Siili Solutions Plc
Siili Solutions operates across a wide range of areas: strategy, technology, AI, software automation, information management, design and talent leasing. Siili’s CIO Seppo Takanen has a vision of how cloud services should be used.
“Solutions can be built in many different ways depending on the customer and their needs. We use hybrid cloud and multi-vendor environments and bring our own expertise to our customers’ IT strategies. How solutions are implemented in the cloud is our own core competence. However, we were looking for a technical partner with whom we could work out which solution is the most cost-effective for each project and the best technically and in terms of scalability,” Seppo says.
“To help a customer choose the right environment for their needs, we need alternatives and justifications. What the implications of each option are, and what kind of priorities are set, is not a simple question,” Seppo continues.
When a service is adapted to a customer environment, the aim is a flexible operating model and the best possible solution from the customer’s point of view. Here Siili draws on VINT’s broad experience and expertise.
In cloud services, budgeting and cost monitoring pose a different kind of challenge than in traditional environments. Costs must be optimized continuously. The use of cloud services, resources, capacity and costs must be balanced against one another. Cloud environments differ greatly from each other, and so does their optimization. Cost benefits do not materialize on their own, so VINT monitors consumption and tracks actual spend against the cloud budget. In addition, the alerting mechanisms built for Siili make it possible to detect anomalies and react to them quickly.
Siili tamed shadow IT in its development work
Information security guides everything Siili does. Security thinking is present already in the design phase, and when moving on to implementation, security optimization plays a central role. Security is built in both technically and through continuous information security training for staff.
“Information security is a constant balancing act. Monitoring and anticipation are important, but at the same time we must make sure that people can work efficiently. A balance is needed between protection and usability,” Seppo says.
Siili’s organization is flat and uses Lean and Agile methods. Developers can work relatively freely in different environments and with different tools. The skill base of Siili’s people is indeed broad, and different tools are used in different customer projects. Siili’s culture includes the freedom to test solutions that are not in general use, after which the best results are picked out and productized.
As an IT supplier, VINT supports shadow IT, unlike traditional IT support, whose task is to reduce it. Siili is a demanding operating environment, so good dialogue is needed between developers, the rest of Siili’s organization and VINT.
A key part of Siili’s operating culture is that the outcome matters, and so does how it is reached. For this reason, the operating environment is challenging from an information security perspective. Security must be in order regardless of environment and technology.
In its collaboration with VINT, Siili looks for models that support its internal work. Development needs stem from customer needs and demand; Siili itself identifies a new technology or environment for which there is demand, or an individual developer has a need or desire to try out a new operating environment. The implementation model differs depending on whether a pilot is being run or a new application is being developed for a production environment. VINT is a flexible partner that can adapt quickly.
“The constraints are always the same, but the emphasis shifts depending on the project. If applying a particular environment causes a lot of problems, it is better to choose another option. A sensible combination of technology, cost and scalability must be found, with information security taken into account. A good, working solution is usually simple and straightforward. VINT’s broad expertise and extensive networks bring added value to our joint customer projects as well,” Seppo sums up.
Siili Solutions Plc is a new-era software integrator and digital services partner that provides technology-independent IT expert services covering entire information systems for leading companies in Finland and around the world. Siili has offices in Finland, Germany, Poland and the USA. Siili Solutions Plc’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Siili has grown rapidly and profitably since its founding in 2005.