A Global Trading Tech Company Migrates to Atlassian Cloud Instance Post-Acquisition

Following an acquisition, a financial services tech company needed to modernize its outdated Atlassian infrastructure and migrate to the parent company’s corporate cloud instance. Operating as a specialized unit with strict client confidentiality requirements, the global trading technology provider had been on Jira and Confluence Server since 2008, which housed decades of critical data and business operations. However, these products had become obsolete, and Atlassian no longer provides security updates or support for Server products.

To address this challenge, the financial services tech company partnered with Praecipio to execute the migration to the parent company’s centralized cloud instance. The project aimed to modernize their infrastructure, optimize processes, align their cloud strategy with business objectives, and build a thriving cloud environment. This complex initiative involved migrating legacy data, thousands of custom scripts, and implementing advanced cloud security standards, all while maintaining uninterrupted business operations.

As with any merger, the scope of this migration was anything but straightforward. The client's environment presented a unique blend of technical, operational, and organizational challenges.

Complex Legacy Systems

The project involved migrating years of accumulated data, some of which dated back to 2008. While the Confluence instance wasn’t complicated, Jira presented a bigger challenge due to the extensive use of over 1,200 compliance-related scripts powered by ScriptRunner. These scripts, designed for now outdated on-prem systems, were critical to maintaining regulatory compliance and automating workflows, but they needed a complete overhaul to function in the cloud.

Security and Access Limitations

Operating in the highly regulated financial services sector demanded stringent security measures. The client had to follow strict protocols and could not grant access to their database or systems. While essential for compliance, these restrictions led to delays during the project's initial phases and required innovative workarounds to keep progress on track. Additionally, the client’s infrastructure had to comply with the stringent governance policies of the parent company’s Atlassian environment.  

Tight Timelines & Misalignment

The global trading platform provider needed the migration executed with minimal disruption, as any downtime could jeopardize business continuity. Their goal was to transition systems over a single weekend, an ambitious timeline that left little room for error.

There was also misalignment among the client’s internal teams around migration goals, timelines, and expectations, which caused delays. While the client prioritized upgrading systems to meet immediate operational needs, the acquiring company adhered to stricter cloud governance policies, requiring our client’s workflows to align with corporate standards.

Over the course of a year, we partnered with our ACI Worldwide to improve critical business operations previously supported by the CRM, with Atlassian tools. We also simultaneously executed a complete overhaul of their business processes and workflows across the entire organization, as well as designing three custom training programs that the team at ACI Worldwide delivered to 850 users.

We replaced the CRM for the client's On-Demand and On-Premise Project Management groups by implementing Jira and Confluence Data Center, which required a deep level of technical expertise. Additionally, we implemented the Jira Service Management Data Center and Confluence Data Center applications in place of the CRM for their On-Demand and On-Premise Service Desk Operations teams, as well as the Help24 Customer Support groups. 

Because each department within their organization operated distinctly, we wanted to understand each group’s intricacies and unique processes. Our delivery teams, both technical and process, worked closely with each department to gain insight into their distinct workflows and data-reporting needs. Based on our findings, we consolidated and standardized workflows, issue types, and custom fields, as well as established a universal language that could be understood when working within and across different business functions.

In addition to Jira and Confluence, we helped ACI Worldwide implement 24 Atlassian Marketplace apps that enhanced the performance of their current Atlassian tools and met their specific business requirements. 

Our solution also required a third-party middleware technology, Workato, to support the Customer Support Team, which primarily handles the critical, priority 1 issues. Customers continued to engage with ACI Worldwide via a CRM e-portal, which helped maintain the customer experience, but analysts were now enabled to work within Jira Service Management. Workato provided additional flexibility needed for sharing information between Jira Service Management and their CRM tool.

Despite the challenges, Praecipio successfully migrated the financial services tech company to the parent company’s corporate cloud instance thanks to careful planning and fostering alignment across disconnected teams. The migration was completed over a single weekend, with all systems up and running by Monday morning and fully compliant.

Improved Security

The transition to the cloud not only addressed critical security concerns but also bolstered our client's security posture. Automated compliance monitoring, audit logging, and advanced security controls provided operational peace of mind in meeting both internal and regulatory standards. Our client’s infrastructure now forms part of their parent company’s centralized cloud environment and complies with its strict project configuration and security standards.

Operational Efficiency

The cloud migration has reduced operational overhead by replacing maintenance-heavy legacy systems with scalable and reliable cloud infrastructure. Automated backups and real-time performance monitoring have minimized disruptions while improving system visibility.

In addition to streamlining operations, the migration has helped reduce hardware costs, energy usage, and overall IT expenses. The pay-as-you-go model also allows for more predictable and manageable operating costs.

Enhanced Agility and Scalability

The new platform offers the flexibility to roll out updates, features, and system improvements much faster than before. This puts the financial services tech company in a position to respond to market demands swiftly, paving the way for sustainable growth and innovation in the financial services industry. The cloud setup also enables our client to handle fluctuating workloads, onboard new clients, and adopt AI technologies.