Amazon Web Services

In industry, the IT landscape is characterised by individual and complex applications with legacy code. Modernising these business-critical applications is challenging. Modernisations must be planned and implemented in a targeted, efficient and uninterrupted manner.

It is economical to combine modernisation with a migration to the AWS Cloud at the same time. Cloud services can be used there to make the further development of applications more efficient. A modern application architecture is based in particular on higher-value cloud services such as S3 as a storage solution, AWS Lambda as a serverless function or AWS Athena as a data analytics tool. The integration of SaaS products hosted on AWS can also be part of a new architecture.

Materna uses a framework for modernisation that supports you with a precise migration plan. Nevertheless, we can take your specific requirements into account within this plan and implement them as required.

1. Together with you, we define the target image of the application and collect relevant information.
2. We analyse the ecosystem of the application and the application itself and create individual migration scenarios.
3. The customer decides on a migration scenario and together we create the appropriate migration plan.
4. We define and create the appropriate AWS landing zone (or use an existing one) and migrate the application according to the previously created migration plan.
5. The cloud migration is followed by two further activities: the classic operation of the application according to your procedure or continuous further development according to DevOps together with you.

AWS and Materna provide a team that works hand in hand and regularly exchanges information. By applying best practice methods such as the AWS Well-Architected Framework, we find a secure modernisation path for your applications.

Data is one of the main drivers for IoT projects in the AWS Cloud. Companies use data to optimise their business processes and provide their customers with more targeted applications. The quality and quantity of data is crucial. It must be professionally recorded, collected and analysed. When using IoT-based applications, sensors collect the data directly from the devices or systems. Correctly analysed and evaluated, the collected data boosts value creation in the company. Valuable use cases include, for example, the maintenance of machines and components and the acquisition and provision of information, such as for the containment of hazardous situations.

We support you in developing a software solution that meets your requirements and functions. Our focus is on information acquisition, visualisation of your data and usability for your organisation. Our solutions are based on modern cloud-based technologies such as machine learning and deep learning as well as innovative cloud services such as serverless computing, data lakes and various BI suites.

Our approach is comparable to cloud-native development:

1. In requirements engineering workshops, we work with you to define the requirements for the application.
2. Together, we prioritise your requirements and start with cloud-native software development. The focus is on the successful collection and processing of data on a central platform.
3. As a result, you will receive a minimum viable product (MVP) as quickly as possible , an initial executable product that you can offer to your users.
4. User feedback flows directly into continuous further development and your application scales with increasing user numbers thanks to the cloud.
5. If there is no need to further develop the application, we transfer it to classic operation in accordance with ITIL. On request, we can restart continuous development with agile development methods at any time.

Migrating IT resources to the cloud presents companies with a variety of challenges. Computing capacities can be relocated or purchased more cheaply from a cloud provider. The key to cloud migration is to analyse existing technologies and processes in detail and adapt the organisation to new working methods and paradigms. Last but not least, the migration should lead to a comprehensive technological and cultural change. It is almost impossible for companies to optimise all these areas on their own.

Materna supports the entire migration process with specialists for cloud migrations (Certified AWS Migration Black Belts): from the analysis phase to the preparation and implementation of initial migrations to "migration-at-scale", i.e. the automated migration of large IT environments to the AWS Cloud.

• We work with you to analyse your IT environment and any existing cloud environments. For each service and each application, we develop a concept for optimal provision in the cloud and the best migration path to the AWS Cloud.
• We work with you to develop quality and availability requirements for your applications and design the target architecture for each application in the AWS Cloud. This way, you can be sure that your applications will be provided securely, efficiently and cost-effectively in the AWS Cloud.
• Together, we define security and compliance requirements and determine how these are implemented and regularly monitored in the AWS Cloud.
• We work with you to analyse which cloud-related skills are already available in the company and which need to be developed. As an AWS training partner, we offer customised training concepts for upskilling your employees.

Materna is the partner at your side who fully supports your cloud migration to the AWS Cloud. The "Experience Based Acceleration" (EBA) methodology and extensive best practices enable us to accelerate migration projects and achieve excellent results at the same time.

Cloud-native applications consist of several small, interdependent microservices that are usually operated in containerised environments. Modern tools and technologies really bring out the advantages of the cloud: Scalability, resilience and flexibility. Cloud-native applications can be continuously developed and provided in shorter release cycles. New requirements can be adapted more dynamically and taken into account in further development, which leads to more efficient utilisation.

Cloud-native development supports the approach that companies only pay for the cloud resources that they actually use. Here is an example: when using a cloud-based virtual machine, the cloud service provider (CSP) charges a fixed monthly amount depending on the size, regardless of the actual utilisation of the virtual machine. In contrast, with a serverless function, for example provided by AWS Lambda, you only pay for the actual requests made by the users who execute the code.
In-house operation is also simplified, as cloud-native services can be provided and operated directly by the CSP.

For the development of cloud-native applications, Materna uses a framework that is based on agile development and the DevOps method:

1. In requirements engineering workshops, we work with you to define the requirements for the application.
2. Together, we prioritise your requirements and start with cloud-native software development.
3. As a result, you will receive a minimum viable product (MVP) as quickly as possible , an initial executable product that you can offer to your users.
4. User feedback flows directly into continuous further development and your application scales with increasing user numbers thanks to the cloud.
5. If there is no need to further develop the application, we transfer it to classic operation in accordance with ITIL. We can restart continuous development with agile development methods at any time.

AWS and Materna work hand in hand as a team and regularly exchange information. Using best practice methods, we design the right path for the agile development of your application.

Benefit from centralised cloud management of your AWS cloud environment:

• A service catalogue standardises and accelerates the provision of resources in the AWS Cloud. Users who want to consume new resources do not need any cloud-specific knowledge, but simply order resources via a central self-service centre. The resources are provided immediately and automatically. This shortens ordering processes and speeds up projects.
• Centralised monitoring simplifies the monitoring of cloud resources. In the event of an error, immediate alerts and targeted intervention are possible.
• Cloud usage costs are consolidated across multiple accounts, organisations or cloud platforms, trends are identified and potential savings are realised. The centralised cloud management system accurately uncovers hidden costs, such as those incurred for unused or oversized services.
• All changes and modifications to the cloud environment are documented and logged, making them easy and transparent to track. This supports quality and governance processes.

We advise you on product selection and support the introduction of cloud management. Alternatively, you can use a cloud management platform as part of our managed services.

The Well Architected Framework from AWS is a powerful offering for designing the cloud architecture for applications and services in the AWS Cloud. Six pillars form the foundation for the secure, flexible and cost-effective operation of applications:

• "Operational Excellence" deals with the automation of deployment, traceability of changes, responses to disruptions and the organisation of daily operations.
• The "Security" pillar checks compliance with standards and their regular monitoring based on criteria such as confidentiality, integrity, availability and authenticity of data.
• The "Reliability " pillar examines the extent to which measures taken increase the resilience and scalability of workloads.
• The "Performance and efficiency" pillar describes the procedure for rightsizing resources, monitoring performance and maintaining efficiency if the architecture changes.
• The "Cost optimisation " pillar identifies inefficient operating models and workloads. It creates transparency in cloud costs and helps to optimise the use of resources in the cloud.
• The "Sustainability" pillar helps to minimise the negative impact of cloud technologies on the environment.

These pillars can also be applied through so-called "lenses" , e.g. focused on technologies (such as data analytics or containerisation) or industries (e.g. financial services, media, etc.).

With the Well Architected Review, we provide you with comprehensive support in the application of the AWS framework. Our highly trained and experienced specialists work with you to review the extent to which a workload, a service or a complete cloud environment fulfils the requirements of the AWS Well Architected Framework.