When a large energy organisation needed to exit its data centre under tight timelines, it turned to Cloud Direct to deliver a practical, low-risk migration. Using Azure VMware Solution (AVS) for Windows virtual machines, the business moved quickly into Azure without disrupting critical operations, creating a solid platform for what comes next.
The customer who is the subject of this case study has built a unique position as one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse independent oil and gas companies, with operations spread across five continents.
The customer has around 3,200 employees and direct contract staff worldwide. and in Q1 2026 had a net income of $3.0 billion
The customer has primary operations in Norway, the UK, Germany, the US (Gulf of America), Argentina, Mexico, North Africa and Southeast Asia.
The Challenge
A global energy business was facing a hard deadline to exit its existing data centre.
The estate included a large number of Windows-based virtual machines supporting critical workloads across multiple regions. The Windows virtual machines were a mixture of Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022. The environment was complex, tightly integrated, and designed around specific network configurations. Any disruption could have a direct impact on operations.
One of the biggest constraints was the need to retain existing IP addressing. This ruled out more traditional migration or modernisation approaches, which would have required reconfiguration and introduced risk. At the same time, the business needed to avoid downtime and keep services running consistently across its global footprint.
With business continuity, time pressure and technical complexity all in play, the organisation needed a migration approach that was straightforward, predictable and fast to deliver.
The Solution
Cloud Direct worked alongside Microsoft and the customer’s internal teams to deliver a migration built around Azure VMware Solution (AVS), specifically focused on moving Windows virtual machines into Azure with minimal change.
Following an initial assessment, AVS was selected as the most practical route. It allowed the organisation to migrate its VMware-based Windows workloads directly into Azure AVS without needing to redesign or rebuild them. That significantly reduced both risk and time to deliver.
A key part of the approach was maintaining business continuity throughout. Cloud Direct worked closely with Microsoft engineering teams and the customer’s architecture group to retain existing IP addressing, ensuring systems, integrations and dependencies continued to function as expected after the move.
To keep things moving quickly, the programme was delivered through Azure Marketplace. This simplified procurement removed the need for direct contracting and aligned the work with available Microsoft funding.
The solution focused on:
- Fast migration of Windows VMs using AVS: Moving workloads into Azure without replatforming or redesign
- Maintaining continuity: Preserving IP addressing and avoiding disruption to live systems
- Tight collaboration: Coordinating closely across Cloud Direct, Microsoft and internal architecture teams
- Simplifying procurement: Using Azure Marketplace to streamline engagement and unlock funding
This approach gave the organisation a clean, low-risk path into Azure while keeping control of timelines and delivery.
The Outcome
The organisation successfully exited its data centre on time, with minimal disruption to the business.
By migrating its VMWare Windows VM estate using AVS, it avoided the complexity and risk typically associated with large-scale transformation programmes. Systems continued to run as expected, and internal teams were able to operate in a familiar environment from day one.
The move also increased Azure consumption immediately and strengthened alignment with Microsoft, opening up further opportunities for investment and collaboration.
Importantly, this was not just a one-off migration. The AVS approach has given the organisation a clear path forward. With workloads now in Azure, it can take a phased approach to modernisation—moving from AVS into native IaaS and PaaS services over time, at its own pace.
There are already plans to expand the Azure footprint further and explore additional services, including Azure Virtual Desktop and other platform capabilities.
Key outcomes include:
- On-time data centre exit with minimal disruption
- Successful migration of Windows virtual machines using Azure VMware Solution
- Reduced risk by avoiding replatforming during the initial move
- Faster procurement and delivery through Azure Marketplace
- A clear roadmap for ongoing modernisation (AVS → IaaS → PaaS)
This gave the organisation a practical starting point for its cloud journey, solving
Share this page
