Pacing is a Sweden-based technology consultancy known for its expertise in intelligent applications and data analytics. With a strong focus on agile development and client collaboration, Pacing helps businesses modernize through custom software solutions and AI/ML-driven innovation. The company primarily serves the retail sector but has built solutions that are industry-agnostic, with current expansion efforts in Denmark and India.

Client Need

In 2017, Pacing launched a proprietary data analytics tool, initially deploying workloads on an Intel-based VMware cluster. As machine learning use cases grew and they moved to a shared data warehouse, they quickly ran into memory and performance bottlenecks, stalling innovation and scalability. With compute demands increasing and customer expectations rising, they needed a more powerful and flexible infrastructure to support future growth.

The Solution

To overcome performance limitations, Pacing transitioned their workloads to Linux on IBM Power, gaining immediate improvements in memory handling and throughput. By 2024, they expanded to a hybrid cloud architecture using IBM Power Virtual Server (PowerVS), enabling application modernization through real-time analytics, streamlined development, and seamless workload mobility.

Their architecture now includes:

• Containerized workloads using Podman on Red Hat, compatible with OpenShift.
• A hybrid cloud blueprint allowing workloads to shift between on-prem and PowerVS based on resource needs or availability.
• A PowerVS-based demo environment used to showcase their platform’s capabilities to prospective clients.

By adopting IBM Power Virtual Server and IBM Power, Pacing realized the following business outcomes:

• 3x Performance Gains: Threefold increase in compute and I/O performance over their Intel-based setup.
• Massive Scalability: Compute usage skyrocketed - from just 100 hours in 2017 to 10,000 hours in 2024 for a single customer.
• Innovation at Scale: Freed from infrastructure limitations, Pacing grew its machine learning portfolio from 10 models to over 60 models, unlocking new use cases.
• Customer Expansion: What began as a custom solution for one client is now being repackaged and scaled across industries and regions.
• Smarter Operations: With analytics running closer to enterprise systems like SAP, Pacing delivers faster insights and improved efficiency.
• Cost Optimization: By leveraging unused capacity and developing a workload placement algorithm, they’re minimizing infrastructure costs while maintaining flexibility.

Pacing leveraged IBM Power Virtual Server to gain hybrid flexibility, seamlessly shifting workloads between on-premises and cloud environments based on need. By containerizing with Podman and ensuring OpenShift compatibility, they modernized their architecture while maintaining portability. They optimized costs through the use of hot spares and performance tuning and established dynamic demo environments on PowerVS to support business development. What began as a technical upgrade became a strategic platform for innovation, scalability, and international growth.