Outokumpu, the global leader in sustainable stainless steel, launched Project Optimus to modernize its legacy application infrastructure. With over 1,500 apps—90% of them homegrown—and decades-old Citrix environments scattered across the globe, manual testing was no longer an option. Outokumpu turned to Rimo3 to automate application validation, accelerate its migration to Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Intune, and eliminate patch-related downtime—saving time, costs, and critical IT resources.
Objectives:
- Migrate 1,500+ legacy applications to a modern, cloud-based desktop environment
- Eliminate downtime and incidents caused by Windows patches and application incompatibilities
- Automate testing and packaging processes to reduce labor costs and accelerate deployment timelines
Challenges
Outokumpu’s global IT environment was weighed down by 13 legacy Citrix farms—some 20 years old—and undocumented, homegrown applications. Manual remediation and migration was infeasible and error-prone. Incidents from untested Windows patches caused 30–40 app failures per month, with downtime costing up to €288,000 per day. The team lacked visibility, consistency, and control—turning what should’ve been a business transformation into an IT crisis.
Key challenges:
- Migrating 1,500 undocumented, homegrown apps from on-premises Citrix farms
- Application failures from untested Windows patches caused costly downtime
- Manual testing processes were slow, expensive, and unsustainable at scale
Solutions
To tackle these challenges, Outokumpu implemented Rimo3 as the automation engine for Project Optimus.
- Automated Application Validation and Smoke Testing: Rimo3 enabled proactive validation of application compatibility before deploying Windows updates—cutting incidents and downtime dramatically.
- Accelerated SCCM to Intune Migration: Rimo3 helped migrate 414 applications in just 8 days—a 97% reduction in timeline compared to the 4+ months estimated for manual testing.
- AVD Readiness and Compatibility Assurance: Applications were tested and modernized into MSIX format, validated against Azure Virtual Desktop images, and exported into Intune with confidence.
- Improved QA and Packaging Feedback Loops: Rimo3 acted as a quality gate for app packaging, reducing delivery failures and improving collaboration with AMS partners.
“Rimo3 automates application testing and removes the guesswork involved in modernization. It’s enabling us to accelerate our move to ‘cloud first’ by migrating our applications to Azure Virtual Desktop on Citrix.”
— Jani Anttila, Services Manager, Outokumpu
Results
Outokumpu transformed its cloud migration strategy with Rimo3—cutting costs, increasing speed, and improving reliability across its application estate.
- 97% Faster Migration: Reduced SCCM-to-Intune migration from 4 months to 8 days
€331,000 in Labor Cost Avoidance: Avoided manual remediation effort for 414 - €120,000 Annual Licensing Savings: Eliminated SCCM licensing costs after migration to Intune
- 30–40 Monthly Incidents Eliminated: Smoke testing prevented application failures from Windows patches
- Improved Dev and QA Cycles: Standardized packaging processes reduced rework and increased productivity
Key Results:
- 97% Faster Application Migration
- €331K in Manual Testing Cost Avoidance
- €120K in Annual Licensing Savings
- Near-Elimination of Patch-Related App Downtime
Conclusion
With Rimo3, Outokumpu redefined what’s possible in cloud modernization. Project Optimus turned from a risky transformation into a well-oiled modernization engine—automating packaging, eliminating downtime, and future-proofing app delivery in the Azure ecosystem.
Rimo3 didn’t just reduce timelines and costs; it helped Outokumpu shift from reactive IT to strategic innovation—paving the way for a cloud-first future.
About Outokumpu
Outokumpu is the global leader in sustainable stainless steel production, with operations in over 30 countries and a workforce of approximately 9,000 employees. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Outokumpu is committed to innovation, operational efficiency, and environmental leadership—delivering stainless steel with a carbon footprint 70% lower than the global industry average.
Website: www.outokumpu.com
