Optimal data security with Microsoft Azure

In January, NewArmstrong completed the transition of a physical server to Microsoft Azure. To provide optimal security and accessibility for our customers, especially the customers for whom NewArmstrong provides data management, we use 2 cloud services:

Microsoft Azure for our security and as a platform for the Microsoft applications
The Autodesk Construction Cloud for project data storage and cloud collaboration with customers and collaboration partners.

The project management; the IT services for the transition to Azure; and the implementation of the Autodesk Construction Cloud (as early as 2022) were provided by our IT service provider CAD & Company.

Data Migration

This transition started in October with the preparation of the data migration from the server to Sharepoint and the Autodesk Construction Cloud. In a period of 2 months, all hardware requirements were met: upgraded the Firewall to the latest standards and all computers were upgraded to Windows 11.

During the month of November, all data links were converted and non-project data was migrated. As of December, the project archive has been migrated to the ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud). Over the past year, all newly launched projects have already started from the ACC.

Autodesk Construction Cloud

Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is a cloud-based platform that enables construction teams to connect workflows, teams and data at every stage of construction. The platform provides a collection of applications and services to collaborate in the cloud, during all phases of a construction project.

The platform provides a common data environment, Autodesk Docs, from which NewArmstrong shares information with construction teams in real time and everyone works with the latest project data anytime, anywhere. The platform is to become the hub of the entire construction and management process of BIM projects.

Currently, we have already managed more than 800,000 m2 of area in BIM models in the Autodesk Construction Cloud for a number of multinationals. For some projects and clients with more than 200 collaboration partners: a solution with role management, rights management and workflows is then necessary. In a separate blog, we discussed the benefits of the Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Microsoft Azure

The following arguments played a role in considering the move to Microsoft Azure:

Security:

Microsoft Azure has a strong focus on security and has achieved multiple certifications. The platform provides simple, easy-to-use services for better protection, such as multiple authentication and password requirements. It offers advanced security features and tools to protect businesses from cyber attacks and data loss.

This is especially important for mid-sized companies that often lack the resources to build and maintain their own security infrastructure. In this case, this means two-stage authentication by default for all employees and devices, for example.

Scalability:

Azure is highly scalable and makes it easy to scale computing power up or down with nothing more than the click of a button. Companies have the flexibility to pay only for what they use.

Availability:

Looking at Azure’s SLA, we see that the uptime guarantee is 99.95%. In real-time hours, this means that over an entire year we can expect about 4.5 hours of downtime. Similar services from competing brands or on-premises solutions offer uptime rates of 98%, 95% and sometimes 90% for the same price as Azure.

Costs:

Thanks to Azure’s pay-as-you-go pricing, businesses we can better manage our IT budget by purchasing only when they need it.

Moreover, the Cloud environment allows companies to launch both customer applications and internal apps in the Cloud, saving on IT infrastructure costs while reducing the hardware and maintenance burden for internal IT management. Knowing that for some clients we provide data management that requires access to more than 200 people, scalability is an important argument.

In short, Microsoft Azure offers NewArmstrong the following benefits: