ZIM’s Move to the Cloud: Over $100,000 Saved in Capital Costs and Greater IT Efficiency

Challenge: Rising server room temperatures, increasing hydro costs, and impending capital expenditures

ZIM, a 25-year veteran of the software industry, develops and sells an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used by software professionals to build complex database applications and management tools. With a client base ranging from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to large enterprises, ZIM’s success hinges on the intersection of product development and IT infrastructure.

Before moving to the cloud, ZIM operated a 20+ VMware-based server environment on-site for software development and testing. This on-premise IT setup included routing and switching equipment, NAS storage, a UPS system, and full-time server management. However, the company was faced with growing challenges: the servers were nearing end of life (EOL), the UPS system needed replacing, and the physical server room was experiencing increased temperatures and rising energy costs as more servers were added.

“We live and breathe development and testing,” says Celso Bressan, ZIM’s Manager of R&D. “Our server environment changes almost daily as we power down, power up, and scale resources to meet release criteria and timelines. Optimizing this aspect of our business operations was a major driving force behind our decision to explore the cloud.”

Moving to the Cloud with Opti9: A Game-Changer for ZIM

ZIM turned to Opti9 (formerly HostedBizz) to transition its IT infrastructure to the cloud. The company needed a solution that offered specialized hardware, redundancy, failover, business continuity, and flexible scalability—without the capital expenditures tied to maintaining aging on-site infrastructure.

Today, ZIM operates 18 virtual Windows and Linux machines for development and testing, all running on advanced hardware beyond their retired assets. The move to the cloud has provided ZIM with multiple benefits, including enhanced resiliency, improved scalability, and the ability to quickly scale compute resources as needed—all within the flexible, pay-as-you-go model of the cloud.

Key Benefits and Outcomes of ZIM’s Cloud Migration

Capital Expenditure Savings

ZIM saved over $100,000 in capital costs by eliminating the need to purchase new servers, storage devices, and UPS systems. The metered cloud service also incorporated power and cooling costs, allowing ZIM to avoid both the initial capital outlay and ongoing operating expenses tied to physical server management.

Improved IT Efficiency and Cost Savings

By moving to the cloud, ZIM reduced the time spent on server provisioning and scaling from hours to mere minutes. With cloud-based resources, IT management is no longer a cost center but a profit center. ZIM estimates that its annual operating expenses (OPEX) have decreased by more than 50%.

Enhanced Resiliency and Redundancy

With cloud infrastructure, ZIM enjoys the benefits of enhanced resiliency, redundancy, and failover capabilities. While their on-premise solution provided high availability, cloud services offer even greater protection, ensuring business continuity even during unforeseen events.

Seamless Scaling for Development and Testing

ZIM’s development and testing servers no longer run at full capacity 24/7, helping to alleviate concerns about rising server room temperatures and escalating hydro costs. Cloud infrastructure allows ZIM to scale resources on demand, ensuring they have the power they need when it’s required, and only paying for what they use.

Preparation for the Future

With the foundation of cloud infrastructure in place, ZIM is now well-positioned to leverage cloud technology to offer their software tools to customers as a Platform as a Service (PaaS)—a strategic move that aligns with their long-term vision of making their products available to a broader market.

Why ZIM Chose Opti9 (Formerly HostedBizz)

ZIM’s move to the cloud was motivated by both business transformation and cost-saving objectives. With Opti9, ZIM gained access to advanced cloud services and infrastructure based in Canadian Tier 3 certified data centers, ensuring data sovereignty and compliance with Canadian privacy laws. ZIM also benefited from a range of cloud services, including server hosting, backup, file sync and archive, virtual desktops, and hosted Microsoft solutions—all tailored to meet their unique development needs.

Blair Cotnam, IT Manager at ZIM, explains, “Because we are a software company, we needed Windows and Linux machines with the option for dedicated compute resources, penalty-free scaling, multiple tiers of storage, full-featured management and monitoring tools, and consumption-based, pay-as-you-go pricing. Opti9 provided exactly what we were looking for.”

The Future of ZIM’s Cloud Strategy

With their cloud infrastructure in place, ZIM is now primed for future growth and transformation. As they continue to optimize and scale their operations, they are prepared to fully capitalize on the cloud’s potential, offering their software tools as a service to clients.

The move to Opti9’s Canadian-based cloud infrastructure has allowed ZIM to streamline their IT operations, save significant capital costs, and prepare for the future of software delivery.

Key Outcomes:

• Over $100,000 saved in capital expenditures
• 50% reduction in annual OPEX
• Improved server resiliency, redundancy, and failover
• Enhanced scalability for development and testing environments
• 100% Canadian cloud hosting for full compliance and peace of mind

ZIM’s cloud migration with Opti9 is a clear example of how businesses can save costs while simultaneously improving IT performance and scalability. With Opti9’s Canadian cloud infrastructure, ZIM has successfully transformed its IT operations, setting itself up for continued success and growth.