Baggenstos

For many years, the three organisations — the Zurich Chamber of Commerce (ZHK), Employers Zurich (VZH) and the Swiss Arbitration Centre — were technically interconnected and operated on a shared platform. Within just six months, Baggenstos established a dedicated Microsoft 365 environment for each organisation and deployed new on-site workplaces, including laptops and monitors, while preserving selected synergies.

The project objective was to transform one shared environment into three separate, stable, secure and future-ready Microsoft 365 environments with clearly defined operating processes. Certain resources, such as printing and Wi-Fi, were to remain shared. In addition, each organisation required its own internet connection, firewall and new switching infrastructure to ensure security and operational independence.

Extensive Preparation

The clean separation of the existing IT landscape into three independent Microsoft 365 tenants required a thorough assessment and a clearly structured migration plan in full compliance with all data protection requirements. No information could be assigned incorrectly, no permissions could be misconfigured, and email migration had to be executed without error.

Thanks to comprehensive discovery work and meticulous planning, the Baggenstos specialists delivered precisely that: on the day of transition, there was no IT outage affecting the day-to-day operations of any of the three institutions representing Zurich’s business community. Today, each organisation benefits from its own dedicated environment. This enables the Zurich Chamber of Commerce and Employers Zurich to strengthen the business location and employer interests in the Zurich region, while the Swiss Arbitration Centre can further enhance its services through a purpose-built cloud infrastructure.

Organisations

Die saubere Auftrennung der bisherigen IT-Infrastruktur in drei eigenständige Microsoft-365-Tenants erforderte ein sorgfältiges Assessment und einen klar strukturierten Migrationsplan unter Einhaltung aller Datenschutzvorschriften. Keine Information durfte falsch zugeordnet werden, keine Berechtigung falsch vergeben werden. E-Mails mussten fehlerfrei migriert werden.

The Zurich Chamber of Commerce (ZHK) ihas been the voice of business in the Zurich, Zug and Schaffhausen region since 1873. It represents more than 1,200 companies with over 200,000 employees.
Employers Zurich (VZH) has supported employers in the Zurich economic area for more than 100 years. The association counts around 2,200 member companies.
The Swiss Arbitration Centre headquartered in Zurich with offices in Geneva and Zurich, is the leading institution for the resolution of international commercial disputes in Switzerland.

«In just six months, we successfully disentangled our IT systems and rebuilt them on Microsoft 365. The Baggenstos team stood out through its high level of commitment. As a result, the transition from one shared platform to separate environments for each organisation was completed without operational disruption. With this lean infrastructure, we are now working far more efficiently and can respond quickly to new requirements.»
Regula Pfister, Head of Operations, Zurich Chamber of Commerce

«At the outset, we had considerable respect for the complexity of the implementation. After all, three organisations that had previously been closely interwoven from an IT perspective had to be separated while maintaining data protection and security. The Baggenstos team managed this with great care and professionalism.»

Christian Zehnder, Director, Employers Zurich (VZH)

«As a leading institution for international arbitration and mediation proceedings, we require an IT infrastructure offering the highest levels of security and availability. Baggenstos provided us with a modern Microsoft-based solution that is exceptionally well aligned with our requirements.»

Korinna von Trotha, Executive Director, Swiss Arbitration Centre

Facts & Figures

Initial Situation and Objectives

One became three: in future, the three organisations were to operate in separate Microsoft 365 environments and, at the same time, receive new on-site infrastructure including laptops, monitors and network components. The aim was to separate the environments while retaining selected synergies, such as a shared printing infrastructure. This also required the introduction of new operating processes and the conclusion of separate supplier contracts. As part of the programme, the Swiss Arbitration Centre also replaced its traditional telephony solution with Microsoft Teams Voice.

Key Figures

40 employees and users
2 locations: Zurich and Geneva
3 operating agreements under the Operation Care model

Solution and Delivery

Implementation required intensive preparation. Based on a detailed review of processes and data, three separate environments were designed and built. The Baggenstos team orchestrated onboarding into the separate Microsoft 365 tenants using MFA/Conditional Access, Microsoft Intune and standardised client configurations. In addition, policies for risk-based access were defined, followed by the creation of a standard client image.

Further project components included:

Email migrations from the previous IT provider into three Microsoft 365 environments.

File-Migration using ShareGate for files and Teams, with data transferred to OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint
A cloud-based print solution using Printix, including Follow-Me printing, automated driver deployment and more
Hardware-Rollout of modern Windows laptops and monitors with integrated docking functionality via Autopilot
A new network infrastructure comprising firewalls, switches and Wi-Fi access points
Supported first log-ins and on-site user training during the transition to the new solution

Challenges

All data, users and permissions had to be migrated correctly and reassigned accurately. This required an intensive phase of analysis and planning. At the same time, central services such as the print environment and Wi-Fi infrastructure were to remain available across tenants. Coordination with the previous supplier proved particularly challenging, especially in relation to legacy assets and permissions management. The transition from a shared to a separated infrastructure had to be organised and coordinated without interruption across both locations, Zurich and Geneva.

Results

The rollout was completed on schedule, with supported first log-ins and personal on-site assistance enabling a smooth transition. Thanks to Printix, printing is now easier to maintain, as no local print server is required and administration is centralised. Client devices are now standardised and secured, with Swiss data hosting in place. In addition, a clearly defined operating model was established through Baggenstos Operation Care.

At process level, the three organisations benefit from autonomous cloud environments: they now operate more efficiently and with stronger compliance. Clear IT structures and operating procedures provide greater security. Conditional Access ensures that access is granted only under predefined conditions. At the same time, employees continue to share selected services such as Wi-Fi and printing, which helps to optimise costs.

Why Baggenstos?

Baggenstos impressed all three clients with its extensive Microsoft 365 expertise and its clear, structured project planning. This created the confidence required to ensure that the transition would be executed successfully and without disruption on the agreed date..

Reference Report as PDF

► Download the report here (german version)

Thank you very much for the excellent collaboration!

The close and constructive coordination made a significant contribution to the project being delivered on time, efficiently and without any disruption to ongoing operations.

IT-Auftrennung von drei wichtigen Wirtschaftsorganisationen Zürich

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IT Separation of Three Key Business Organisations in Zurich