Fashion Leader Bucks Trend by Taking Back Control of Its Application Hosting

Given the price tags at certain upscale boutiques, it’s no surprise that fashion is big business. And no country is more synonymous with fashion, and its rich cultural heritage and tradition for fine craftsmanship, than Italy. The country’s fashion industry is reported to have an estimated export value of around 50 billion euros in 2015.

View inside Dell customer Miroglio store

Among the many fashion labels, Miroglio Group, based in the picturesque town of Alba, in northwest Italy is a leading name. The group specializes in fashion and textiles, with more than 1,300 branded stores worldwide and 11 brands in women’s wear alone. It has a distribution network of single-brand stores, 5,000 multi-brand clients, and concessions in leading department stores.

So last season

In an effort to trim costs and become more efficient, Miroglio decided to re-fashion its IT infrastructure. The firm used its own COBOL software platform to power much of its IT infrastructure, and had outsourced it in 2010 in a bid to turn CAPEX into OPEX. However, a couple of years later, the group found the arrangement inflexible and expensive.

Time for a makeover

Miroglio decided it was time for an IT makeover and was looking for a reliable and trustworthy partner. Luciano Manini, Chief Technology Officer at Miroglio Group, explains how Dell struck the right balance by finding the perfect solution and coming in at a competitive price.

“Dell staff made several visits to our office, providing proof of concepts, fine-tuning the specifications set and taking the time to clearly understand our needs,” he says.

Dell and Miroglio decided that re-hosting the application environment was the right solution. This would help preserve the existing IT infrastructure, including the COBOL operating system, and reduce the costs and hassle associated with a rip and replace. More important, they wouldn’t disrupt data or users during the migration. The Dell Application Modernization Services offer combined elements of Dell Services and Dell Software.

Miroglio Group took hosting back in house, and by using Dell’s tools and systems, the group was able to complete the entire global migration in less than a month. “Dell has allowed us to protect our previous IT investments. By reusing hardware we’re truly making the most of our budget and existing staff expertise, so everyone’s happy,” says Manini.

What about the price tag?

“Our calculations show that we’ll halve our IT costs over five years,” says Manini. “This figure takes services, hardware, software licenses and engineering costs into account.”

Plus, by keeping control of its resources, Manini says that the group can handle spikes in load more easily, avoiding extra peak-time hosting costs.

Miroglio Group store window

Time for a new wardrobe?

Miroglio fashioned an IT environment, while preserving its legacy. Very a la mode! How trendy is your IT environment? Modernizing your IT environment can help you cut costs and complexities associated with aging systems, while preserving investments and key functionality of your legacy applications. Above all, it can simplify your IT and help you become future-ready. Dell Application Modernization Services can provide an excellent runway to a future-ready enterprise.

About the Author: Cameron Jenkins