Major Architecture and Engineering Firm Turns to Cloud GPU Workstations to Fuel Growth

Challenge:

The firm had a vision for accelerating growth which was incompatible with their IT infrastructure. Deploying and managing physical workstations was not only time-consuming and expensive, it also constrained design engineer productivity to an office setting, and therefore limited the firm’s ability to pursue new projects.  A forward-thinking IT organization, Mead & Hunt tried a few on-premises virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions but discovered that not only did the solutions require massive CapEX to get the first desktop up and running, but inferior performance caused their engineers to be significantly less productive. Similarly, a cloud VDI solution they tried did not deliver acceptable performance – a complete show stopper for any company where graphics-intensive apps and real-time collaboration are core to the business. The firm was committed to finding an IT solution that would allow it to fulfill its growth objectives, including the ability to bid on projects in any location, hire CAD engineers from beyond the typical 50 mile radius – then allow them to work from anywhere, and simplify IT and data management. When Workspot proposed a modern approach to achieving their business goals, they agreed to a pilot.

Solution:

• Workspot Workstation Cloud on Microsoft Azure was up and running in just a few days
• Workstations are delivered from Azure using the N series GPUs
• Additional workstations are ready to be activated in an alternate Azure region in the unlikely event of an Azure outage

Benefits:

• Performance is better than physical workstations
• Design engineers are hired based on talent, not geographical location
• New revenue opportunities can be pursued anywhere in the world
• IT is simplified and resources reallocated to high-value projects