"Our reliability has improved drastically since we modernised our data centres. With our ambitious opening of new stores, we’ve needed to leverage our SDDC-based, VMware Cloud Foundation platform to scale quickly as needed. Although store planning can take up to three years, from an infrastructure point of view, we're ready to go at the flick of a switch."
Primark, an iconic global retailer, faced an exciting yet challenging phase of growth. With over 430 stores worldwide and ambitious plans to expand rapidly to 530 locations, Primark needed to ensure their IT infrastructure could keep pace with the company’s dynamic momentum and continual innovation.
However, Primark’s existing VMware vSphere environment was becoming increasingly limited, presenting real constraints in terms of scalability, agility, and responsiveness. Expansion efforts demanded robust infrastructure solutions that could seamlessly scale operations, reduce operational complexities, and eliminate downtime.
Moreover, Primark wanted automation that would deliver rapid, consistent execution of frequent operational tasks - such as virtual-machine deployment and capacity expansion - ensuring every build meets the same high standard, every time.
Stephen Byrne, Head of Global Infrastructure at Primark, emphasised that infrastructure resilience was not just critical, but foundational to the company’s ambitious expansion goals. Primark needed more than incremental improvements; they required transformative change to match their pace and scale.
Understanding Primark’s ambitious growth trajectory, Triangle designed and delivered a modern, private cloud solution built on VMware Cloud Foundation. By moving from a traditional vSphere environment to a fully integrated software-defined data centre (SDDC), Primark gained the scalability, resilience and consistency needed to support fast-paced expansion - while cutting its data centre footprint by 50% and maintaining uninterrupted operations throughout.
Together, Triangle and Broadcom introduced the Azure VMware Solution (AVS), enhancing scalability and providing the flexibility to integrate with public cloud platforms in future. This strategic shift not only addressed immediate infrastructure limitations but also positioned Primark to innovate rapidly, responding effortlessly to evolving market demands without operational disruption.
Critical to this transformation was the integration of advanced automation for daily infrastructure tasks. Routine deployments, once tedious and time-consuming, became streamlined processes. Triangle’s expertise ensured these automated processes maintained business continuity with zero downtime, even during complex cloud migrations.
Cian O'Leary, Data Centre Operations Lead in Primark, highlighted the value of Triangle’s approach, noting how their combined expertise with VMware drastically improved Primark’s agility, allowing infrastructure expansion at the "flick of a switch."
"Our journey with Triangle and VMware transformed our ability to innovate and scale rapidly. We now have a resilient infrastructure ready to support our growth at a moment’s notice."
With Triangle’s innovative cloud solution, Primark has not only enhanced infrastructure resilience but also significantly increased agility and scalability. The ability to rapidly scale operations has allowed Primark to seize market opportunities swiftly, facilitating efficient and strategic store expansions.
Automation capabilities now enable rapid, consistent execution of frequent operational tasks - such as virtual machine deployment - supporting store expansion and infrastructure stability at scale. The successful adoption of a resilient private-cloud platform - with built-in flexibility for future public-cloud integration - has further enhanced overall operational efficiency, positioning Primark as a responsive leader in the competitive retail market.
