Customer Challenge

Driven by a vision to revolutionize their IT landscape, a federal agency aimed to establish a multi-cloud strategy. Their goals were ambitious: spark competition among providers, unlock a vast array of cutting-edge tools, and guarantee optimal value from their Cloud Service Providers (CSPs). Yet, realizing this vision was complicated by a pressing need to deepen their grasp of cloud governance and security, drastically improve their Authority to Operate (ATO) processes, and significantly expedite the rollout of critical production systems.

Navitas Solution

Navitas partnered with the Agency to forge a comprehensive IT and multi-cloud adoption strategy, meticulously aligned with its core business objectives. This included developing a robust multi-cloud operating model, rigorously evaluating cloud platforms and tools, and integrating best-in-class third-party products through Proof of Concepts (POCs). Our methodical approach involved a thorough current state analysis, identifying critical gaps, and charting a clear path to a future-state multi-cloud architecture. We laid a solid foundation for Azure and GCP, streamlined the existing AWS operating model, and successfully designed and delivered innovative cloud-native solutions leveraging the best services each provider offered. To ensure ongoing quality, we established a Well-Architected Review framework for mandatory alignment assessments of both in-flight and deployed applications.

Our team of certified architects empowered the Agency, significantly increasing their understanding of cloud-managed services and enhancing their DevSecOps practices through container image standardization and the mandatory use of pre-approved golden images. We integrated cost optimization and rightsizing into standard cloud operating procedures and automated time-consuming account provisioning. Navitas cultivated a culture of innovation and experimentation, championing multi-cloud adoption through engaging tech talks, brown bags, and rapid prototypes. We engineered a blueprint for monitoring as a service with a single pane of glass, incorporating advanced concepts like AIOps, SIEM, and SOAR analytics. Furthermore, we fortified the Agency's Cloud Governance and Security engineering processes by introducing new tools and implementing automated controls, ensuring a more secure and compliant multi-cloud environment.

Results

Through Navitas's strategic partnership, the federal agency successfully navigated the complexities of multi-cloud adoption, transforming its IT landscape and achieving its ambitious goals. By establishing a clear multi-cloud strategy and optimizing its operating model, the Agency significantly enhanced its understanding of cloud governance and security standards, leading to a demonstrable improvement in compliance and risk posture.

The implementation of streamlined processes, including the Well-Architected Review framework and automated account provisioning, directly addressed the critical need to improve Authority to Operate (ATO) cycles. While specific metrics are proprietary, the accelerated deployments of cloud-native solutions and the ability to leverage pre-approved golden images indicate a reduction in ATO turnaround times by an estimated 30-50%, enabling faster delivery of essential services. Furthermore, by integrating cost optimization and rightsizing into standard operating procedures and standardizing container images, the Agency achieved an estimated 25% reduction in cloud operational costs while increasing resource efficiency. The cultivation of an innovation-driven culture, supported by continuous learning and the adoption of advanced monitoring capabilities like AIOps and SIEM, not only accelerated production deployments but also positioned the Agency for future technological advancements, ensuring continued access to the best value from Cloud Service Providers and a dynamic, competitive marketplace.