Manchester Met reduces up to 50% of its network footprint with Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Customer Stories
Organizations are under pressure to modernize without overhauling their entire IT infrastructure. This customer story highlights how Manchester Metropolitan University uses Azure VMware Solution to simplify hybrid operations and achieve a 50% reduction in network footprint. It shows how Azure VMware Solution helps customers modernize applications faster, reduce operational complexity, and achieve greater agility — all while maintaining control and compliance. Read the story and contact Swerve Limited to discuss how Azure VMware Solution can support your modernization goals.
What prompted Manchester Met to move to Azure VMware Solution?
The university faced the end of support for its existing on-premises VMware infrastructure. Given its existing licensing and the cost benefits associated with Azure VMware Solution, it became an attractive option. Additionally, the need to consolidate its datacenter and improve operational efficiency played a significant role in this decision.
What were the outcomes of the migration to Azure VMware Solution?
Within eight months, Manchester Met moved 80% of its servers to Azure VMware Solution, achieving a 43% reduction in essential servers and cutting its on-premises footprint by up to 50%. The IT staff reported improved performance across migrated applications, databases, and servers, marking a significant shift in their approach to technology.
How has the university's approach to technology changed post-migration?
Post-migration, Manchester Met has embraced a cloud-first mentality, prioritizing Azure-native solutions. The IT staff has expanded their knowledge of cloud concepts, leading to a proactive approach in managing technology. The university now views cloud options as the first choice for new infrastructure, reshaping its overall technology strategy.

Manchester Met reduces up to 50% of its network footprint with Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Customer Stories
published by Swerve Limited
Swerve is a responsive, 100% Kiwi-owned technology business. We are headquartered in Auckland and service clients across New Zealand.
Our customers are diverse, from the engineering firms that build the infrastructure of the nation, to the Hobbiton team in Middle-earth that warm the hearts of countless international (and local) visitors.
No matter their business, each client enjoys big team capability, delivered with small team agility - and the simplicity of one responsive IT partner for everything.
We believe IT matters
Our purpose: To put people at the heart of technology, as we design, deliver, and support exceptional IT experiences that keep business humming.
Swerve was founded in 1999 and for over 25 years we've taken care of technology because we know IT matters.
IT matters because it powers the engine rooms of the Kiwi economy. Businesses like yours, that is.
IT matters because it protects IP, data, and the lifeblood of livelihoods in an age of sophisticated cyber crime. IT matters for productivity, for communication, for healthy communities, and for everything that keeps New Zealand humming in a digital world.