How Version 1 Migrated Martin Currie’s Windows Workloads to AWS to Enable Agility and Innovation

Established investment management firm Martin Currie faced a strategic imperative. Its legacy systems – operating largely on Windows and connected to SQL Server databases – were hosted entirely in UK data centres. With a contract set to expire within 12 months, the firm needed a rapid yet seamless migration to avoid disruption to its global client base and to enable further modernisation.  

Facing tight deadlines, Martin Currie required a partner with deep expertise in Amazon Web Services (AWS). As an AWS Premier Consulting Partner and with previous experience working with the brand, who better to become the migration partner than Version 1?

We recognised that Martin Currie’s systems would benefit from cloud solutions, not just to relocate its existing infrastructure but to streamline operations and offer increased adaptability.  

Prior to the migration, we conducted a comprehensive assessment using the AWS Cloud Adoption Readiness Tool (CART) to identify potential areas for modernisation. The Migration Evaluator provided additional insights into Martin Currie’s infrastructure and utilisation, which enabled us to recommend the most appropriate and cost-efficient AWS resources. 

Since it was critical for Martin Currie’s in-house team to develop a deeper understanding of AWS in order to truly capitalise on the cloud’s potential, our AWS experts worked closely with the client team to design a highly scalable AWS solution. We followed best practices from the AWS Well-Architected Framework, ensuring security was a priority, managed through AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) and multi-factor authentication. 

To enable an accelerated migration, phase one leveraged a “lift and shift” approach. We introduced Amazon WorkSpaces, a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution, to reduce operational overhead and long-term costs. This gave employees secure remote access from anywhere in the world – a crucial element in supporting Martin Currie’s evolving, progressive work environment. 

Outcomes

• Assessed organisational cloud readiness using AWS CART 
• Analysed existing infrastructure for optimal AWS resource selection 
• Designed and architected resilient, secure AWS solution 
• Secured data migration via Site-to-Site VPN and AWS Transit Gateway 
• Facilitated remote access with Amazon WorkSpaces 
• Automated processes with AWS CloudFormation and AWS System Manager 
• Leveraged CloudEndure Migration for simplified workload migration 
• Implemented Amazon FSx for cost-effective file storage 

When selecting a cloud transformation partner, Version 1 was an easy decision. Not only did they have the technical expertise we sought in AWS, but they were a reliable partner that we trusted could deliver to our requirements.

This is a decision we consider a massive success at Martin Currie. The team at Version 1 were always on hand to assist with anything we needed throughout the migration to AWS. Whether it was advice, architecture designs, or hands-on implementation, Version 1 ensured we delivered based on our requirements and helped upskill our team in the process by continuously sharing their knowledge with us.

– Levi Fletcher, CloudOps Engineer, Martin Currie