Sanofi relies on Axway

With operations in more than 100 countries and more than 110,000 staff, global healthcare company Sanofi needed a way to streamline processes and transform its technology infrastructure into an efficient global network. To do this, Sanofi turned to Axway to help make that transformation possible, enabling their infrastructure and operations (I&O) to go from a siloed structure of 26 legacy data centers to just three data centers.

  • Thursday, 23rd May 2013 Posted 11 years ago in by Phil Alsop

In addition to consolidating data centers, Sanofi extended their existing deployment of Axway Managed File Transfer (MFT), a comprehensive solution for both internal and external file transfers. With Axway MFT, Sanofi was able to ensure that all divisions, subsidiaries and new acquisitions were able to efficiently and securely exchange and manage data in a way that is uniform globally, while processing as many as 8,000 transfers each day. Not only did this increase efficiency across the organisation, but it also reduced operational costs.


“Going from 26 data centers to three means that management costs will be reduced as well as expenditures related to personnel, telecommunications, storage, electricity and real estate,” said Mario Del Pin, EAI ETL Expert within Regional Service Delivery EMEA and Application Hosting Services, Global Infrastructure Services at Sanofi. “We have seen clear financial savings each year since the initiation of the I&O transformation. By 2014, we expect to achieve full payback with our financial savings equaling the financial investment.”


By relying on Axway technology for the evolution of its I&O, Sanofi is able to grow as a company without having to migrate to a completely new platform. All Axway Transfer CFT servers will be managed by a single entity per region, and Sanofi will use Axway Transfer CFT on all platforms and operating systems with exactly the same processes. This translates to administration savings because they are able to implement identical installation and processing procedures that any subsidiary can roll out on its own.


In addition, Axway is able to provide a streamlined and efficient way to govern the flow of data not only through existing legacy infrastructure, but also for information exchanged through the cloud and mobile. As the adoption of these tools continues to extend the network edge, companies are faced with the challenge of enabling workplace efficiency while still maintaining control, security and visibility. The new Axway 5 Suite provides companies, like Sanofi, with one unified approach for governing the flow of data as they transform and future-proof their infrastructure.


“Transformation is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and required changes depend on external and internal factors,” wrote analyst John Rakowski in a September 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. report titled, ‘Case Study: Sanofi’s Successful I&O Transformation Approach.’ “External market forces such as competition level and regulation are influential in direction, but speed and rate of change depend on internal people, process, and technology maturity.”


Using the Axway MFT solution, Sanofi had the tools necessary to ensure that its infrastructure could keep up with rapid company growth. As the company expanded, Sanofi was able to add enhanced features as needed using Axway’s solution.


“For large global companies with numerous divisions, subsidiaries and external changing partners it can be challenging to streamline infrastructure and technology into a seamless system with uniformity across the board,” said Bruno Cambounet, vice president, healthcare EMEA, Axway. “Not only was Sanofi able to effectively evolve their company to meet these demands, but they were able to do it using an existing product instead of transitioning to a new one.”


Sanofi has been using Axway MFT solutions for years, and their recent data center consolidation project demonstrates the solutions’ capacity to evolve and advance as a company prepares for the future without having to migrate to a new solution. This is a testament to Axway’s commitment to helping large companies find solutions that allow them to better manage and secure data through the evolution of managed file transfer.