“Cloud400 Is A No Brainer. Everything Went Easier Than Expected, The Performance Is Awesome, And You’ll Be In A Better Place To Not Have The Burden Of Keeping Your Server Current.”
Background
Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative (Minn-Dak) in Wahpeton, North Dakota, was officially formed in 1972, as the first sugar beet cooperative established in the United States. The Cooperative is owned by approximately 430 Shareholders and over 100 Growers who collectively grow over 105,000 acres of sugar beets and is part of the domestic sweetener industry. Minn-Dak employs about 430 year-round, 100 seasonal and 340 harvest employees.
John Wieser is the IS Director at Minn-Dak. With over three decades of experience, John has meticulously developed and modernized software tailored to streamline shareholder accounting, particularly in managing payments to growers.
John Wieser Plans Retirement. Needs IT Skill, Simplification, Cost-Efficiency
Over the course of 35 years, John has witnessed the evolution of technology and recognized the need for modern solutions to enhance operational efficiency.
As he looked toward retirement, he made plans to leave the IT Department with what was needed for simplification in administration and cost-efficiency.
John shares, “I was actively involved in the development and evolution of our software over the last 35 years. When I retire, I don’t want to leave the folks here with a machine that they don’t know what to do with.”
Difficulty Finding Replacement
“Finding my replacement proved difficult. We tried several individuals but they didn’t see a long term career in IBM i servers.”
Time To Explore Other Options
John explored different avenues, including IBM hosting. He spoke with various service providers. However, it was his conversation with Bob Losey from Cloud400 that proved pivotal. During their initial discussion, Bob addressed all of John’s queries, instilling confidence in Cloud400 as the right partner for Minn-Dak’s needs.
“We asked many people who knew about IBM technology. We spoke to our IBM rep, our IBM business partner, and another hosting company but their suggestions didn’t really fit our needs. In the initial phone call with Bob Losey and Source Data Products, he was able to answer every question we had.”
Expert Cloud400 Team: Resilient, Navigating Unexpected Transition Hurdles
Reflecting on the transition experience, John humorously shares, “Our tape drive broke just as we were trying to do a backup for Cloud400, then our tape drive controller failed. Almost to the day when we cut over, our System Console laptop broke. I don’t think the box wanted to be turned off!” Despite these challenges, the Cloud400 team demonstrated resilience and expertise in navigating unexpected hurdles, reinforcing their commitment to client success.
Seamless Performance and Latency
One of the primary concerns for John was the performance and latency associated with cloud hosting. However, with Cloud400 he was thrilled to discover that the performance matched that of an on-premise setup. This seamless transition ensured that Minn-Dak’s operations remained uninterrupted, regardless of the hosting environment.
“Once we got up, we stayed up, and it was great. One of the things that surprised me was the speed. We thought it may have a slight delay, but now that things are up and running we can’t even tell the difference- the speed is just as quick as our on premise was.”
Cloud400 Cost Savings Recognized By Management
Management at Minn-Dak recognized the significant cost savings associated with transitioning to Cloud400. John remarks, “Management was pleased that we not only were saving money, but modernizing on a capital project. It was a no brainer.”
This sentiment was echoed by the IT team, with John emphasizing, “It’s honestly cheaper, a LOT cheaper. Not just the price of the box but the maintenance, IBM operating support, and backup LTO tape on a different rack. Those costs annually were much more expensive.”
Multiple Benefits Plus Simplification And Expert Support
Moving to Cloud400 brought a multitude of benefits for Minn-Dak. Beyond simplifying administrative processes, Cloud400 offered a cost-effective solution with no capital outlay and comprehensive IBM support, including Hardware Maintenance (HWMA) and Software Maintenance (SWMA).
The expertise provided by Cloud400’s IBM i administration support ensured smooth operations and peace of mind for John and his team. By embracing Cloud400, Minn-Dak not only streamlined its operations but also laid the foundation for future growth and innovation.
“My only change would have been to act sooner. I would have got this done in the first week had I known how straightforward it was going to be.”
John Wieser Recommends Cloud400
“I would 100% recommend Source Data Products and Cloud400. Cloud400 is a no brainer. Everything went easier than expected, the performance is awesome, and you’ll be in a better place to not have the burden of keeping your server current. Support for IBM these days is very hard to find, so having that extra layer of support at a great price is the perfect solution for our needs.”