In February of this year, WARDY IT Solutions announced the Azure Navigator program – an opportunity to migrate to Azure for free for the first 50 expressions of interest. There are still spots available for this offer.
As Microsoft plans to decommission support for SQL Server 2008/R2 on-premise environments by early July 2019, our Azure Navigator initiative extends far beyond a promotional incentive.
We are committing over $2 million to accelerate migrations to Azure with our Azure Navigator program
With the launch of our Azure Navigator migration pathway at the ‘Microsoft Ignite | The Tour’ in Sydney earlier this year, WARDY IT Solutions has committed to absorbing some $2 million in service fees to assist companies accelerate the migration of legacy infrastructure to cloud – a process that will ensure security and significantly improve IT agility.
52% of the marketplace is still running SQL Server 2008 or below, which represents a dangerous predicament for Australian businesses.
“There appears to be a certain amount of gravity associated with upgrading older environments in Australia and a somewhat unsubstantiated perception that an upgrade can prove risky, costly and disruptive,” said Managing Director Peter Ward.
“This is unquestionably a false economy as, with the decommissioning of another server version, the number of Australian companies now being exposed is critical.”
Microsoft has slowly been removing server support for on-premise hosting, with mainstream support for SQL Server 2005, 2008 and 2008 R2 having been removed in 2014, and full support for SQL Server 2005 ending in 2016. On 9 July 2019 all extended support will be eradicated, including critical security updates.
Data migration is a process that can generally cost in the vicinity of $40,000 to $50,000. However, the Azure Navigator initiative includes an offer to remove the entire cost to the first 50 expressions of interests.
Our Azure Migration Process
Azure Navigator comprises of a four-step process that assesses, envisions, builds and modernises Data Platform workloads by migrating to the cloud. It comes with three-year extended support and is executed by Microsoft Certified and highly experienced Data Platform Consultants.
Mr Brett Shoemaker, Director, Cloud & Enterprise, Microsoft Australia, said cloud migration and modernisation has an array of benefits for business:
“Technology is rapidly evolving and there’s increased pressure on its potential to enable businesses to remain relevant and get ahead in today’s environment. Modernisation is not only a way to help reduce costs, but it is an important step in supporting businesses to accelerate innovation and embark on digital transformation,” he said.
“With end-of-service for SQL Server 2008 approaching later this year, now is the time to for IT managers and business owners to think about the necessary steps to modernise. This will help improve security and meet compliance regulations, gain richer insights from dispersed data, add intelligence and transform their applications.”
Don’t Get Stuck With Unsupported Legacy Infrastructure
“It is naive to think that organisations can continue to enjoy optimal functionality on the back of legacy infrastructure, or that Microsoft can support the software indefinitely. The irony, of course, is that the older environments attract a lot of frustration and require inordinate amounts of time on maintenance,” Mr Ward continued.
“The removal of support for SQL Server 2008/2008 R2 will undoubtedly result in significant repercussions for those who choose to do nothing. As a Gold Microsoft Partner, we believe we have an obligation to create a catalyst to accelerate the migration process.”
For more information on WARDY IT Solutions’ Azure Navigator program visit wardy.group/azure
Ready to Migrate with WARDY IT Solutions?
We have performed more than 100 successful Azure migrations with our proven process. We will be there for you with post-migration support.
Register your interest for the Azure Navigator program today to ensure you are one of the first 50 customers who migrates at no cost.
