Modernization is reshaping the financial services landscape, with data-driven strategies and cloud-native technologies now essential for maintaining a competitive edge. As legacy systems reach the end of their support lifecycles, institutions are recognizing the need to reimagine their data infrastructure—unlocking greater agility, efficiency, and innovation. This success story highlights how a Global Financial Services Provider, working with Next Pathway, achieved a seamless cutover while migrating from a complex Teradata environment to both Snowflake and Amazon Redshift, positioning the organization for future growth and digital transformation.
The Imperative for Change
Financial institutions are at a pivotal crossroads. Enterprise data warehouses (EDWs) that once powered operations are increasingly seen as barriers to progress, burdened by rising maintenance costs and limited flexibility. For this Global Financial Services Provider, the end of their Teradata support agreement prompted a critical decision: continue with costly extensions or embark on a transformative migration to the cloud.
Navigating Complexity: The Challenge
The scale and intricacy of the client’s Teradata EDW presented significant hurdles. With over 19 million lines of Teradata SQL and stored procedure code, nearly 2 petabytes of historical data, and more than 2,200 data sources ingesting data daily, the environment was both vast and complex. Multiple third-party and custom ETL tools, including Informatica and Ab Initio, added further layers of complexity. This “spaghetti” architecture made it difficult for the client to determine which cloud platform—Snowflake or Amazon Redshift—would best serve their diverse workloads. The uncertainty risked delaying the migration and missing critical business deadlines, especially the cutover milestone.
The Solution: Data-Driven Migration with Next Pathway
Next Pathway provided a comprehensive, technology-driven approach to overcome these challenges. Using CRAWLER360, the team conducted a four-week migration assessment, mapping end-to-end data lineage, identifying workload “hot and cold spots,” and surfacing optimization opportunities. This enabled the client to objectively assess which workloads were best suited for Snowflake versus Amazon Redshift, prioritize migration efforts for maximum business impact, and ensure a seamless transition with no disruption to ongoing operations.
With the assessment complete, Next Pathway deployed SHIFT Cloud to automate code translation and migration execution. The results were transformative: 99% of Teradata SQL and stored procedure code was translated out-of-the-box for both Snowflake and Redshift, and 100% code translation was achieved within four weeks—72% faster than manual estimates. The migration provided full visibility into performance and compatibility across both target platforms, enabling a smooth and timely cutover.
Beyond Migration: Unlocking New Possibilities
By automating the most complex aspects of migration, the client not only met its cutover deadline but also established a foundation for future growth. The project accelerated migration timelines and significantly reduced risk, while also optimizing workload placement for both cost and performance. Most importantly, the client now operates on a modern, cloud-native data foundation that is ready to support advanced analytics and AI initiatives. This achievement demonstrates that, with the right automation technology and expertise, even the largest and most complex financial data environments can be rapidly and confidently modernized.
Setting the Blueprint for the Future of Financial Services
As data becomes the new currency in financial services, the ability to rapidly analyze and act on information is a true differentiator. Organizations that embrace cloud-native analytics and AI are not just keeping pace—they are setting the standard for leadership in a digital-first world. The Global Financial Services Provider’s transformation serves as a model for how strategic modernization, powered by automation, can turn legacy complexity into a platform for innovation and growth.
About Next Pathway
Next Pathway is the Automated Cloud Migration company. Our solutions are powered by the AI-enabled SHIFT Product Platform, which includes CRAWLER360, SHIFT Cloud, and TESTER. Our platform automates the end-to-end challenges associated with migrating applications to the cloud. For more information on how we can assist your cloud migration journey.
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