DVF Case Study
High fashion meets high-tech.
Overview
THE CHALLENGE
Diane Von Furstenberg’s traditional data center was experiencing application and infrastructure outages. They needed a stable environment to support US retail operations expansion.
THE SOLUTION
We migrated their core applications to AWS to help them quickly launch new projects, like in-store video displays, and save 60% on infrastructure costs.
THE OUTCOME
DVF expects to save 60% off its hosted infrastructure costs, gain stability from the new environment, and acquire SLAs provided by Ollion’s managed services platform. Long term, Ollion will take over the management of all DVF applications and infrastructure on AWS.
About the Business
A global luxury lifestyle brand and one of the premier names in American fashion, Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) was founded in 1972 by the designer. Renowned for its iconic wrap dress and signature prints, DVF has expanded to a full collection of ready-to-wear and accessories including shoes, handbags, small leather goods, scarves, and fine jewelry. The company also offers luggage, eyewear, and home furnishings. In 2012, its Founder and Co-Chairman, Diane von Furstenberg, was named the most powerful woman in fashion by Forbes Magazine.
Headquartered in New York City, DVF now boasts a global distribution network in over 55 countries and 1500 points of sale including 99 DVF owned and partnered stores throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific.
AWS Cloud Migration
DVF was experiencing unacceptable application and infrastructure outages and required a more stable environment. The fashion house hired Ollion to plan for and manage the migration of core applications to the AWS public cloud, in an effort to more cost-effectively and reliably support the expansion of its U.S. retail operations. The New York fashion house plans to support its next wave of business expansion by moving key applications to the cloud, with Ollion as its migration partner.
With its internal IT infrastructure showing its age, DVF determined that going to the cloud was the best move instead of investing more in its own data center. DVF chose AWS over other cloud IaaS providers because of its ability to support DVF’s future innovations, such as introducing video displays in stores. The company determined AWS had the features and platform to help it quickly launch new projects and that Ollion could help it get there with its in-depth knowledge of AWS.
DVF has nearly 500 employees and four offices worldwide, yet operates with a relatively small IT staff of seven employees. The company didn’t have the internal expertise on AWS, yet its Global IT Director was convinced moving to AWS would help them grow faster and reduce performance issues IT had experienced hosting its primary operating system. Ollion will build out the new AWS infrastructure, migrate the data and applications, and manage the entire environment after the migration is complete. The first phase of the AWS migration will focus on its retail ERP and core security, file, and print infrastructure. By early next year, the company plans to migrate its front-office retail systems and public websites to AWS as well.
The Business Benefits
DVF expects to save 60% off its hosted infrastructure costs, gain stability from the new environment, and acquire SLAs provided by Ollion’s managed services platform. Long term, Ollion will take over the management of all DVF applications and infrastructure on AWS.
