Zambezi River Authority Achieves Operational Resilience with SAP Migration to Microsoft Azure
Business Problem
Legacy SAP systems hosted on-premises faced constant downtime due to power outages, with unsustainable hardware costs and performance limitations.
Solution
Strategic SAP migration to Microsoft Azure using SAP-certified VMs, Azure Site Recovery, and AI-powered monitoring.
Partner
Reliance Infosystems
Industry
Water Resources Management & Hydropower Generation
Region
Zambia/Zimbabwe
Business Problem
Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a bi-national organization managing the Kariba Dam between Zambia and Zimbabwe, faced persistent disruptions to its SAP systems caused by unstable power supply and aging on-premises infrastructure. Key challenges included:
Unplanned SAP system downtime
High infrastructure maintenance costs
Poor scalability and performance
Increased operational inefficiencies and risk exposure
To address these, ZRA needed a modern, secure, and highly available infrastructure—without compromising on compliance or service delivery.
Solutions Deployed
Reliance Infosystems led a strategic migration of ZRA’s SAP landscape to Microsoft Azure, minimizing risk while maximizing performance and business continuity.
Azure Migrate
Database Migration Service
SAP-certified Azure VM types
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Azure Monitor
Azure Site Recovery
AI Integration
Defender for Cloud and Azure Monitor used machine learning to proactively detect threats, automate monitoring, and flag performance anomalies
Enabled predictive analytics and smart recommendations to reduce MTTR and ensure uptime
Provided ZRA with real-time operational intelligence and intelligent threat protection
Architecture and Services
Designed using Microsoft’s Well-Architected Framework to optimize cost, reliability, and scalability
Zero-downtime migration for mission-critical SAP workloads
Full DR configuration via Azure Site Recovery
Ongoing monitoring and governance layered with Defender for Cloud and Azure Monitor
Reliance Differentiation
- Delivered high-value ACR ($9,000–$10,000) while maintaining critical public sector performance SLAs
- Trusted advisor role with ZRA leadership, enabling confidence in future AI and analytics adoption
- Seamless alignment with Microsoft best practices through PTA support and Solution Assessments
Business and Community Impact
Commercial Impact
The transition to Microsoft Azure, led by Reliance Infosystems, significantly improved system performance, reliability, and cost efficiency for Zambezi River Authority. Core SAP workloads now run with high availability and built-in disaster recovery, ensuring continuity even during regional power disruptions. With reduced infrastructure overhead and a more agile environment, the organization is exploring advanced analytics and AI workloads, signaling increased trust and readiness for deeper cloud adoption.
Community and Societal Impact
As a bi-national organization serving Zambia and Zimbabwe, Zambezi River Authority now benefits from secure, compliant digital operations that align with regional data governance standards. The modernization has reduced downtime for essential services and created a more stable digital environment for staff and stakeholders, supporting productivity and responsible technology use in public sector institutions.
Joint Partnerships
Reliance Infosystems led the solution design and implementation, working closely with ZRA’s IT, finance, and procurement teams to ensure a smooth transition to Azure. Collaboration with Microsoft Partner Technical Architects ensured best-practice implementation and built customer trust in the solution.
Microsoft Programs and Resources Utilized
- Microsoft MCI – Solution Assessment for Rapid Migration
- Partner Technical Architects (PTAs) for architecture validation
- Microsoft employee involved: Joel Shaibu
Customer Reference
“Our shift to Azure has transformed the way we operate. Downtime is no longer a concern, and performance has improved drastically. The project was handled with excellence by Reliance Infosystems, and we’re excited about future possibilities with analytics and AI.”