HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the UK’s tax authority, collects over £635 billion annually and supports millions of citizens through schemes like Child Benefit and pandemic-related aid. Facing increasing pressure to modernize, HMRC sought to migrate its SAP-based tax and revenue platform from legacy data centers to a scalable cloud environment. The goal: reduce costs, enhance performance, simplify IT operations, and build resilience for future demands.
Partnering with Trinet Technologies, HMRC executed one of the largest and most complex public sector cloud migrations—transitioning its entire SAP estate to Microsoft Azure over a single weekend without disrupting critical services.
Planning for Scale, Security, and Speed
This migration was not merely technical—it was strategic. With over 650 external interfaces and support for 65,000 employees, the SAP platform required a cloud environment that could deliver hyperscale capabilities, stability, and integration.
Trinet Technologies, working closely with HMRC and other stakeholders, led a comprehensive discovery and design phase to assess and implement the best-fit Azure architecture. A strong focus on automation, agile methodologies, and multi-supplier collaboration ensured every aspect—from security to performance—met public sector standards.
Execution Without Disruption
The actual migration of 36 TB of critical data occurred in a tightly controlled window—over one weekend—leveraging Oracle-based synchronization tools and rigorous testing. Trinet established an enhanced live service support system, including ‘hypercare’ for the first eight weeks post-migration, ensuring zero business downtime and immediate incident response.
The platform now runs on nearly 500 virtual machines in Azure and features infrastructure-as-code for fast, reliable deployments. This enables HMRC to release updates more frequently and respond quickly to changing needs, setting the stage for long-term innovation.
"Our work with HMRC on one of the UK’s largest SAP cloud migrations shows how legacy systems can evolve without disrupting critical services—unlocking agility, efficiency, and security in the cloud.”
The Benefits of a Cloud-First Approach
By moving to Microsoft Azure, HMRC has significantly reduced operational costs, improved system responsiveness, and gained the flexibility to scale infrastructure as needed. The cloud environment now supports better monitoring, faster issue resolution, and seamless integration with future digital services.
Trinet Technologies’ expert-led migration model now serves as a benchmark for other government departments undergoing similar transformations. HMRC’s SAP platform is no longer a legacy system—it’s a launchpad for public service innovation.
