Cushman & Wakefield Achieves Significant Savings and Operational Efficiency Through Azure Migration and AI-Powered Service Desk

Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services leader, in partnership with Unisys, has successfully migrated four on-premises data centers to Microsoft Azure and deployed AI-powered service desk solutions. This initiative has resulted in over $35 million in savings over five years, alongside significant improvements in operational metrics. The collaboration earned both companies the 2026 ISG Paragon Award for Excellence in the Outstanding Business Impact category. This development is crucial for cloud and DevOps practitioners as it showcases a real-world example of how cloud migration, when strategically combined with advanced technologies like AI, can deliver measurable business value. It moves beyond the often-cited benefits of scalability and agility to demonstrate direct financial impact and enhanced service quality. The reduction in major incidents by 73% and a 40% decrease in resolution time are compelling indicators of the operational maturity achievable through such transformations. This success story aligns with the broader trend of enterprises moving beyond basic cloud adoption to leverage cloud platforms for deeper digital transformation. The integration of AI into IT service management, as seen with the AI-powered service desk, is a growing area of focus. Organizations are increasingly looking to automate routine tasks, improve incident response, and provide more intelligent support to their end-users. This shift is driven by the need for greater efficiency, cost optimization, and a more resilient IT infrastructure in an increasingly complex technological landscape. The focus on cleaning up unused resources to tighten security and control costs also reflects a growing emphasis on FinOps and cloud cost management. In practice, this means that practitioners should not only focus on the technical aspects of migrating workloads but also on how to integrate AI and automation to maximize the benefits. This includes evaluating existing IT service management processes for AI integration opportunities, investing in FinOps capabilities to optimize cloud spend, and prioritizing robust cybersecurity measures throughout the migration and post-migration phases. The Cushman & Wakefield case demonstrates that a holistic approach, encompassing infrastructure, operations, and intelligent automation, is key to achieving significant and sustainable business outcomes from cloud migration efforts.