Continent 8 designed, planned and executed full-service VMware-to-Nutanix migration effort, helping Sportingtech avert 42% increase in virtualisation costs.
Continent 8 Technologies, the leading provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions to the iGaming and online sports betting industry, is pleased to announce an expanded partnership with multi-award-winning global betting and gaming provider, Sportingtech. In a strategic collaboration to optimise its virtualisation environment, Sportingtech entrusted Continent 8 to successfully oversee and implement their VMware-to-Nutanix cloud migration initiatives.
In the wake of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, Sportingtech encountered an unexpected increase in costs, rising by as much as 42% due to licensing changes. This development significantly impacted the cost structure of their VMware-based virtualised enterprise private cloud architecture. To mitigate against these cost fluctuations, Sportingtech chose Continent 8, a Nutanix Authorised Service Provider and their current cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity services partner, to provide professional and managed services for a VMware-to-Nutanix migration.
Continent 8 executed a comprehensive assessment, prioritisation plan and migration journey of hundreds of virtual appliances. The significant efforts led by Continent 8, in close collaboration with Sportingtech, ensured no disruptions in operations or to users and were completed well within the originally anticipated target date. As a result, Sportingtech now benefits from a more predictable, manageable and cost-efficient virtualisation platform and environment.
Michael Jack, Chief Technology Officer at Sportingtech, said: “We are always looking for ways to enhance the solution we build for our customers and to keep costs down. Working with Continent 8, who constantly push to provide efficiencies, cost reductions and value-added expertise, made good sense to us. They continue to be a valued partner and managed to deliver the project on time with no service interruption for us or our customers, which is critical.”
Justin Cosnett, Chief Product Officer at Continent 8, said: “Continent 8 is able to use its experience with VMware, Nutanix, private and public clouds to provide professional as well as managed services to customers, enabling them to focus on core revenue-generating operations. Being able to demonstrate such a significant saving and ROI will be of interest to many enterprises in today’s market.
“It’s thanks to the experienced and highly qualified project and cloud engineering staff at Continent 8 that we were able to successfully complete this project, while earning Sportingtech’s trust to manage their critical operational infrastructure.”
Read the full Sportingtech virutalisation migration case study here.
Matteo Gabrielli, Senior Technical Solutions Architect, Continent 8 Technologies
AWS re:Invent 2024 showcased a clear direction: hybrid cloud is not just a trend, it’s the reality for many enterprises. Here’s what we learned…
AWS re:Invent 2024 demonstrated a significant evolution in hybrid cloud capabilities. I was particularly impressed by AWS’ commitment to simplifying complex operational challenges while maintaining flexibility in deployment options. The technical sessions focusing on hybrid architectures were especially relevant to Continent 8’s mission of enabling customer success through optimised infrastructure solutions. A key theme emerged around designing evolvable systems that can adapt to changing requirements while minimising operational overhead – a philosophy that aligns perfectly with how we approach solution architecture for our customers.
Several key product announcements underscored AWS’ commitment to hybrid cloud. EKS Hybrid Nodes (EKS-H) represent a significant step forward. As an early access partner, Continent 8 sees immense potential in this solution, which enables consistent Kubernetes operations across cloud and on-premises environments while leveraging AWS’ managed control plane. This simplifies management and ensures consistency.
The announcement also included important networking enhancements for hybrid connectivity, including improvements to AWS Cloud WAN and VPC capabilities. We also saw significant progress in AWS’ effort to unify and simplify their data, analytics and machine learning platforms, building upon S3 as the foundation. This reflects a broader trend toward simplified, integrated operational experiences – a principle we consistently apply in our hybrid architecture designs.
Two overarching themes dominated this year’s re:Invent, highlighting the evolving needs of modern businesses.
Dr. Werner Vogels, CTO of Amazon, introduced the concept of ‘simplexity’, which resonated deeply. It emphasises the need to manage inherent system complexity while maintaining operational simplicity. This balance is crucial for organisations seeking both innovation and efficiency.
The need for evolvability was also a key theme. Building systems that can adapt and scale over time is paramount. This means embracing flexibility, modularity and decentralised architectures to accommodate future changes and growth. Organisations face several key challenges when considering hybrid deployments. These include meeting specific regulatory requirements and ensuring data resides in the appropriate location; balancing investments across on-premises and cloud environments to maximise efficiency and cost-effectiveness; and maintaining consistent operations, security and management across different infrastructures.
At Continent 8, we recognise that while AWS Outposts is excellent for extending the AWS ecosystem and operational consistency to new markets, it isn’t always the best fit. Outposts provides a fully managed AWS experience on-premises, but it can be costly, especially for non ‘top-tier’ customers or those with limited edge resource needs. The expense becomes particularly significant when designing for disaster recovery, which often requires multiple Outposts per jurisdiction.
That’s why we’re helping customers explore cost-effective alternatives to Outposts. By leveraging tools like EKS-H, S3-compatible storage on-premises and other components for networking and compute, we can build tailored solutions that deliver similar functionality and operational consistency without the full Outposts overhead. This approach is particularly beneficial for customers who find Outposts over-sized or cost prohibitive for their needs. At Continent 8, our priority is to find the optimal solution for each customer, enabling and accelerating their success by providing expert guidance and support in navigating the complexities of hybrid cloud.
Ready to modernise your sports betting and gaming infrastructure while maintaining regulatory compliance? As a member of the AWS Solutions Provider Program (SPP), we can help you architect, deploy and optimise your hybrid Kubernetes environment. Contact your Regional Sales Director or our team at sales@continent8.com to begin your journey with us.
Learn more about our AWS solutions here.
Our Senior Cloud Solutions Architect Matteo Gabrielli wrote a brief blog of Continent 8’s LATAM marketing and services.
The Latin American (LATAM) iGaming and online sports betting market is growing rapidly, presenting both opportunities and unique technical challenges. As operators and suppliers expand into this market, they face critical decisions about infrastructure, compliance, and scalability. At Continent 8 Technologies, we guide customers through this complex landscape, leveraging our deep expertise in AWS (Amazon Web Services) solutions, on-premises infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and iGaming-specific technologies.
One of the key characteristics of iGaming operations in the LATAM market is the approach many customers take to infrastructure deployment. While regulations vary across the region, many operators choose to serve the entire LATAM market from a single AWS location, such as US East (Virginia), US West (Oregon), or South America (São Paulo).
This centralized model, chosen by some of our customers, offers advantages in terms of operational simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, it also requires careful planning to ensure performance, compliance, and scalability across diverse geographic and regulatory landscapes.
With over 25 years in the iGaming industry and a network spanning more than 100 locations across four continents, Continent 8 brings a unique blend of global reach and local knowledge to the table. Our presence in 30 US states, multiple Canadian provinces, and key locations across LATAM, Europe, and Asia allows us to offer comprehensive compliant solutions.
What sets us apart is our ability to be a single source provider for all regulated locations. Our team has a deep understanding of AWS architectures, on-premises infrastructure, networking intricacies, cybersecurity best practices, and hosting requirements specific to the iGaming industry. This expertise translates into consistent, high-quality implementations across your entire infrastructure stack.
In the fast-changing iGaming and online sports betting landscape, generic solutions often fall short. That’s why we approach each customer engagement with a fresh perspective, considering not just current needs but future growth trajectories.
Our solutions include:
Our cloud offering is purpose-built for iGaming, ensuring regulatory compliance while providing the flexibility and scalability needed in dynamic markets. It’s an ideal choice for operators looking for a fully managed, iGaming-specific solution.
Often, the best solution involves a strategic combination of Continent 8 and AWS resources, optimized for performance, compliance, and cost-effectiveness. This approach allows you to leverage the strengths of both platforms.
For those preferring an AWS-focused approach, we design and implement solutions that take full advantage of AWS capabilities, complemented by our industry-specific expertise.
Our goal is not to push one platform over another, but to architect the solution that best fits your unique needs and growth plans.
One of the most common pitfalls we see in global expansions is the tendency to replicate entire deployments across different jurisdictions. While this approach might seem straightforward, it often leads to high costs, maintenance challenges, and scalability issues down the line.
Instead, we advocate for a more strategic approach:
We break down your infrastructure into modular components, creating systems that can be easily replicated or scaled independently. Crucially, this design considers which components are subject to regulation and which are not, allowing for more efficient expansion into new markets without unnecessary duplication or compliance risks.
We design solutions that centralize core components while ensuring local regulatory compliance. This strikes the right balance between operational efficiency and legal requirements.
The iGaming regulatory landscape is constantly evolving. Our architectures are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing you to adapt quickly to new requirements or market opportunities.
At Continent 8, we offer more than just infrastructure. Our team provides comprehensive support throughout your journey:
Operating across the LATAM region presents unique performance challenges. Latency, data sovereignty, and varying regulatory requirements all come into play. Our approach combines strategic use of the Continent 8 purpose-built network, AWS services, custom content delivery solutions, and optimized network routing to ensure a seamless user experience across the region.
Navigating the regulatory landscape in LATAM requires a nuanced understanding of both regional and country-specific requirements. Our “Regul8 Guardrails” solution embeds compliance checks directly into your cloud infrastructure, ensuring that you maintain regulatory alignment even as you rapidly scale and expand.
Our regulatory affairs team’s proactive approach means you are not just compliant today, but well-positioned for the regulatory landscape of tomorrow. They work closely with our solution architects and account teams to ensure that compliance considerations are built into every aspect of your infrastructure.
The most critical aspect of our approach is the focus on long-term optimization. The infrastructure decisions you make today will have profound implications for your operational efficiency and competitiveness in the years to come.
Our team continuously monitors your systems, identifying opportunities for cost savings, performance enhancements, and architectural improvements. We have helped clients achieve significant cost reductions through strategic workload placement, rightsizing of resources, and implementation of scalable solutions tailored to the unique traffic patterns of iGaming applications.
As you plan your entry or expansion in the flourishing LATAM iGaming market, remember that the right infrastructure strategy can be a powerful competitive advantage. At Continent 8, we bring a unique combination of iGaming industry knowledge, AWS expertise, on-premises infrastructure experience, networking proficiency, and cybersecurity best practices to every engagement.
We are not just here to provide technology – we are here to be your strategic partner in navigating the complexities of global expansion. From initial architecture design to ongoing optimization and support, our team is committed to your long-term success in LATAM and beyond.
Ready to craft a future-proof strategy for your iGaming operations? Let’s start a conversation about how we can align cutting-edge technology with your business objectives. Contact our team of experts at sales@continent8.com, and let’s build the foundation for your success in the dynamic LATAM market.
Learn more about our AWS solutions here.
Francisco Santos, Cloud Operations Manager at Continent 8 Technologies, alongside several of his colleagues in the global Cloud team, recently attended Nutanix .NEXT 2024. The event featured a full agenda of keynote presentations, game-changing breakouts, and hands-on demos, with a focus on how hybrid cloud unlocks the full potential of on-prem, private and public clouds.
Here, Francisco shares his key takeaways from the event.
I was really impressed with the .NEXT event. I attended a smaller version last November, but this full version provided a lot more information about new products, features, and partnerships.
I had a great time meeting with the Nutanix team, checking out new features for the Nutanix AHV virtualisation and Nutanix NCM multi-cloud management platforms, and learning about how other companies are using Nutanix. It was also interesting to explore the services available from partners like RedHat, Suse and Parallel.
The session was fantastic! We had over 100 attendees, and many people reached out afterward to learn more about our approach to building the multi-tenancy offering with Nutanix. The session covered how tenant operations are performed with NCM Self-Service, how to provide isolation with Flow Virtual Networking and VPCs, and even how to plan a migration from VMware to Nutanix AHV.
I think the session was timely given the recent changes to the new licensing model used by VMware Broadcom – a topic of concern for some. As a premier partner in Broadcom’s Partner Program for VMware Cloud Service Providers (VCSPs), we not only help customers migrate from non-virtualized and existing VMware infrastructure to fully managed and compliant clouds but also provide cost savings through licensing scalability and 24/7 support capability.
During the event, I noticed that most of the topics revolved around containers, cybersecurity, AI and hybrid cloud as most of the companies are using public/private cloud to establish their environment and disaster recovery solutions. The use of containerised applications can assist customers in understanding how to decouple their applications and optimise their use of the public cloud.
Hybrid cloud and AI are consistently the main topics covered at most cloud events, and Nutanix has some intriguing solutions available.
Overall, this was certainly an informative event, with a lot of great takeaways and customer interest. I look forward to attending next year’s Nutanix .NEXT event.
Continent 8 offers a comprehensive cloud offering that can support any cloud-based iGaming and online sports betting environment, tailored to the customer’s specific project requirements.
Learn how our cloud team can help simplify, optimise and reimagine your hyperscale, hybrid, public multi-tenant and private single-tenant cloud infrastructure – contact us today!