The British Film Institute (BFI) Case Study - Windows Server 2012 Migration

The British Film Institute needed to urgently modernise its end-of-life Windows Server 2012 infrastructure, which threatened security, compliance, and operational continuity. Understanding Solutions delivered a phased, low-risk migration that modernised systems, reduced vulnerabilities, and left BFI’s IT team stronger, upskilled, and prepared to support future growth.

The Challenge the Client Faced

The British Film Institute (BFI) was relying on legacy Windows Server 2012 infrastructure, which was rapidly approaching end-of-life. Beyond the looming support deadline, the outdated systems posed risks to security, scalability, and ongoing compliance requirements. The IT team recognised the urgent need to modernise, but balancing day-to-day operational demands with the complexity of migration planning left limited bandwidth to act at the required pace.
For BFI, this wasn’t simply a technical refresh — their systems underpin access to archives, digital engagement, and organisational services. A poorly executed migration risked downtime, security exposure, and reputational impact. They needed a partner who could act quickly, bring proven expertise, and deliver a structured roadmap to a secure, future-ready environment.

Understanding Solutions' Approach

Understanding Solutions deployed a seasoned consultant who had overseen multiple large-scale server migrations in the past. Rather than treating this as a “lift and shift” exercise, we worked closely with BFI to design a structured transition plan that identified every dependency, reduced risk, and prioritised business continuity. The programme began with a detailed assessment phase, identifying critical applications, dependencies, and workloads that would be impacted by the migration. From there, a phased approach was adopted to minimise business disruption, moving high-priority systems first and stress-testing configurations before wider rollout.
Key to our approach was ensuring BFI’s internal IT team were not left behind. As part of our knowledge-transfer-first model, our consultant embedded with their staff, upskilling them on modern server management practices and ensuring the organisation would be stronger post-project.

The Outcome

The migration was completed on time and without major disruption, ensuring BFI’s systems remained secure, compliant, and scalable for the future. By removing the risk associated with end-of-life infrastructure, BFI not only avoided significant potential costs tied to downtime or breaches but also gained a modernised foundation to support their ongoing digital strategy.

The project delivered measurable value:

Security risk reduction through decommissioning of unsupported servers.
Operational efficiency with improved system performance and reduced manual maintenance overhead.
Future readiness, ensuring infrastructure could support growth and evolving requirements.

Most importantly, BFI’s IT team were left in a stronger position than before. With new knowledge, documented processes, and confidence in the upgraded environment, they could focus on innovation rather than firefighting legacy issues.
This engagement reinforced Understanding Solutions’ position as a partner who not only delivers outcomes but ensures that when we step away, the client is equipped to thrive long-term.