Local energy supplier strengthens data security to help ensure business continuity and reduce risk

The Challenge

Infra Fürth relies on mountains of data to function efficiently. “In a modern utility company, data is not just crucial; it’s indispensable. It’s what enables us to control our business services, deploy solutions effortlessly, and make informed decisions about every aspect of our operations,” explains Martin Hofmann, head of Information Technology at Infra Fürth. “From identifying which components need immediate maintenance to forecasting future demands and managing power storage, every critical task hinges on data.”

For Infra Fürth, data security is paramount, and backups are the last and most important line of defence. Struggling with two disparate backup structures, the company started looking for a more flexible, centralised approach. “We needed a single point of management—i.e. a unified platform to oversee our databases—as well as ransomware protection,” shares Hofmann. “We wanted to ensure we were protecting all of our data and to make our backup systems simpler and more flexible.”

Cohesity saves us hours of manual work. Configuring the backup solution used to take four to six hours. Now it takes 92% less time, requiring only half an hour. The time and resource savings across the board have been remarkable.

Martin Hofmann

Head of Information Technology, Infra Fürth

The Solution

The company was immediately drawn to Cohesity because of its simplicity, single point of management, ransomware protection capabilities, and immutable backups—the last of which ensures that backups are encrypted and protected against tampering. With Cohesity SmartFiles, Infra Fürth consolidated data from its 400 virtual machines and 10 physical servers on a single platform, using intelligent data management and active threat defence. The company also started protecting custom applications and servers. “We backed up critical infrastructure data,” explains Hofmann. “We dedicated a small team of data centre administrators to Cohesity and they’ve been very impressed by its capabilities.”

The Results

Infra Fürth has fortified its data security. “Losing data has a huge impact on us. But now we’re better prepared and shielded in the case of big outages,” adds Hofmann. We are able to plan our resources better, and we can test restores and make them quicker and more efficient.”

Infra Fürth’s compliance with local data protection regulations has significantly improved, making reporting and adherence to data governance laws much simpler. “From internal key performance indicators (KPI) to annual government reporting, Cohesity offers us an instant, comprehensive view of our data management landscape. With one dashboard, we gain a 360-degree view,” adds Hofmann. “Moreover, Cohesity plays a crucial role in meeting the criteria for cybersecurity insurance, making it an essential component of our insurance contracts.”

Infra Fürth has also observed significant time savings. “In the past, setting up backups with our previous providers was a cumbersome process involving multiple installations, configurations, and reconfigurations whenever our infrastructure changed,” explains Hofmann. “Cohesity saves us hours of manual work. Configuring the backup solution used to take four to six hours. Now it takes 92% less time, requiring only half an hour. The time and resource savings across the board have been remarkable.”

The backup and restore processes are also faster. “Our backup process used to be labour-intensive, with colleagues spending hours checking backups and logs manually,” adds Hofmann. “Now, thanks to Cohesity, backups are more dynamic and simpler to manage. It’s just a matter of minutes each day. This has been a game-changer, freeing up eight hours per week for our admins.”

For Hofmann, the biggest win was brought by the nondisruptive updates feature. Previously, staff had to work overnight to implement backup solution updates during off-hours to avoid disrupting daytime operations. Cohesity’s nondisruptive updates eliminate the need for overnight work, saving time and resources. “Previously, even minor updates could cost us thousands of dollars,” shares Hofmann. “With an estimated 160 overtime hours saved on patch management, we’re looking at substantial savings of around €125,000 per year. No more scheduling updates or late-night work, and nothing gets lost in the process.”

Looking ahead, Hofmann is excited about further consolidation onto a single Cohesity platform for data management. “We’re exploring deploying S3 buckets for Docker applications and analysing GDPR compliance issues. Our future plan includes data analytics on large files, alongside strategic partnerships with Nvidia for comprehensive integration. Together, these initiatives enhance our data management capabilities, ensuring efficient operations and compliance adherence,” adds Hofmann. “Transformation for me means simplicity and speed. With Cohesity, everything is easier across the board—whether in performance, security, or reporting. Cohesity’s strong collaboration with partners such as Nvidia will open new opportunities in the future for greater insight and value from our data.”