Case Study Mikron Switzerland AG
Mikron Groups develops, produces and markets highly precise, productive and adaptable automation solutions, machining systems and cutting tools. Rooted in the Swiss culture of innovation, Mikron is a global partner to companies in the pharmaceutical, medtech, consumer goods, automotive, and general engineering industries.
The Mikron Group enables its customers to increase quality and industrial productivity. The Group has over 100 years of experience, state-of-the-art technologies, and a global service.
The situation before baseVISION
Enhanced IT Security and Efficiency with Azure Arc: Centralized Visibility and Proactive Threat Detection
Leading up to the adoption of Azure Arc, Mikron saw an opportunity to streamline IT operations and bolster their overall security approach. However, after integrating Azure Arc, Mikron significantly enhanced their operational efficiency and fortified their security measures, leading to a more robust and streamlined IT environment.
- Previously, managing on-premises servers separately posed some operational challenges.
- Governance policies were applied differently across various systems, presenting some challenges.
- Visibility into security events was limited, presenting challenges in identifying and responding to issues.
- Meeting compliance requirements was a manual and time-consuming process.
The Vision
Mikron wanted to simplify the management of their on-premises servers while improving operational efficiency, governance, and security. baseVISION implemented Azure Arc to bring the power of Azure’s capabilities to Mikron’s hybrid infrastructure. This solution not only streamlines compliance management but also ensures that Mikron retains full control over their systems. By integrating Azure Arc with the Azure Monitor Agent, logs are seamlessly forwarded to Sentinel, providing real-time insights into critical security events and helping Mikron stay ahead of potential threats.
The Transformation
Consultation and Discovery
The baseVISION team began with in-depth discussions to understand Mikron’s business goals and IT setup. Together, we defined how Azure Arc could support their hybrid environment and agreed on success criteria for the PoC—such as achieving centralized visibility across resources, ensuring compliance through policy enforcement, and enabling secure and efficient management of workloads. These are challenges, many organizations face, making Azure Arc an essential solution for hybrid management.
Through this process, we identified key areas for improvement, such as the need for a unified management platform and enhanced security measures. By integrating Azure Arc, Mikron achieved a seamless blend of on-premises and cloud resources, providing a comprehensive view of their IT landscape. This integration also enabled real-time monitoring and analytics, significantly improving their ability to detect and respond to security threats.
Building the PoC with Azure Arc
After understanding their needs, we deploy Azure Arc to connect on-premises or cloud-based resources. We test its features — such as governance, security, and monitoring — within the customer’s environment to ensure seamless operation. This approach allows the customer to achieve centralized control, improved compliance, and enhanced visibility across their infrastructure. Feedback is collected to refine the solution further, ensuring it aligns perfectly with their business objectives and operational needs.
Improvements and Optimization
During this phase, we focused on several key areas:
Performance Optimization: We fine-tuned the system to ensure optimal performance, addressing any bottlenecks or inefficiencies identified during the PoC.
Security Enhancements: By implementing additional security measures and refining existing ones, we ensured that Mikron’s infrastructure remained robust against potential threats.
User Training and Support: We provided comprehensive training and support to Mikron’s IT team, ensuring they were well-equipped to manage and maintain the new system.
These improvements not only addressed immediate concerns but also positioned Mikron for long-term success by providing a scalable, secure, and efficient IT management solution.
Production Rollout
Once the PoC is refined, we roll out the solution to production. This involves scaling up the Azure Arc deployment, setting up monitoring and alerting systems, and implementing automation for continuous deployment. We also provide training and documentation to help the customer manage the solution long-term. Finally, we ensure ongoing support to keep the system running smoothly.
Most beneficial Microsoft technologies used
- Microsoft Defender XDR
- Microsoft Sentinel
- Azure infrastructure
- Azure Arc
- Azure Monitor
- Defender for Endpoint
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access
Summary
Throughout the process, we emphasized the importance of centralized visibility and compliance, which are critical for maintaining a secure and efficient IT environment. By leveraging Azure Arc’s capabilities, the customer achieved enhanced control over their resources, improved compliance through policy enforcement, and real-time monitoring and analytics. This proactive approach allowed them to identify and mitigate potential threats promptly.
In the end, Azure Arc provided them with a scalable, streamlined solution that made managing their infrastructure much easier. The customer now enjoys a unified management platform that supports their evolving business needs and ensures long-term success.