Curo Group lowers costs and builds a more flexible IT platform with Nutanix
The Bath-based housing association transitions from VMware to Nutanix to reduce costs, simplify operations and future-proof its infrastructure
“Perhaps the standout element was the migration process using Nutanix Move. We initially thought converting from VMware to AHV could be complex and disruptive. In reality, it was seamless. With hindsight, we would likely have moved to Nutanix sooner had we known how straightforward it would be.”
Business Need
Curo Group is a UK housing association that provides around 14,000 homes across the South West of England. Headquartered in Bath, it operates as both a house builder and landlord, supporting customers with a wide range of needs.
Reliable, efficient IT services are essential to delivering Curo’s purpose of providing “Homes for Good” and its long-term ambition that, by 2034, everyone feels proud of the quality of its homes.
Key Results
Lower costs
Achieved significant savings compared to projected pre-tender spend, driven by reduced software licensing and hardware consolidation.
Greater flexibility
Built a predictable five-year cost model with the option to scale into cloud services when needed.
Simplified infrastructure
Reduced physical infrastructure by half, improving operational efficiency and ease of management.
Challenge
Curo’s IT environment was built on VMware and supported a stable, well-understood operating model. However, changes in commercial licensing and shifts in the wider technology landscape prompted a review of its long-term sustainability.
With a small infrastructure team of three, supported by four Service Desk colleagues, the organisation needed a solution that would be simple to deploy and easy to manage.
At the same time, ageing Dell hardware required replacement. This created an opportunity to reassess both infrastructure and platform strategy together.
Solution
As part of its public sector procurement process, Curo ran a competitive tender for server and storage solutions. Three main options were considered:
- Traditional VMware with external storage
- VMware hyperconverged infrastructure
- Nutanix platform
Following evaluation, Curo selected Nutanix, working alongside consulting partner CDW.
“It’s always valuable to have an agnostic partner like CDW to help guide decision-making,” said Jason Nash.
While Nutanix had been considered in previous refresh cycles, it had not always been possible to demonstrate a clear cost advantage under VMware’s former licensing model. As the market evolved, the Nutanix approach became more compelling.
“Nutanix took a collaborative and highly engaged approach,” Nash said.
“Their pre-sales team worked closely with CDW, helping validate sizing, analyse workloads and ensure we had capacity for future growth. That gave us real confidence in the solution.”
The final deployment included:
- Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) for compute, storage and networking
- Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) for management and operations
Working together with CDW, Curo deployed a six-node environment in just one month, with no disruption to business operations.
Curo retained its existing Dell hardware preference, using AMD-based systems, benefiting from Dell and Nutanix’s pre-integrated model.
Despite wider supply chain pressures affecting hardware availability, CDW and Dell ensured delivery timelines were met.
Migration was completed using Nutanix Move, enabling seamless transition from VMware.
Outcome
The new platform delivered greater efficiency, flexibility and cost control than originally anticipated.
“We now have significant storage and compute headroom beyond our initial projections, giving us space to grow,” said Nash.
The migration was completed without disruption to users:
“End users were largely unaware a full platform migration had taken place — everything happened seamlessly in the background.”
Curo successfully migrated a large number of virtual machines, including:
- Legacy line-of-business applications
- Core operational systems
- Enterprise backup integration
The organisation achieved its financial and operational objectives:
- Reduced overall infrastructure footprint
- Improved performance
- Lowered software licensing costs
- Delivered measurable cost savings
“Our goal was to maintain or reduce costs in a challenging market. We’ve achieved that while also improving performance and simplifying our environment.”
A key benefit is long-term cost certainty:
“By securing five-year pricing, we’ve created a predictable financial model and reduced exposure to market volatility. Combined with built-in capacity headroom, we’re well positioned for the future.”
Next Steps
With the core platform now in place, Curo is focused on making the most of its capabilities.
Key priorities include:
- Enhancing observability and reporting
- Using data insights to improve operational efficiency
- Investing in team development through Nutanix University
Curo also plans to expand its hybrid cloud approach, building on its existing Microsoft 365 and SaaS ecosystem.
“Cost predictability remains critical for us,” said Nash.
“Nutanix gives us the flexibility to scale as needed while staying in control of our costs.”
