PLIXXENT – A landing zone for all apps – AWS at the heart of the IT.

Plastics made of polyurethane (PU) are extremely versatile and are, therefore, used in a host of scenarios. PLIXXENT has in-depth knowledge in the development, manufacturing and processing of PU, with the company leveraging PU technologies to create the perfect solution for companies in the construction, household appliance, textile, furniture and automotive sectors at six sites around Europe. When the company decided it wanted to implement a range of projects in the cloud, Bechtle designed the foundation consisting of secure and reliable landing zones in AWS, meaning that today, PLIXXENT is more about its services than its servers.

Project details.

Services

Professional Services
Cloud

Industry

Manufacturing

Manufacturer

Company size

250 – 1,500 employees

Challenge.

PLIXXENT is a European specialist for innovative system solutions made from polyurethane (PU). At six sites around Europe, (Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) 350 staff are committed to delivering the excellence PLIXXENT is known for, leveraging innovative technologies in the development, manufacture and processing of polyurethane. With production already at the cutting edge, PLIXXENT wanted to bring its IT infrastructure up to scratch, too. Its previously used virtual servers needed to make way for a 100% virtual solution in the cloud so that PLIXXENT could focus on its services rather than its servers. The new, centralised cloud solution needed to make processes more efficient, keep systems up to date and relieve the burden on IT staff. In addition, PLIXXENT was looking to configure a secure and reliable landing zone in the cloud that would serve as a foundation for future projects, including SAP related. To do all this, the company needed an IT partner that understood the ‘service over server’ mantra, could create the basis for the cloud migration and then also maintain it.

Collaborating with Bechtle on configuring a secure landing zone for our applications and projects in the AWS Cloud has boosted efficiency and taken a load off our IT staff. Today, we know that Bechtle is an outstanding partner and we are working with them on a host of new projects. Soon we’ll be benefiting from managed services alongside the migration to AWS because with Bechtle, we know everything will run smoothly and that will considerably reduce costs.

Sebastian Biele, IT Infrastructure Specialist, PLIXXENT Holding GmbH

Solution.

As Bechtle and PLIXXENT had already collaborated on hardware projects over the years, it seemed logical to ask the IT system house for its support. Bechtle experts have extensive knowledge in all areas of IT—from A for AWS to S for SAP—and also have contacts with all the relevant providers. Working together, Bechtle and PLIXXENT designed a comprehensive cloud infrastructure concept. After comparing several cloud solutions, PLIXXENT decided to go with Amazon AWS managed services. To start off, a proof of concept (PoC) for SAP in the cloud was carried out with the sandbox designed for it proving to be fast with enormous data throughput. This was enough to win over PLIXXENT and Bechtle was commissioned to set up a secure landing zone in accordance with AWS best practices that is at the cutting edge in terms of technology and provides a solid foundation for future AWS Cloud projects.

For PLIXXENT’s new AWS landing zone, Bechtle set up all new accounts to support single sign-on and centralised user management including discrete security accounts to ensure that each employee has the rights they need in the network. The IT specialists also configured the IP addresses PLIXXENT needed plus a secure VPN connection to guarantee a fast and reliable connection between the cloud and PLIXXENT’s sites. Special other accounts also allow PLIXXENT to handle workloads better and Bechtle also set up another account that enables the IT team to experiment with various rights. AWS landing zone implementation took place in agile steps closely coordinated with PLIXXENT.

Bechtle also rolled out new cost-related processes, consolidated and centralising AWS invoicing to ensure PLIXXENT only receives one invoice per month for all its AWS accounts and therefore always has an excellent overview of its finances.

Business benefits.

Within just four months, the PU specialist’s IT infrastructure had been migrated to the AWS Cloud and is being continually expanded. Quick access to the systems and the AWS Cloud’s high reliability have made PLIXXENT’s workflows much more efficient, while AWS managed services relieve the strain on PLIXXENT’s IT department as they don’t have to spend as much time on maintaining servers and services. These two benefits combined not only lower costs, but also open the door to long-term contracts and reserved instances. Moreover, PLIXXENT is planning to commission Bechtle as its managed service provider to further optimise the administration and maintenance of its IT systems.