Uniting NSW
Uniting NSW modernizes aged care with cloud, slashes costs by 65% with Nerdio
From technology skeptic to transformation champion, Uniting NSW’s journey with Nerdio has delivered modernized care, empowered frontline workers, and revolutionized IT operations.
Mission meets modernization
Uniting NSW, one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit organizations, is built on a bold mission: To disrupt entrenched disadvantage. Supporting over 2,000 customers across community services and aged care, Uniting strives to empower vulnerable populations through early learning, mental health support, and compassionate elder care.
But behind the scenes, Uniting’s IT infrastructure was struggling to keep pace. Legacy systems, including an on-premises data center and Citrix-based virtual desktops, were costly, rigid, and unable to deliver the responsiveness today’s care demands.
A cloud opportunity catalyzed by urgency
The tipping point came when Uniting’s leasing partner lost its contract, forcing the organization to exit its primary data center within a year. As Elo put it, “We had 10 months to migrate everything—without disrupting services for our 11,000 staff.”
While initially planning a new on-prem data center, Uniting saw a better path: Build a secure Azure landing zone and embrace cloud-native services. With Microsoft’s support, they kicked off a proof of concept for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), replacing Citrix with a modern, scalable cloud platform.
Nerdio: The secret ingredient behind seamless cloud operations
With AVD’s success, Uniting knew they were on the right path. But cloud transformation brings complexity—managing, optimizing, and scaling cloud workloads isn’t simple.
“Without it, we didn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to keep up.”
By implementing Nerdio Manager for Enterprise, Uniting unlocked:
- Automation of day-two operations, like scaling session hosts based on demand.
- 65% cloud cost savings through Nerdio’s intelligent auto-scaling and optimization tools.
- Real-time analytics and diagnostics, ensuring seamless user experiences.
- Faster onboarding and fewer support tickets, with less reliance on legacy tools and manual troubleshooting.“Nerdio gave us the automation and control we needed to manage AVD at scale,” Elo said. “Without it, we didn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to keep up.”
“Nerdio gave us the automation and control we needed to manage AVD at scale,” Elo said. “Without it, we didn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to keep up.”
From skepticism to strategic success
Initially, Elo was hesitant to introduce AVD mid-migration. But the business-driven proof of concept, tightly aligned with frontline workflows, won hearts and minds. IT skeptics became evangelists.
“The transition was smoother than we expected,” he noted. “We had one minor hiccup with a legacy app display, but we resolved it. Otherwise, it was seamless.”
The shift also proved transformative for Uniting’s IT culture.
“Our team was excited. They finally had a modern, evolving platform to work with. It reignited their passion for tech,” Elo said.
Business value beyond the bottom line
While cloud costs replaced capital expenditures, the return on investment was clear. Nerdio’s automation and analytics reduced support burdens and improved service delivery, critical in a sector where time is better spent with people, not servers.
“When our CIDO asked about Nerdio’s value, I said it ensures our critical applications run at peak performance so our people can focus on caring for others,” Elo shared.
And the benefits extended to frontline staff, who increasingly embraced cloud apps.
“One app saw a surge in usage. People moved from paper to digital workflows—putting in case notes faster, with more accuracy. That’s real impact.”
Final word: Empowering care through technology
Looking ahead, Uniting sees Nerdio as a cornerstone of its digital transformation. Features like AI-powered scaling and predictive insights are on the horizon, and the collaborative partnership is only growing stronger.
“Nerdio listens. They take our feedback seriously, and we’ve seen our input reflected in product updates. That’s rare—and powerful,” said Elo.