Customer Story

BTC Group, one of Germany’s leading IT service providers, encountered increasing difficulties as its IT landscape expanded alongside its growing client base. The transition from Nagios to Icinga proved to be a game changer, enabling the company to build a unified and centralized monitoring system that effectively addressed their scaling needs and streamlined IT operations.

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The Challenge

With its client base on the rise, BTC AG found itself grappling with the challenges of a rapidly growing IT ecosystem. Using Nagios as their primary monitoring solution, BTC faced fragmented systems that lacked centralization. The introduction of vendor-specific tools, such as SAP Solution Manager, Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Microsoft monitoring tools, further complicated the ecosystem.

BTC needed to ensure compliance with strict SLAs while maintaining flexibility for clients with unique requirements. However, achieving this with a patchwork of monitoring tools was becoming unmanageable. “Each vendor tool had its strengths, but none could provide a complete picture across all our systems,” System Manger Max Stephan explains. The company required a centralized, scalable monitoring solution that could integrate with its existing tools and streamline its operations through automation.

The Solution

Success

The implementation of Icinga brought transformative improvements to BTC AG’s monitoring capabilities. Today, the centralized monitoring system manages an impressive 18,100 hosts and 123,000 services across BTC’s client base. “The scalability and flexibility of Icinga have allowed BTC to operate efficiently in a highly dynamic environment.,” Stephan remarks.

Automation through Icinga Director has drastically reduced manual effort, allowing the team to focus on higher-value tasks. “Thanks to Director and the integration with our CMDB, we can easily adapt to new client requirements without compromising on standardization,” says Stephan. This adaptability has proven essential, especially as each client brings unique challenges. “Every client has different systems, ideas, and monitoring needs – Icinga gives us the tools to meet those demands efficiently,” Hoffmann adds.

Customer satisfaction has also seen significant improvements. Larger clients benefit from real-time access to tailored dashboards on satellite nodes, allowing them to monitor their environments directly. Meanwhile, smaller clients rely on BTC’s monthly reports, trusting the team’s expertise to keep their systems running smoothly. “For many clients, it’s less about the technical details and more about knowing that we’re monitoring everything and reacting promptly to issues,” Stephan explains.

BTC’s success with Icinga has also been recognized internally. The monitoring team now operates more efficiently, with a consistent and scalable framework in place. “Icinga has become our central enterprise monitoring environment,” Stephan says. “It supports both internal teams and external clients, making it indispensable for our operations.”

Looking ahead, BTC remains open to exploring new Icinga features and modules to further enhance its capabilities. “We continually keep an eye on the latest developments to see what can add value,” Stephan notes. However, with their current setup, BTC is confident in its ability to adapt to future challenges. “Our centralized system has provided a solid foundation for growth, and we’re ready to take on whatever comes next,” concludes Hoffmann.

By adopting Icinga, BTC AG has transformed its monitoring operations into a strategic advantage, delivering reliable, tailored solutions to a diverse client base while maintaining operational excellence.