: for FirstPort, growth hinged on scalability, flexibility, and resilience. Ensono stepped up with a bespoke fully managed Azure service solution, tailored to meet these needs. This strategic move not only fortified their security but also infused the agility needed to adapt and thrive in a dynamic market.

The transformation was holistic, touching on critical areas like Business Services and Asset Management functions Mainstay and Campions, as well as the Lettings function. This shift allowed FirstPort’s team to pivot from operational tasks to strategic initiatives, leveraging the cloud’s power to facilitate smooth integration of future acquisitions via a sophisticated hub and spoke landing zone architecture.

The cloud journey heralded a significant reduction in FirstPort’s Total Cost of Ownership for its IT infrastructure. Freed resources are now channeled into innovative projects, elevating service quality and maintenance standards across their properties. FirstPort’s IT landscape has evolved, becoming more elegant and standardized, perfectly poised to scale in tandem with their growth aspirations. Moreover, this transition to Azure is set to slash their carbon footprint* dramatically, projecting an 84% reduction by year five, underscoring their commitment to environmental sustainability and operational excellence.

*compared to an on-premise data center

• Sustainability – Projected 84% reduction in carbon footprint over five years
• Cost Efficiency: Anticipated 22% savings in total costs
• Tech Evolution: Smooth transition out of two data centers into a robust Azure environment
• Operational Flexibility: Established hub and spoke landing zones for streamlined tech integration.
• Scalability: A resilient infrastructure that grows with FirstPort’s ambitions.