Financial Firm Migrates to VMware Private Cloud for Data Protection

• Industry: Financial services 
• Employees: ~50 employees 
• HQ Location: Virginia 

About the client

This financial planning firm assists its clients in reducing taxes and increasing after-tax cash flow. They utilize proprietary tools to model and compare traditional retirement approaches with their own methods, aiming to achieve stronger financial outcomes. As a result, the firm manages sensitive financial data and depends on secure, stable IT systems to support daily operations and keep client trust. 

The challenge

With limited internal IT resources, they relied on a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to maintain a strong security posture and ensure business continuity in a managed Azure public cloud environment. 

After a preventable security lapse with their previous provider, the organization faced a serious escalation that exposed critical security gaps in its environment and required external intervention. This was not just a technical issue; it also put client trust and business continuity at risk. 

• The Azure environment did not perform as well as expected, and the MSP could not provide enough insights  
• No consistent backup or recovery strategy was in place 
• With limited IT staff, it was hard for them to respond quickly and effectively 
• Outdated anti-malware protections left endpoints exposed to threats 

The organization required more than a quick fix. They needed a more secure, high-performing private cloud environment built to support their production and data protection needs.  

The solution

The organization partnered with OTAVA to transition from a vulnerable environment to a more secure OTAVA VMware Private Cloud environment. Rather than patching individual issues, OTAVA delivered a fully managed, security-first private cloud environment designed to stabilize operations, reduce risk, and support long-term growth. 

OTAVA provided a complete solution that included: 

• Secure cloud migration: Transitioned workloads from an underperforming Azure environment into an OTAVA VMware Private Cloud environment to improve performance, security, control and visibility 
• Endpoint protection: Deployed anti-malware across user devices to address the root cause of the initial incident 
• Cloud backup services: Implemented reliable Veeam-powered backup solutions to ensure recoverability and reduce the risk of data loss 
• Web application firewall (WAF): Added an additional layer of protection to defend against external threats 
• Workstation and email protection: Secured common attack vectors to reduce exposure across the organization 
• Extended IT management: Provided hands-on guidance and operational support to supplement limited internal IT resources 

The results

The migration to a private cloud and a multi-layered security approach have significantly strengthened the business’s security, moving from a vulnerable environment to a more secure system across the cloud, endpoint, and application levels. By implementing proactive, continuous protection, they have enhanced operational stability and boosted confidence within their IT team. 

• Reduced business risk: Closed critical security gaps that previously exposed the business to real-world threats 
• Restored confidence: Leadership regained trust in their IT environment following a high-impact security event 
• Enabled scalable security growth: Built a foundation for future enhancements as security needs evolve 
• Data protection strengthened: Veeam-based backups ensure reliable, recovery-ready protection 

Working with OTAVA addressed an immediate security risk and delivered a VMware private cloud environment with greater control, visibility, and performance, positioning the organization for long-term resilience with a recovery-ready cloud backup strategy they can actually trust.