https://www.unv.org/index.php/Success-stories/190-9-unvs-digital-makeover
It all kicked off with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Digital Strategy—Cloud first initiative. Back in early 2019, UNV was running on 190 servers plus. Fast forward to April 2024, that number dropped to just 47. That's an 80 percent cut in clutter.
Then came a pivotal moment. The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Information and Technology Management team visited UNV headquarters in Bonn and offered a candid assessment: our systems were due for a significant upgrade. UNV responded with determination. It was an opportunity to review our systems and think of solutions.
We didn't just patch up things. We rethought everything.
Physical servers? Slashed from 7 to 2.
Virtual machines? Down from 47 to 9.
Legacy systems that translated web addresses? Gone. Replaced by Cloud-based platforms.
UNV is now fully independent of on-premises infrastructure. Even if the headquarters shuts down tomorrow, our systems would be humming without a hitch.
Before the overhaul, 22 servers were flagged as critical or high-risk.
Today? Zero.
We closed 29 severe vulnerabilities—permanently.
That's not just progress; that's peace of mind on cyber security attacks, hacks, and more.
We didn't just move old systems to the Cloud, we reimagined them.
Cloud-based platforms replaced chunky servers, boosting performance, security, and scalability. This wasn't just a tech upgrade; it was a mindset shift.
We've shed years of complexity and embraced a leaner, smarter way of working.
Between April 2025 and December 2025, UNV continues its task of building forward better. Now we're replacing the entire network setup in the UNV data center. The new phase isn't just about today—it's about equipping UNV for tomorrow's challenges.
The digital makeover from 190 to 9 is a step towards a smarter, future-ready UNV.
