Correla
Nasstar transitions growing energy sector SaaS and managed services provider to a cloud-based IT solution
Correla is a leading SaaS and managed services company that helps customers navigate the complexities of the energy market. Its combination of technology, people, and process is powering change, allowing it to deliver solutions for customers where data drives decisions while creating cost efficiencies that guide the way forward to a net-zero future.
The organisation is focused on developing solutions to simplify the vast amounts of complex data and processes within the utilities and energy industry. It provides innovative software and delivers ongoing support services, helping customers navigate these challenges and facilitating a rapid transition to a more sustainable future.
Correla plans to streamline the energy market, promote digital connectivity, and accelerate the UK's decarbonisation efforts.
To achieve this goal, Nasstar conducted a project to migrate Correla's legacy infrastructure from private cloud to Azure public cloud giving it the flexibility and agility to grow and operate with greater efficiency as the company dynamically builds its new business model.
Services
IT Infrastructure Separation Project
The Brief
In March 2021, Correla was formed from Xoserve as an independently owned business to allow private investment to drive change through innovation within the gas and wider energy market.
Nasstar's engagement with the original Xoserve company dates back 5+ years as its provider of choice for Desktop Managed Services, supporting employee experience across the organisation.
This separation into two companies is the next step in Correla's formation as an independent entity within the technology and data services sector, supporting innovation in the gas market and beyond. Simultaneously, Xoserve restructured into a specialised contract management and assurance company.
Before the separation project undertaken by Nasstar, both entities shared the same IT infrastructure and M365 tenant. Nasstar's migration project successfully enabled each business to function autonomously, operating with distinct business processes.
The Benefits
The IT infrastructure separation has allowed Correla to operate independently enabling the organisation to focus on specific goals without shared infrastructure limitations.
Increased security: The migration of SIEM services to the newly created tenant included additional layers of managed, maintained, and audited security hardening by Nasstar to further enhance the security.
Support and consultation: Nasstar’s expertise and project management provided Correla with what it needed when it was needed, ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of the project.
Data management and migration process: Nasstar’s expertise in this domain resulted in limited disruptions to day-to-day business.
Tailored services: Nasstar created and delivered a bespoke project plan that offered flexibility and a responsive team. This approach ensured that the migration was carried out efficiently and that Correla had access to the relevant expertise when needed.
The Solution
To ensure that all requirements were understood and that appropriate data protection procedures were in place, Nasstar’s team took part in a consultation process before the project began. As part of this, Nasstar gained an in-depth understanding of the organisation's goals while providing detailed information on what to expect from the project.
The separation project encompassed critical areas within the IT environment of both Xoserve and Correla. Nasstar structured its approach into seven distinct technology "towers," drawing upon specialised expertise and experience:
AD & Core: Implemented an Azure-hosted solution, ensuring resilience between UK South and UK West for disaster recovery (DR) purposes.
Network: Provided connectivity from the new Azure tenant to the existing on-premise networks.
File Data: Orchestrated the migration of IaaS file server data to an Azure-hosted file server, establishing a one-way forest trust to enable controlled joint access to data.
Email, OneDrive & SharePoint Data: Transferred data from the existing 365 tenant to a newly created tenant.
Telephony: Facilitated the transition from Skype for Business to Teams Direct Routing.
End User Compute (EUC): Executed the migration of laptops to the newly created domain.
EUC Security: Managed the migration of SIEM services to the newly created tenant.
During the process, Nasstar successfully migrated 5.4 terabytes of email data, including approximately 28 million messages from 1,099 users and mailboxes. Nasstar’s experts moved 14.3 terabytes of data from 3.4 million files in OneDrive and migrated 7.26 terabytes of SharePoint data and 314,500 chats from Microsoft Teams.
This large-scale project required significant depth and breadth of expertise. Leveraging the success of several acquisitions, Nasstar has accumulated engineering proficiency across cloud and connectivity. It harnessed these capabilities to offer Correla and Xoserve top-tier consultation and managed services, spanning infrastructure, telephony, end-user compute, and security.
Nasstar currently delivers a fully managed desktop service and round-the-clock remote support featuring multi-channel assistance to Correla. Additionally, Nasstar provides supplementary layers of managed, maintained, and audited security hardening, ensuring continuous protection for IT end-user compute and collaboration tools.
Support, expertise, and tailored services from Nasstar played a crucial role in the successful and efficient migration and separation of our systems. Their seamless management of data and migration minimised disruptions, while their responsive and proactive approach and understanding of our business were extremely beneficial in delivering a project of this size.