Cost Savings, On-Prem Upgrade with Zero Downtime for Canadian Retail Co-Op

Client Profile

A major Canadian retail co-operative operating across several provinces with complex regional infrastructure.

Challenges

The organization needed to upgrade their on-prem virtual desktop infrastructure to the latest version while continuing to support secure access across departments and regions:

• Distinct Horizon setups at two major locations—a refinery and the central headquarters.
• Required compatibility with multi-domain authentication using FSLogix and Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM).
• Internal IT team needed support in upgrading vSphere, ESXi, and platform components with zero business disruption.

Anunta’s Solution

Anunta began by mapping every dependency within the client’s existing virtual desktop infrastructure. Recognizing the client’s preference to stay on-premises, Anunta crafted a phased upgrade roadmap that balanced innovation with stability.

The solution involved upgrading hypervisor layers (vSphere and ESXi) to versions compatible with the latest digital workspace platform. Anunta implemented centralized authentication via SAML and DEM to unify access across multiple sites and departments, enhancing both user experience and security posture.

Anunta’s experts worked closely with the internal IT team to ensure a knowledge transfer and provided detailed post-upgrade documentation. This empowered the in-house staff to handle operational tasks independently, aligning with the client’s goal of internal ownership.

Key Benefits

• Zero Disruption Upgrade: Infrastructure modernized without impacting business operations.
• Unified Authentication: Secure access streamlined across multiple domains.
• Long-Term Stability: Documentation empowered in-house management.
• On-Prem Optimization: Modernized stack aligned with their non-cloud strategy.