MUNICH, Germany, March 20, 2024 -- Rackspace Technology® (NASDAQ: RXT), a leading end-to-end hybrid, multicloud and AI technology services company, has today announced it fully transformed the underlying technology for IFCO, a global leader in Reusable Packaging Containers (RPCs), migrating part of its legacy on-premise IT systems to a fully modernised Microsoft Azure cloud environment. The move to the cloud supports IFCO’s growth agenda, as it needed a more flexible platform.
IFCO covers every aspect of RPCs management, from delivering clean containers to producers, to collecting them from retailers, to cleaning and sanitising them again, ready for redistribution. It operates a pool of over 370 million RPCs, serving customers in 50 countries worldwide, and can now focus on its sustainable retail initiatives, a key driving force for the Pullach-based company.
With a large on-premises environment over 20 years old, the cost of supporting and expanding its capabilities was becoming daunting. The company’s challenge was now transforming its MyIFCO system from a monolithic one to a microservices-based architecture to enable better customer experiences without the high costs associated with maintaining its existing setup.
“For IFCO, the whole topic of cloud transformation was brand new," explains Kare Heikkila, CIO at IFCO Systems. “We didn't have any capabilities in this area, so we had to find the right partner for us and choose the cloud platform."
IFCO appointed Rackspace Technology for its cloud expertise and selected Microsoft Azure for its flexibility. As part of the migration, Rackspace Technology implemented Infrastructure-as-Code to deploy faster and more robust infrastructure solutions, making IFCO's IT operations significantly more productive. In addition to the migration of IT systems, data analysis applications were also moved to the cloud. IFCO now has access to extended service options that provide deeper and more detailed insights into the existing data structures, allowing it to optimise efficiency and business decision-making. Lastly, it also developed a new and robust disaster recovery strategy with recovery points and recovery times ensuring compliance with the existing budget.
Heikkila adds, “Microsoft Azure seemed like a natural fit to us. We are a Microsoft house, they are one of the leading platforms on the market, and they are trusted by our customers. We had a good partner with Rackspace Technology. Their skilled engineering team allowed us to successfully tackle this challenge."
Rackspace Technology included FinOps-based services to optimise financial and operational efficiency. This is complemented by round-the-clock support and escalation by dedicated operations teams when required. Together with the definition of IT architecture and strategy, this ensures a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to IFCO's IT requirements.
Jürgen Stauber, General Manager, DACH, at Rackspace Technology, said: “Rackspace Technology's collaboration with IFCO has resulted in the seamless migration of their legacy on-premise IT systems. This strategic move not only aligns with IFCO's growth agenda but also empowers it to maintain its leader position in the market and drive innovation and sustainability solutions in the retail market.
“We are proud to contribute to IFCO's success and our commitment to innovation and excellence continues to drive impactful transformations for our clients, enabling them to thrive in the digital era."
Click here to read the IFCO case study, and to watch the case study video, click here.
About Rackspace Technology
Rackspace Technology is a leading end-to-end hybrid, multicloud, and AI technology services company. We can design, build, and operate our customers’ cloud environments across all major technology platforms, irrespective of technology stack or deployment model. We partner with our customers at every stage of their cloud journey, enabling them to modernize applications, build new products, and adopt innovative technologies.
About IFCO
IFCO is the leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions for fresh foods, serving customers in 50+ countries. IFCO operates a pool of over 370 million Reusable Packaging Containers (RPCs) globally, which are used for 2 billion shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread, and other items from suppliers to grocery retailers every year. IFCO RPCs ensure a better fresh food supply chain by protecting freshness and quality and lowering costs, food waste and environmental impact compared to single-use packaging. More: www.ifco.com | Follow us on LinkedIn @IFCO SYSTEMS
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Devika Mistry
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(GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
