Draslovka Holding’s Global Cloud Infrastructure

Draslovka Holding found itself in a situation where each business unit or production plant typically had its own separate IT and infrastructure. Collaboration and integration in these areas were significantly limited or, due to the existing infrastructure, not possible at all. The IT infrastructures were primarily implemented in on-premises environments with basic security measures. The core operations were able to meet the essential day-to-day operational needs of their respective entities. This was not the case with acquisitions, which required support and added value primarily for processes, business objectives, and financial goals. Here, there was a clear demand for the rapid and flexible integration of new businesses within a modern, secure, and scalable IT infrastructure capable of quickly migrating resources to the new environment and putting them to use.

KPCS CZ, in collaboration with Draslovka Holding’s internal IT team, designed and implemented a comprehensive cloud solution built on the Microsoft Azure platform and Microsoft 365 products. As part of the transformation project, a completely new solution was developed based on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and Microsoft M365 E5 products, or a combination of Microsoft O365 E3 and EMS E5. This made it possible to create a standardized global environment that supports collaboration across the holding company and utilizes uniformly configured policies and standards. The foundation is the new Draslovka.com tenant, where all identities are centrally managed in Hybrid Azure Active Directory. In combination with Microsoft Intune, Conditional Access, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), an environment has been created that allows users to work in hybrid mode, accommodate remote workers, and collaborate within the holding company. Tools such as Teams, Teams calling, SharePoint, and Exchange Online are used for collaboration. Individuals and teams can communicate anytime and from anywhere based on predefined rules. They quickly and efficiently share large amounts of data related to day-to-day or project-based work. Internal communication has overcome geographical distances. It is now possible to form multicultural teams across the holding company.

For the cloud infrastructure in Draslovka, we utilized several key technologies and services that ensured successful implementation and subsequent operation.
Microsoft Azure: A complete cloud infrastructure, including services such as Azure Active Directory Services and Azure VPN.
Microsoft 365 E5: A combination of Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft O365 E3, and EMS E5 products that enable centralized identity management, secure remote work, and effective collaboration.
Microsoft Intune: Management of user devices and applications, including integration with Azure Active Directory.
Conditional Access and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Ensuring secure access to data and applications based on configured rules.
Microsoft Teams: A tool for team communication and collaboration, including Teams calling.
SharePoint Online and Exchange Online: Platforms for document sharing and email communication.
Azure Information Protection: Data protection and information security.
Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure: Backup of virtual servers and rapid disaster recovery.
Azure Automation and Microsoft Autopilot: Process automation and management of user accounts and devices.

Thanks to its new IT infrastructure, Draslovka has successfully consolidated its IT systems, reduced operating costs by more than 15%, and increased the efficiency of teamwork. The project also enabled the rapid integration of new acquisitions and laid the foundation for the company’s further digital transformation. Modern IT infrastructure supports and completely transforms established work habits, management practices, and the company’s entire culture. In addition to increasing the efficiency of existing processes and activities, this has the greatest impact on the economics of acquisition activities. The faster the holding company is able to integrate another unit into its environment, the greater the immediate financial impact.

“Reliability, security, a high degree of automation, and the flexibility of the entire environment are the greatest benefits of this solution. Thanks to this, we can effectively support our business and strategic goals.” — Jan Kunrt, Head of IT at Draslovka Holding a.s.