VMware Cloud on AWS Powers Sunkist Growers’ Public Cloud Migration

The Challenge

Sunkist Growers was at a crossroads. Their aging hardware in a colocation facility needed an upgrade, and a business-critical application required re-platforming. Facing the high costs of new hardware, Sunkist began exploring whether migrating to the public cloud could be a more cost-effective solution.

Given their long-standing partnership with Intellects Group—who had been providing reliable services like colocation, connectivity, and disaster recovery—Sunkist turned to them for guidance. They wanted to understand the potential total cost of ownership (TCO) savings a cloud migration could offer.

With tight deadlines and a need to minimize disruption during the re-platforming process, Sunkist decided to evaluate VMware Cloud on AWS as a potential solution.

Solution

Intellects Group collaborated closely with VMware and AWS technical teams to conduct a 14-day proof of concept. Alongside this, they performed a detailed TCO analysis, demonstrating how VMware Cloud on AWS could speed up Sunkist’s cloud migration. The solution promised operational consistency with their on-premises SDDC, seamless movement of large-scale workloads, and direct access to AWS-native services.

To ensure a smooth transition from proof of concept to production, Intellects Group conducted a hybrid cloud readiness assessment, offered integration services, and reviewed VMware Cloud on AWS managed services.

Once Sunkist confirmed that VMware Cloud on AWS aligned with their business goals and offered significant TCO savings, Intellects Group used VMware HCX to fast-track the migration. They also provided AWS operational support, set up AWS Direct Connect, and integrated S3 native services into the solution.

Sunkist was able to incorporate existing third-party tools like Citrix (via AWS Marketplace) and Veeam into their new hybrid cloud environment. Intellects Group was also chosen to manage the VMware Cloud on AWS service desk, ensuring ongoing support.

The Result

By opting for VMware Cloud on AWS, Sunkist avoided the lengthy process of setting up new hardware in their colocation facility. Instead, they efficiently migrated their critical applications to the cloud. This decision is expected to deliver a 25% reduction in TCO over three years, making it a strategic and financially sound move for Sunkist.

Category: Digital Transformation