ANS Group
From complexity to cloud simplicity: How ANS Group transformed desktop delivery with Nerdio
ANS Group is a UK-based managed service provider (MSP) that brings a modern, endto- end approach to cloud and digital transformation. What sets them apart? Flexibility, technical depth, and a relentless focus on simplifying complex IT challenges for mid-market and enterprise customers.
Following a strategic merger between a private cloud infrastructure business and a public cloud-native consultancy, ANS now offers a full spectrum of services—spanning Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 management, and Dynamics 365. Their approach is vendor-agnostic, outcome-driven, and deeply rooted in customer success.
ANS’ clients range from small and mid-sized businesses to ambitious enterprises looking to evolve their IT operations. Whether it’s managing infrastructure, enabling collaboration through Microsoft 365, or building data-driven solutions, ANS leads with innovation and execution.
The legacy challenge: too many servers, too much overhead
Before discovering Nerdio, ANS experienced technical drag from its legacy virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution—a custom-built platform hosted in their own data center. While powerful, it came at a cost: constant patching, costly hardware refresh cycles, and a sprawling infrastructure footprint.
Maintaining the legacy VDI solution required pooled resources and senior engineering time just to keep the lights on. Internal costs became increasingly unsustainable, and customers were locked into aging tech stacks. Meanwhile, licensing costs from vendors were rising, threatening to squeeze both margins and customer satisfaction.
At the same time, Microsoft was rolling out Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), a cloud-native solution that promised scalability, flexibility, and cost savings. For ANS, it was a clear opportunity—but it came with new complexity. How could they manage and scale AVD deployments for dozens of customers without building everything in-house? They needed a way to automate operations, standardize deployments, and deliver a polished experience, both for internal teams and customers.
The Nerdio solution: automation, integration, and scale
ANS selected Nerdio Manager for MSP as the core automation engine behind their new AVD offerings—and immediately saw the difference.
Nerdio simplified the deployment, scaling, and management of AVD environments, removing the need for complex internal automations and reducing dependency on senior engineering staff. But the ANS team didn’t stop there.
They went a step further by integrating Nerdio’s API into Glass, ANS’ branded customer portal. Now, clients get a sleek, high-level interface to manage their own virtual desktop environments without ever having to interact directly with Azure.
Migrating from a legacy solution to AVD with Nerdio wasn’t just a technical improvement—it was a financial win. ANS eliminated the infrastructure costs of running and cooling physical servers, avoided licensing hikes, and provided customers with a secure, modern platform that required less overhead to maintain.
The move also gave customers better agility. Through Nerdio and AVD, they gained access to Microsoft’s broader ecosystem—opening the door for future innovations in AI, collaboration, and security.
The results: cost savings, happier teams, and a future-ready platform
Since adopting Nerdio Manager for MSP, ANS has experienced a complete transformation in how it delivers VDI. The decommissioning of its legacy infrastructure alone saved tens of thousands of pounds annually, allowing ANS to free up senior resources to work on other projects.
Thanks to Nerdio’s intuitive interface, ANS was able to eliminate many of the complexities that traditionally required deep technical experience, enabling more junior members of the team to deploy and manage complex environments with ease.
On the customer side, the value is just as clear. Clients now enjoy faster onboarding, access to better technology, and cost avoidance during a time when many competitors are raising prices. In fact, migrating customers to Azure just before their legacy VDI solutions increased their licensing allowed ANS to shield clients from massive price hikes.
The partnership between ANS and Nerdio extends well beyond Azure Virtual Desktop. ANS is working closely with Nerdio’s product and engineering teams to co-develop the next generation of Microsoft 365 management capabilities. By automating and standardizing Microsoft 365 and Intune deployments, ANS is helping customers simplify operations, strengthen security, and prepare for scalable AI integration. This deep collaboration ensures ANS clients are well-positioned to meet today’s IT needs—and ready to embrace the future of work.