646-558-2225Client Need
A multi-site industrial manufacturer relied on a custom, industry-specific ERP system that was hosted directly by the software vendor.
The ERP was critical for:
- Production planning
- Inventory and supply chain management
- Order processing and fulfillment
Because the business was highly seasonal, usage spiked during peak periods and dropped off at other times. Under the vendor-hosted model, it was difficult to scale capacity up and down at reasonable, predictable prices.
The company wanted:
- More control over infrastructure and provisioning
- The ability to scale with seasonal demand
- Better performance and more predictable costs
Challenges
- Vendor-controlled hosting: The ERP software was only available through the vendor’s hosted environment, limiting flexibility and control.
- Seasonal demand swings: Peak season usage required more resources, but scaling through the vendor often meant higher, less predictable costs.
- Limited transparency: It was difficult to understand how resource consumption mapped to pricing, making budgeting and planning a challenge.
Solution
The manufacturer, together with their technology partner, chose to host the ERP on CaaB’s cloud instead of relying on the vendor’s infrastructure.
By deploying the ERP on CaaB, they gained:
- Simpler provisioning: The ability to right-size compute and storage for baseline demand, then scale up during peak season without a complicated process.
- Better performance: Modern infrastructure optimized for their workload, improving responsiveness for ERP users across the organization.
- Cost control: A more transparent, predictable cost model compared to the vendor’s bundled hosting fees.
CaaB’s MSP-ready, high-performance platform allowed the manufacturer and their partner to align infrastructure directly with business patterns.
Implementation
- The ERP application was deployed on CaaB’s cloud environment, following the vendor’s technical requirements but running on customer-controlled infrastructure.
- Environments were sized for normal operations, with defined options to temporarily increase resources ahead of busy seasons.
- Storage and compute were tuned for the ERP’s database and application tiers to ensure fast response times for key workflows.
- Monitoring and reporting were put in place to track usage and support proactive scaling.
Results
- Simplified Scaling: The manufacturer could scale resources up for seasonal peaks and back down afterward, without engaging in lengthy vendor negotiations.
- Better Performance: Users experienced faster response times across ERP modules, improving productivity on the shop floor and in back-office operations.
- Reined-In Costs: By moving off the vendor’s hosted model and onto CaaB, the company gained control over infrastructure costs and reduced the impact of seasonal spikes on their budget.
- Greater Flexibility: Hosting the ERP on CaaB opened the door to additional integrations and optimizations that were harder to implement in the vendor-controlled environment.
Key Takeaway
For manufacturers running industry-specific ERP systems, separating the software from the vendor’s hosting can unlock meaningful advantages.
By hosting the ERP on CaaB’s high-performance cloud, this multi-site industrial manufacturer gained:
- More predictable economics
- Better performance for critical operations
- The flexibility to align infrastructure directly with seasonal demand and business growth.
- Industry: Accounting & Professional Services – CPA Firm
Client Need
A CPA firm was working with an MSP that already hosted their Domain Controller (DC) and file server on CaaB’s cloud.
As remote work grew, the firm needed to provide secure, reliable access for 15+ staff members working from home and various branch locations. Their line-of-business applications were database-driven, and the software vendor imposed limitations on using traditional RDP into shared servers.
The firm needed:
- Individual desktops for each remote user
- A smooth experience with their existing DB-backed applications
- A solution that would not fragment their environment across multiple clouds
Challenges
- RDP constraints: Due to software vendor limitations, simply having users connect via standard RDP to a shared server was no longer viable.
- Need for individual virtual desktops: Each remote user required their own desktop environment for compliance and application licensing reasons.
- Risk of multi-cloud complexity:
- If they deployed desktops with a different provider (e.g., a hyperscaler) while keeping DC and file servers on CaaB, they would be managing two separate clouds.
- This introduced risk of latency, potential data inconsistencies, and complications for database-driven applications, which perform best when desktops and backend servers are on the same network and platform.
The MSP wanted a solution that kept everything cohesive, performant, and manageable.
Solution
Instead of introducing a second cloud provider, CaaB proposed and delivered an individual virtual desktop solution for all remote users, on the same CaaB environment already hosting the DC and file server.
Key elements:
- 15+ individual virtual desktops, each assigned to a specific remote user
- All desktops joined to the same domain and network as the existing DC and file server
- Application access optimized by keeping desktops and database-driven apps on the same infrastructure
Compared to a traditional virtual desktop deployment with a hyperscaler, the CaaB solution delivered over 25% cost savings while improving alignment between infrastructure and the firm’s actual usage pattern.
Implementation
- The MSP and CaaB designed desktop templates aligned with the CPA firm’s needs (apps, policies, security).
- Virtual desktops were provisioned on CaaB and joined to the existing domain, with access to the firm’s file server and line-of-business applications.
- Remote users were onboarded in phases, with testing to confirm:
- Application responsiveness
- Profile persistence
- Printing, file access, and authentication behavior
- The MSP retained central control over user access, patching, and policy enforcement, all within a single cloud platform.
Results
- Unified Environment: DC, file server, databases, and user desktops all ran on CaaB, eliminating multi-cloud complexity and reducing latency.
- Better App Behavior: Database-driven applications performed consistently, benefiting from being on the same network as the virtual desktops.
- 25%+ Cost Savings: The firm saved more than 25% compared to a traditional virtual desktop solution with a hyperscaler.
- Simplified Management for the MSP: One platform to manage, one bill to reconcile, and a cleaner architecture to support and scale.
- Improved Remote Experience: Remote staff gained stable, predictable access to their full desktop environment, mirroring the in-office experience as closely as possible.
Key Takeaway
For CPA firms and similar professional services organizations, where DB-backed applications and domain services are central to daily work, splitting workloads across multiple clouds can introduce unnecessary risk and complexity.
By keeping servers and individual virtual desktops together on CaaB, this MSP delivered:
- A cohesive, low-latency environment
- A compliant, vendor-respecting desktop model
- Over 25% savings versus a hyperscaler-based desktop approach
All while preserving a clean, MSP-friendly architecture that’s easier to support and grow over time.
