Established in 1997, Skyline Software Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced 3D earth visualization solutions. The company provides a comprehensive suite of applications, tools, and services for the development and distribution of interactive, true-to-life 3D and 2D models and maps. Renowned for its top-tier geospatial data set and customer-focused toolkit, Skyline serves a global clientele in defense, governmental, and commercial sectors for a wide range of applications, including geomapping, military intelligence, urban planning, tower and bridge inspection, and more.
Skyline Software Systems was managing a vast depository of geospatial data on an on-premise server for its client applications. Recognizing a market demand for a SaaS version of their platform, Skyline sought to create a secure and cost-effective cloud-based solution. Searching for an experienced AWS partner, they turned to AllCloud, who recommended joining the AWS MAP program for faster migration and cost-efficiency. The AllCloud team built a robust AWS architecture and migrated part of the company’s workload to the cloud, focusing on security, performance and cost optimization. With ongoing support from AllCloud, Skyline now offers a secure, optimized cloud-based SaaS solution, alongside its on-prem and license-based offerings, meeting a wide range of customer preferences. Skyline’s SaaS platform has opened a new revenue channel for the company, and increased its competitiveness in a dynamic market.
Skyline Software Systems operated on-premise solutions to upload, process and share masses of geospatial data for its client applications for desktop, web and mobile. The company mainly focused on providing on-prem licenses and products for clients to use on their systems. However, this demands a lot of storage and resources, and it was difficult for Skyline’s customers to build large, scalable infrastructure for their production needs.
Skyline noted that there was a market demand for a SaaS version of their platform. The company decided to build a fully automated cloud-based solution on the Skyline side and provide it as a SaaS service to customers who wanted it. However, Skyline did not have AWS cloud experts or DevOps specialists that they could turn to internally. Additionally, due to the sensitive nature of the data and clients they work with, Skyline had to ensure that their AWS environment be top notch in terms of security and performance, while at the same time managing cloud costs to ensure viability in the market.
Having worked successfully with AllCloud several years ago on a limited AWS DevOps project, the Skyline team once again chose to work with AllCloud. The goal of the project was to migrate part of Skyline’s workload to AWS to support a SaaS platform, while maintaining the on-premise service for customers who prefer to purchase licenses or run the Skyline software solution on their own cloud infrastructure.
AllCloud recommended that Skyline join the AWS MAP program to accelerate the development process and migrate to the cloud faster and with more cost-efficiency. The AllCloud team architected and optimized the AWS environment in the Next Generation Landing Zone, while focusing efforts on two key areas:
Skyline’s in-house developers now manage the AWS infrastructure built by AllCloud, continually optimizing for performance, security and cost. As an AllCloud customer, Skyline gets the ongoing support they need, when they need it, from the AllCloud team, and with fast SLA to manage issues as they arise.
Skyline can now offer unlimited resources on AWS for customers who can’t handle the cloud workload on their own. With the new SaaS platform, Skyline’s customers get the ready-made AllCloud Next Generation Landing Zone environment, CI/CD automation, IaaC, and the scalability and agility in 3D mapping and modeling to grow their businesses towards success.
Following the successful migration process, Skyline is now an AWS-friendly company, providing a solution for all types of customers:
AllCloud’s FinOps team provides ongoing recommendations about how to optimize AWS usage and reduce costs. This enables Skyline to bring down pricing and offer a competitive solution for their customers. Thanks to the AWS deployment, Skyline can now offer a SaaS-based solution to potential customers, opening a new revenue channel that is steadily growing.
“Our partnership with AllCloud in AWS migration and optimization is not new, but the results continue to impress. The AllCloud team’s professionalism and expertise keep us coming back. Our most recent collaboration has resulted in a new SaaS product, which is not only growing our customer base but also generating additional revenue. Thanks to the consistent and timely support from AllCloud, we are realizing tangible benefits. We couldn’t be more satisfied with the enduring partnership and the results it continues to yield.” – Arik Katz, VP R&D, Skyline