Unisys and Cushman & Wakefield's Azure Migration Delivers Significant Savings and AI-Powered Efficiency

On October 29, 2026, Unisys and Cushman & Wakefield were recognized with a 2026 ISG Paragon Award for Excellence, specifically for their outstanding business impact resulting from a significant cloud migration project. The initiative involved migrating four of Cushman & Wakefield's on-premises data centers to Microsoft Azure and implementing AI-powered service desk solutions. This comprehensive transformation impacted over 52,000 employees across nearly 60 countries. Key results included a 99.99% infrastructure availability, a 73% reduction in major incidents, a 40% decrease in resolution time, a 13% rise in automated resolutions, and an impressive saving of over $35 million in five years. This achievement is highly significant for practitioners as it underscores the critical role of strategic planning and the integration of emerging technologies in cloud migration. It's not merely about moving workloads; it's about fundamentally re-architecting operations for greater resilience, agility, and cost-effectiveness. The substantial cost savings and operational improvements demonstrate that cloud migration, when executed with a clear vision and strong partnership, can directly contribute to an organization's bottom line and competitive advantage. The focus on AI-powered service desks also highlights the increasing trend of embedding intelligence into IT operations to automate routine tasks and accelerate problem resolution, freeing up human resources for more complex challenges. This development fits into the broader trend of enterprises moving beyond basic lift-and-shift migrations towards more transformative cloud strategies. In 2026, cloud migration is increasingly viewed as a platform play, driven by the need for AI-ready infrastructure, improved governance across multi-cloud environments, and a strong emphasis on FinOps. Organizations are realizing that simply moving to the cloud isn't enough; they need to optimize their cloud environments for performance, cost, and security, often by leveraging cloud-native services and AI. The partnership also exemplifies the growing importance of managed services and expert guidance in navigating complex cloud transformations, especially for large, globally distributed enterprises. In practice, this means that practitioners should prioritize comprehensive assessments of their existing environments and clearly define business objectives before embarking on a migration. The success of Cushman & Wakefield's project suggests that investing in AI-driven solutions for IT operations can yield significant returns, not just in cost savings but also in service quality and employee experience. Furthermore, organizations should look for strategic partners who can provide not only technical expertise but also a shared commitment to achieving measurable business outcomes. This case also reinforces the importance of continuous optimization and security monitoring post-migration to ensure sustained benefits and a robust digital foundation.