British Medical Association cuts costs by 57% with Commvault Cloud on Microsoft Azure

The British Medical Association (BMA) was drowning in data chaos – 12 systems, zero visibility, and a tangled mess that slowed everything down. Doctors needed fast, secure access to critical data, but the outdated setup was holding them back.

They scrapped the patchwork systems and switched to Commvault Cloud on Microsoft Azure, which removed data silos and introduced AI-enabled automation and orchestration. With Azure scalability and native encryption, the BMA can store massive amounts of sensitive data while maintaining security.

With Commvault on Azure, the BMA cut infrastructure costs by 57 percent, improved cyber resilience, and made downtime immaterial – resulting in a cohesive solution that helps keep doctors focused on saving lives. Patient information also stays protected, helping meet strict regulatory standards without added complexity.

Commvault delivers next-generation cyber resiliency for businesses of every size

Commvault, a comprehensive cyber resilience platform designed to meet the complexities of hybrid enterprises, delivers one of the lowest total costs of ownership (TCO) in the industry. It is renowned for its leadership in ransomware protection and safeguards data for over 100,000 customers globally.

For more than 29 years, Commvault has worked with Microsoft to co-develop and co-engineer innovative solutions and deliver next-generation cyber resiliency for businesses of every size. By integrating cloud-based data security with rapid recovery at enterprise scale, Commvault Cloud on Microsoft Azure employs advanced AI to help automate data protection across all environments and managing everything through a unified interface.

Data chaos slowing doctors down

Based in the United Kingdom, the BMA is a trade union for doctors and medical students. Beyond negotiating employment contracts, the BMA offers its members legal services, dispute resolution mechanisms, and, through its partnership with the British Medical Journal, world-class research on public health, new treatments, and medical ethics.

Before adopting Commvault Cloud, the BMA faced an overwhelming challenge – managing 12 disconnected and fragmented systems with no clear visibility or transparency. Data recovery was slow, and chaotic processes hampered operations. Doctors couldn’t access critical information efficiently, putting patient care at risk.

One platform, better control

Recognizing the need for change, the BMA turned to Commvault Cloud on Azure which helped streamline operations by consolidating the 12 patchwork systems into one centralized platform. By integrating AI-enabled automation and orchestration, the platform removed data silos and delivered automated backup and recovery. Azure scalability supported the storage of large volumes of sensitive data while its native encryption and compliance tools helped ensure patient information remained secure and met stringent regulatory standards.

Data recovery became near-instantaneous, sensitive records remained secure, and downtime diminished to near-zero. These changes strengthened cyber resilience, lowered costs, and enabled the system to keep pace with the demands of healthcare professionals.

“With Commvault Cloud, we have access to all the backup and recovery tools we need from a single, intuitive solution,” said Orlando Nieuwoudt, Platforms Engineering Manager at BMA.

The BMA cut infrastructure costs by 57 percent over three years, enhanced its cyber resilience, and eliminated downtime, enabling doctors to focus on saving lives.

Downtime nearly eliminated across vital systems with Commvault Cloud on Azure

By integrating AI-enabled automation and orchestration, Commvault Cloud on Azure removed data silos and delivered automated backup and recovery. Azure’s scalability supported the storage of large volumes of sensitive data while its native encryption and compliance tools helped ensure patient information remained secure and met stringent regulatory standards.

With downtime eliminated, the BMA leveraged Microsoft Entra ID integration for streamlined cloud-based identity and access management. The need for juggling credentials across multiple systems disappeared, and automated processes significantly reduced IT workloads. Doctors and staff gained reliable, fast access to critical information, enabling them to prioritize patient care over IT complexities.

“Microsoft Security Copilot is powerful. It enables our security analysts to improve the speed, scale, and accuracy of incident response,” said Peter Hands, Chief Information and Security Officer at BMA.

Hands further emphasized the importance of secure recovery: “Cyber recovery isn’t like a typical outage — you need to ensure your data is safe and uncompromised before restoring it, or you risk exacerbating the problem. Microsoft and Commvault seamlessly share threat signals, enabling security and IT teams to collaborate effectively within their existing tools. Commvault Cleanroom Recovery ensures readiness by allowing teams to practice secure data recovery in advance of real incidents.”

With Azure’s built-in encryption and compliance tools, the BMA now boasts stronger data protection, allowing patient records to remain accessible and secure at all times. The result: faster disaster recovery, continuous business, strengthened cyber resilience, and significant cost savings. What was once a daunting IT challenge has become a simple, robust system, allowing healthcare professionals to dedicate their attention to what matters most — delivering exceptional patient care.