{"id":12352,"date":"2025-07-10T15:08:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T15:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rax-stg-wp-aws.com\/case_study\/oliver\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T14:12:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T14:12:14","slug":"oliver","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/rax-prod-wp-aws.com\/en-gb\/case_study\/oliver\/","title":{"rendered":"OLIVER"},"content":{"rendered":"

OLIVER<\/a>, the largest company within the BrandTech Group, is a leading global marketing and advertising firm renowned for pioneering the “in-agency” model, which embeds marketing professionals directly within client organizations, seamlessly integrating operations for maximum efficiency.<\/p>\n

Founded with a commitment to bespoke marketing solutions, OLIVER has grown exponentially from a 350-person firm to over 5,500 employees across 46 countries, managing complex global marketing workflows for prominent brands.<\/p>\n

Central to OLIVER\u2019s operational excellence is its proprietary workflow management application, OLIVER Marketing Gateway (OMG), which orchestrates the agency\u2019s end-to-end production and client engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OLIVER, the largest company within the BrandTech Group, is a leading global marketing and advertising firm renowned for pioneering the “in-agency” model, which embeds marketing professionals directly within client organizations, seamlessly integrating operations for maximum efficiency. Founded with a commitment to bespoke marketing solutions, OLIVER has grown exponentially from a 350-person firm to over 5,500 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","seo_title":"OLIVER | Rackspace Technology","seo_description":"OLIVER partnered with Rackspace to migrate to Google Cloud, enabling real-time global collaboration and scalability. Read story.","banner_text":"By migrating to Google Cloud, OLIVER optimized operations for 5,500 employees in 46 countries \u2014 without needing to expand its internal IT team.","banner_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Page-Banner.jpg","banner_cta_link":"","header":"Rackspace support fuels OLIVER\u2019s cloud modernization journey","customer_overview":"Customer","challenge":"OLIVER\u2019s needed a platform update that would support its growth, enable rapid scalability and give global employees and clients access to essential marketing tools and workflows.","outcome":"Through its migration to Google Cloud, OLIVER was able to seamlessly scale its operations globally, helping it efficiently support a workforce spread across 46 countries while maintaining stringent EU data compliance standards.","mian_quote":"

\"Rackspace is an essential extension of our team, providing critical 24x7 support and technical expertise that allow us to focus on strategic projects and innovation.\"<\/p>\r\n","mian_quote_attribution_name":"Zahir Lalani","mian_quote_attribution_title":"Director of Enterprise Systems","mian_quote_attribution_company":"OLIVER","second_quote":"

\"I think it\u2019s not just about whether we\u2019re successful with Google \u2014 it\u2019s about whether we\u2019re successful from a DevOps delivery perspective. That includes our team, the Rackspace team and the hosting environment. It\u2019s that trio I measure success on. The real question is: Are we able to deliver enterprise-level, mission-critical services to the entire business? And the answer is a clear yes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n","second_quote_attribution_name":"Zahir Lalani","second_quote_attribution_title":"Director of Enterprise Systems","second_quote_attribution_company":"OLIVER","second_quote_attribution_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Quote-River-Background-2.jpg","tertiary_quote":"

Migrated 45 servers and 50TB of data to Google Cloud, enabling real-time global collaboration and scalability for OLIVER\u2019s embedded marketing teams.<\/p>\r\n","tertiary_quote_attribution_name":"","tertiary_quote_attribution_title":"","tertiary_quote_attribution_company":"","tertiary_quote_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Quote-River-Background-1.jpg","text_river_1_headline":"Situation","text_river_1_text":"

OLIVER was experiencing fast-paced growth and realized that its current private cloud colocation environment couldn\u2019t keep up with business's fast pace and increasingly complex demands.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe challenges we had with colocation was that it was very static,\u201d explained Zahir Lalani, Director of Enterprise Systems at OLIVER. \u201cAs the business began growing, we quickly realized the scalability was going to be an issue.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

This was particularly impactful to its proprietary workflow management application, OMG, which orchestrates the agency\u2019s end-to-end production and client engagement<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cIt drives our entire business, but it\u2019s also sold to clients,\u201d Lalani said. \u201cAnd for clients who don't buy it, they still interact with it, because that\u2019s how we ingest briefs, run our approval systems, etc. It drives all our production tools in terms of automation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

OLIVER\u2019s in-agency business model required consistent access to the same set of tools regardless of geography. As OLIVER expanded \u2014 now supporting marketing operations in 46 countries \u2014 so did the strain on its infrastructure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Its dedicated servers limited scalability and flexibility, making it difficult to manage the increasing demands for real-time collaboration and efficient data handling across global teams. Additionally, the pandemic accelerated the need to move operations online.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Recognizing these challenges, OLIVER decided it needed to centralize and modernize its technology to support its distinctive business model and enable rapid scaling and seamless global collaboration.<\/p>\r\n","text_river_1_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Text-Image-6.jpg","text_river_1_video":"","text_river_2_headline":"Solution","text_river_2_text":"

OLIVER selected Google Cloud, managed by Rackspace Technology, for its robust global backbone, intuitive interface and scalable infrastructure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cWhen we did our tests in the console, it just made sense\u2026it felt much more intuitive.\u201d recalled Lalani. \u201cAs a small team without access to loads of highly trained people, the Google offering was just a lot easier to wrap our head around.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

With support from Rackspace, OLIVER executed a smooth migration, transitioning approximately 45 servers and over 50TB of critical data to Google Cloud. With 24x7x365 support, Rackspace helped maintain operational continuity during migration and beyond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The initial migration was a straightforward a lift-and-shift, keeping much of OLIVER\u2019s infrastructure as-is. The long-term vision was always to modernize and adapt incrementally.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cAs the organization has grown, so has the number of internal systems \u2014 such as HR and finance,\u201d said Lalani. \u201cThese systems were once scattered, but we\u2019ve been gradually consolidating them and automating data flows to streamline how they\u2019re managed and how they communicate with one another.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

As OLIVER matured in the cloud, it leaned heavily on the Rackspace Modern Operations offering to help assess, tune and enhance its environment. The Rackspace team became a trusted advisor, guiding the company through best practices and validating architectural decisions in real time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Through the Rackspace Optimizer+ offering, a custom GAST report was created for OLIVER to give a comprehensive review of its infrastructure across dozens of Google Cloud projects. Each client engagement runs in its own isolated environment \u2014 including staging, testing and production \u2014 which makes standardization and monitoring more difficult. The GAST report can surface issues such as misconfigured firewall rules, out-of-date runbooks, unused services still incurring cost and outdated access control lists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

While OLIVER had a capable internal IT team, including a senior architect with deep knowledge of the OMG workflow management application, the team was small. OLIVER depended on Rackspace for additional support, technical validation and around-the-clock response capabilities that the internal team couldn't sustain. Rackspace served as an extension of OLIVER\u2019s team, taking on the tasks of maintaining runbooks, addressing alerts and implementing enhancements identified by Rackspace Optimizer+ and the GAST review.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

One critical modernization milestone involved shifting a resource-heavy video rendering service from VMs to Cloud Run from Google Cloud. This workload, which ingests hundreds of videos during peak customer activity, required auto-scaling and cost control to be viable. Rackspace helped validate the architecture and performance tuning of Cloud Run to ensure the system scaled effectively without runaway costs. Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies and permissions across environments were also improved in parallel.<\/p>\r\n","text_river_2_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Text-Image-7.jpg","text_river_2_video":"","text_river_3_headline":"Outcome","text_river_3_text":"

The strategic shift to Rackspace-managed Google Cloud has significantly empowered OLIVER\u2019s global business model.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe main thing was having a very good, scalable infrastructure \u2014 which Google clearly had,\u201d explained Lalani. \u201cThe other was a strong EU presence. From a legal point of view, we had to be GDPR compliant and hosted in the EU, regardless of where the user was. The EU was the benchmark we had to conform to, and Google met that requirement. It also came down to scalability and the simplicity of working with the platform.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Now fully cloud-enabled, OLIVER can effortlessly accommodate expansive global data workflows, manage heavy file transfers seamlessly and support the dynamic collaborative needs of its embedded teams around the world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But the Rackspace partnership delivers far more than basic infrastructure support \u2013 it enables OLIVER to operate a lean, focused DevOps function, freeing its small internal team to work on the high-impact modernization and development initiatives that matter most to the business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s not just about whether we\u2019re successful with Google \u2014 it\u2019s about whether we\u2019re successful from a DevOps delivery perspective,\u201d said Lalani. \u201cThat includes our team, the Rackspace team and the hosting environment. It\u2019s that trio I measure success on. The real question is: Are we able to deliver enterprise-level, mission-critical services to the entire business? And the answer is a clear yes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Rackspace Modern Operations helps OLIVER\u2019s environments remain clean, compliant and efficient, while GAST reporting has uncovered redundant infrastructure, idle projects and over-provisioned resources. Regular performance and security reviews ensure the environment evolves as the business scales.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

And Rackspace Modern Operations\u2019 impact on OLIVER\u2019s ability to win new business can\u2019t be overstated, as it allows the company to confidently deliver mission-critical services to enterprise customers without expanding its internal IT team. New client environments can be spun up quickly, monitored continuously and optimized with Rackspace support \u2014 delivering scale without adding complexity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The relationship is also a safeguard. As a mid-sized company, OLIVER\u2019s voice alone might not always command attention in cloud provider support channels. But with Rackspace as a managed partner, it benefits from faster escalation paths and expert advocacy in resolving issues \u2014 critical when delivering services for Fortune 500 clients.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

OLIVER extends this advantage to its largest customers, providing them with direct access to Rackspace Modern Operations. Confident in Rackspace expertise, OLIVER trusts its partner to deliver day-to-day support without constant oversight from its internal DevOps team \u2014 a model that helps OLIVER win and retain enterprise clients.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cHave we scaled globally? Absolutely. OMG is available 24x7x365 around the world, and no one has issues using it,\u201d said Lalani. \u201cThat connectivity \u2014 along with our production automation and the broader ecosystem we\u2019ve built \u2014 makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Looking ahead, OLIVER expects its Google Cloud footprint to expand significantly, and its infrastructure and operational model is being evaluated as the potential standard across the BrandTech Group. With demonstrated success supporting OLIVER\u2019s fast-paced global operations, Rackspace is now positioned to provide unified support across a much broader enterprise landscape.<\/p>\r\n","text_river_3_pull_quote":"","case_study_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Text-Image-5.jpg","customer_logo":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/Oliver_Agency_Logo.png","case_study_video":"","insights_image":"","og_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/OpenGraph_1.jpg","twitter_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/case_study_images\/oliver\/X-Card_1.jpg","rxt_industry":"Technology","region":"UK","rxt_platforms":"Google Cloud","rxt_solutions":"Optimizer+","rxt_professional_managed_service":"Rackspace Modern Operations","business_size":"SMB","bu_categories":"Public Cloud","details_url":"https:\/\/www.oliver.agency","teaser_title":"OLIVER","teaser_flag":"Case Study","teaser_read_more":"Learn More","teaser_logo":"","related_headline":"","content_type":"case_study","nid":"","drupal_nid":"27673","drupal_path":"\/case-studies\/oliver","related_case_studies":"","tab_items":"General contact case study L2, Contact Tab 2, Combained Contact Us - Careers","view_all_case_studies":"{\"uri\":\"entity:node\\\/23443\",\"title\":\"View all Case Studies\",\"options\":[]}","breadcrumb_top":"{\"uri\":\"entity:node\\\/23443\",\"title\":\"Case Studies\",\"options\":[]}","breadcrumb_title":"OLIVER","display_quote":"1","form_headline":"Let\u2019s Talk Strategy","form_subtext":"

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