Parallels Partners Help Auxilium Implement Parallels RAS to Centralize Data and Save IT Costs

The Challenge: Providing Centralized Management and Delivery of Applications and Services Across 11 Companies

Auxilium is a group of 11 medical supply companies and one subsidiary, which all coexist under the Auxilium umbrella and collectively employ around 3,000 people.

The company's goal is to build a framework of long-term, stable growth by using a strategy known as "buy and build," where Auxilium acquires local champions and then organically expands business within these stores, without rapid integration or redevelopment measures.

Most of the Auxilium medical supply stores are so-called full-service providers. They carry an extensive range of products, from pure merchandise such as medical consumables to customized orthotic and prosthetic fittings. From master craftsmen to field sales representatives, many different occupational groups are active in the stores, performing a wide range of different activities.

Given the range of products and services, every acquisition is approached methodically to ensure success.

"We focus on slow integration," explains Jan Seeger, project IT manager at Auxilium.

One key reason for this approach is that the 25 IT employees across each of the companies under Auxilium work together on all IT projects and operations.

As such, “the [‘buy and build’] strategy also has an impact on IT,” Seeger says, with the IT team continuing to grow together and working to come to a consensus when making decisions.

"We are a group of successful companies that are also organized and operate very differently—that means discussion,” Seeger explains.

“The important thing is that there is always a good solution at the end."

Seeger and his team have worked to consolidate areas of the IT team, such as reducing the number of industry solutions and operational systems used. Seeger also wanted to set up a shared data center in a private cloud that would provide applications and services for all Auxilium companies.

"We simply wanted to solve certain issues centrally," Seeger says.

The Solution: Parallels RAS Chosen to Host All Data Centrally

Parallels RAS® was brought to Auxilium’s attention by Jan-Hendrik Abels, technical director at think about IT, Auxilium's long-standing IT service provider, which works with value added distributor (VAD) Vanquish.

With the knowledge that Auxilium was seeking, a secure, scalable solution that its IT organization could operate itself and that would provide a high price-to-performance ratio, Abels was confident Parallels RAS could deliver.

Abels arranged a technical demo between Auxilium and Parallels, and the Auxilium IT team was convinced.

Together with Vanquish, think about IT has already successfully implemented a whole series of Parallels projects.

The Results: An Effective, Quick-to-Implement Solution That Saves Time and IT Resources

Auxilium implemented Parallels RAS in 2021. Give its decentralized decision-making structure, Auxilium was able to complete the entire implementation process in just three months—from the first meeting to the start of live operations.

Auxilium currently delivers around 300 workstations via Parallels, with more likely to follow. For example, some Auxilium companies operated home office workstations via a virtual private network (VPN), which have now been switched to Parallels RAS.

Others use the system for classic office workstations. All service providers that Auxilium works with are also managed via Parallels RAS.

"With Parallels, everything is very simple. It starts with licensing, through installation and commissioning, to the assignment of rights. That convinced us," Seeger explains.

Importantly, Seeger’s team was able to deploy the entire Parallels RAS installation themselves. They also manage the solution themselves, without any extra IT support.

"We were looking for a solution that we could operate ourselves with little effort," Seeger notes.

With an alternative solution, the effort—starting with the training costs for new IT personnel—would have been considerably higher.

Overall, Seeger reports a very positive experience with the Parallels support team. Any small issues that arose were immediately solved. Seeger is also working with the Parallels development team on a proposal for future development, which Parallels was more than happy to take on.

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Read this case study in German here.