{"id":1013000000229,"date":"2026-09-10T15:53:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T15:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/en-us\/how-key-group-consolidated-its-technology-estate-with-microsoft-azure-and-managed-services\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T15:53:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T15:53:52","slug":"how-key-group-consolidated-its-technology-estate-with-microsoft-azure-and-managed-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/en-us\/how-key-group-consolidated-its-technology-estate-with-microsoft-azure-and-managed-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer blog: How Key Group consolidated its technology estate with Microsoft Azure and Managed Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"single-column-content single-column-content--container-regular single-column-content--align-left  block-theme-light block-surface-white\">\n    \n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"single-column-content__inner\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n            \n                            <div class=\"single-column-content__content standard-body\">\n                    <p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For several years, Key Group ran what I would describe as a pick-and-mix technology strategy.\u00a0A large number of\u00a0suppliers, a wide spread of platforms and technologies, and the significant overhead that comes with managing all of it across a fast-growing financial services business. It worked, but by the time we decided to change it, two problems had become impossible to ignore.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The first was cost. Our technology bills were genuinely difficult to model. Pricing a new service or product proposition was slow and approximate, and getting it wrong had real consequences for a VC-backed business that needs to make investment decisions at pace. The second problem was speed. Provisioning\u00a0a new environment\u00a0was taking weeks, sometimes longer, at a point when our product teams needed to move far faster than that.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Underpinning both was a strategic decision we had already made as a business: to\u00a0consolidate\u00a0fully onto the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/partners\/microsoft-azure-partner\/\">Microsoft<\/a> ecosystem and build everything we wanted to do next, including an increasingly important <a href=\"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/services\/ai-strategy-and-implementation\/\">AI<\/a> programme, on top of that platform. What we needed was a partner who had been there before us, not one who would be figuring it out alongside us.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n            \n                            <div class=\"single-column-content__cta-wrap\">\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/en-us\/partners\/microsoft-azure-partner\/\" class=\"button button--with-icon single-column-content__cta  button-outline-dark\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Learn more about our Microsoft expertise\"><span class=\"button__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"9.009\" height=\"15.571\" viewBox=\"0 0 9.009 15.571\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n  <g id=\"Group_49001\" data-name=\"Group 49001\" transform=\"translate(8.684 0.325) rotate(90)\">\n    <g id=\"Group_48378\" data-name=\"Group 48378\" transform=\"translate(0 0)\">\n      <path 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class=\"quote-carousel__quote\">\n                                        <p class=\"quote-carousel__quote-text h5\">We needed a partner who had been there before us, not one who would be figuring it out alongside us.<\/p>\n                                    <\/blockquote>\n\n                                                                    <\/figure>\n                            <\/div>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"single-column-content single-column-content--container-regular single-column-content--align-left  block-theme-light block-surface-white\">\n    \n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"single-column-content__inner\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n            \n                            <div class=\"single-column-content__content standard-body\">\n                    <p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We ran a structured RFI process and looked at the market properly. A few things separated Version 1 from the rest\u00a0fairly quickly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The ASPIRE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/services\/aspire-managed-services\/\">Managed Services<\/a> Framework stood out\u00a0immediately. What surprised me was how many providers we spoke to that did not actually have a documented delivery\u00a0methodology. They had plenty to say about how they work, but when it came to showing us a run book or an established operating model, most fell short. Version 1 had it baked in. That gave me confidence before we had even got into the commercial conversation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">On the Microsoft side, we asked specifically about the number of certified individuals across the estate. Version 1 had the highest of any provider we evaluated, and they were across the newer accreditations too, the ones that matter if AI is genuinely part of your roadmap rather than just a slide in a deck. They also\u00a0identified\u00a0licensing and pricing optimisation opportunities during the RFI\u00a0itself, before\u00a0any contract existed. That kind of good faith matters when you are trying to work out who you\u00a0actually want\u00a0to spend five years with.<\/span><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n            \n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"quote-carousel  block-theme-light block-surface-putty\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"quote-carousel__inner\">\n            <div class=\"quote-carousel__icon quote-carousel__icon--open\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-aos=\"fade-down\">\n                <svg viewBox=\"30.291544000000005 1.1759884057971013 52.78 45.565217391304344\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" style=\"max-height: 500px\" width=\"52.78\" height=\"45.565217391304344\" fill=\"currentColor\" class=\"quote-carousel__icon-svg\">\n  \n  <defs>\n    <style>\n      .st0 {\n        fill: url(#_\u00c9_\u03c0\u00cc\u00da_\u00b7\u00c2\u00c1_\u00cc_\u00c1_\u00cb_10001);\n      }\n\n     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class=\"quote-carousel__quote\">\n                                        <p class=\"quote-carousel__quote-text h5 quote-carousel__quote-text--long\">Version 1 identified cost savings during the RFI itself, before any contract existed. That kind of good faith matters when you are trying to work out who you actually want to spend five years with.<\/p>\n                                    <\/blockquote>\n\n                                                                    <\/figure>\n                            <\/div>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"single-column-content single-column-content--container-regular single-column-content--align-left  block-theme-light block-surface-white\">\n    \n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"single-column-content__inner\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n            \n                            <div class=\"single-column-content__content standard-body\">\n                    <p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The transition\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">My one goal for the transition was simple: that nobody inside Key Group would know it had happened. No downtime, no disruption, no incidents that would undermine confidence in a new partner before the relationship had a chance to prove itself.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We achieved it. The transition was seamless. And within the same 12-month period, we completed a second transition, bringing our Azure Virtual Desktop managed service across to Version 1 with the same outcome. Two transitions, both invisible to the wider business. I do not want to take that for granted because it is genuinely hard to do, and getting it wrong has a long tail.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">What I did not fully appreciate before we started was how much useful information comes out of the transition process itself. Version 1 did a well-architected review of our entire estate as part of the handover, and the Continual Service Improvement log they generated from that became the engine for everything that happened next. The incident reduction we experienced in the first six months was not coincidence. It was the direct result of a systematic process of\u00a0identifying\u00a0and removing root causes, and it started at transition.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u00a0actually changed<\/strong><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Before Version 1, Key Group had spent the better part of three years running an IT-change-focused programme: technical debt, data centre migration, infrastructure upgrades. It was necessary work, but it was consuming the team. After the transition, the infrastructure stopped being a problem that needed managing. Incidents that were running in double digits per month dropped to low single digits within six months, and in Q1 of this year our total incident count for the entire quarter was under ten.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">That shift in operating tempo, from firefighting to building, is the outcome that everything else depends on. My teams now focus on building experiences and customer outcomes. 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class=\"quote-carousel__quote\">\n                                        <p class=\"quote-carousel__quote-text h5\">That shift in operating tempo, from firefighting to building, is the outcome that everything else depends on.<\/p>\n                                    <\/blockquote>\n\n                                                                    <\/figure>\n                            <\/div>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"single-column-content single-column-content--container-regular single-column-content--align-left  block-theme-light block-surface-white\">\n    \n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"single-column-content__inner\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n            \n                            <div class=\"single-column-content__content standard-body\">\n                    <p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The commercial change has been just as significant. Every bill since go-live has been exactly what was quoted. For someone who spent years dealing with technology costs\u00a0that were difficult to model and harder to predict, that level of transparency has fundamentally changed how quickly we can make investment decisions. It sounds like a small thing. It is not. The reduction in supplier complexity has been equally tangible. Managing multiple vendors means managing multiple accountability gaps, multiple commercial relationships, and an innovation agenda that nobody owns end to end. Moving to a single strategic partner removed all of that.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Time to market has improved\u00a0substantially too. We provisioned a complex runtime environment of around 40 virtual machines in approximately four weeks earlier this year. Previously that would have taken three or four months. The difference is not just operational; it changes what is commercially possible.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Beyond managed services<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">What I want to be clear about is that the managed service is the foundation, not the full story. Over the past year, Version 1 has supported us with Copilot enablement workshops for our end users, a significant mortgage origination platform upgrade, and a structured AI opportunity assessment run through Version 1&#8217;s AI Co-Creation\u00a0approach\u00a0that has already identified two near-term initiatives we are moving forward with. What I previously thought would take months of scoping and significant budget can now be stress-tested and\u00a0validated\u00a0in a single session. They have also provided technology market analysis that has helped us pressure-test our roadmap at leadership level and\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0to the executive team what is\u00a0actually achievable\u00a0on AI, and at what speed and cost.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">One of the challenges in financial services right now is that AI ambition often runs ahead of what people believe is commercially\u00a0viable. Version 1 helped us show that some things we thought would take years and significant investment can be delivered in a\u00a0four to six week\u00a0timeframe. 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class=\"quote-carousel__quote\">\n                                        <p class=\"quote-carousel__quote-text h5\">AI ambition often runs ahead of what people believe is commercially viable. Version 1 helped us show that some things we thought would take years can be delivered in weeks.<\/p>\n                                    <\/blockquote>\n\n                                                                    <\/figure>\n                            <\/div>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"single-column-content single-column-content--container-regular single-column-content--align-left  block-theme-light block-surface-white\">\n    \n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"single-column-content__inner\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n            \n                            <div class=\"single-column-content__content standard-body\">\n                    <p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><strong>What comes next\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Key Group&#8217;s direction is to\u00a0consolidate\u00a0fully onto the Microsoft ecosystem, get\u00a0all of\u00a0our data into a single governed place that is accessible to the Microsoft AI suite, and build customer and broker experiences on top of that platform. Version 1 is central to all of it, across infrastructure, data,\u00a0cloud\u00a0and AI. The managed service gives us the stable, optimised platform that everything else depends on.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If I were to distil it to one thing for other IT leaders in financial services who are considering a similar move: the question is not just whether a partner can manage your infrastructure. The question is whether they can support the business you are trying to build on top of it. Those are different criteria, and the provider who is right for the first is not always right for the second.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For Key Group, Version 1 has been both. Twelve months in, the infrastructure just works. And that has freed us to focus entirely on building the experiences and AI capabilities that will define how Key Group competes over the next five years.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:80,&quot;335559739&quot;:160}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Jack Neary is Group Technology Director at Key Group. Version 1 and Key Group have been in partnership since 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n            \n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17098,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"industry":[],"class_list":["post-1013000000229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"translations":[{"blog_id":1,"post_id":16766,"name":"Europe","code":"EN-GB","hreflang":"en-gb","url":"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/blog\/how-key-group-consolidated-its-technology-estate-with-microsoft-azure-and-managed-services\/","is_current":false},{"blog_id":13,"post_id":1013000000229,"name":"Americas","code":"EN-US","hreflang":"en-us","url":"https:\/\/www.version1.com\/en-us\/how-key-group-consolidated-its-technology-estate-with-microsoft-azure-and-managed-services\/","is_current":true}],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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