How Kolbe Windows and Doors Transformed Their Manufacturing IT Infrastructure with Scale Computing

Behind every high-performance manufacturing operation is an IT system working just as hard to keep things connected, secure, and scalable. Recently, Kolbe Windows and Doors shared their experience modernizing their IT environment with Scale Computing, highlighting how their IT modernization journey streamlined virtualization, simplified disaster recovery, and improved system performance.

At our Platform 2024 event in Las Vegas, Scale Computing’s Director of Product Marketing, Kris Schultz, alongside Luis Apodaca, Technical Services Engineer at Scale Computing, led the session “Unveiling the Journey: A Customer’s Perspective on Implementing Scale Computing,” featuring John Stuplich, Systems Administrator at Kolbe Windows and Doors.

Below is a recap of their discussion and some of the key lessons from Kolbe’s IT transformation.

Meeting Manufacturing IT Challenges with a Lean Team

Kolbe Windows and Doors, a leading manufacturer of premium windows and doors, operates multiple facilities, including three separate manufacturing locations across Wisconsin as well as additional locations in Arizona and Minnesota. As a rapidly growing company with nearly 2,000 employees, Kolbe faces a number of diverse IT challenges, particularly in managing infrastructure across dispersed sites with a relatively small IT team.

Responsible for overseeing network-connected devices, servers, and the broader IT infrastructure, Stuplich described how Scale Computing provided a much-needed solution to their resource constraints. “With a relatively small IT team, we needed a system that was easy to manage, reduced complexity, and gave us more time to focus on strategic projects.”

Kolbe’s previous IT environment was built on VMware, requiring a separate storage system and a complex interface that added to their administrative burden. “VMware is powerful but can be overwhelming. We had issues with detached storage, and managing it all became cumbersome. We needed to consolidate these systems, streamline our hardware, and looking forward, wanted to deploy extra nodes to improve our disaster recovery capabilities. Scale Computing provided an all-in-one solution that just made sense.”

While transitioning from VMware was initially a high-stakes decision, the benefits of Scale Computing became quickly apparent: simplified management, a consolidated hardware footprint, and significant cost savings. “The cost difference alone made it an easy choice,” notes Stuplich. “And the interface is so much more intuitive. At first, I thought I might be missing features, but as I became more familiar with it, I realized everything we needed was there, just easier to use.”

Ensuring Uptime for Mission-Critical Manufacturing Operations

For Kolbe’s IT team, few metrics are more important than uptime. Their manufacturing software, which includes ReynaPro and WTS Paradigm, drives everything from sales quoting to CNC machine operations. Additionally, MasterPoint, their production tracking system, ensures seamless workflow coordination on the shop floor. Any disruption to these applications could lead to costly downtime and production delays.

Says Stuplich, “If Master Point goes down, our employees don’t know what the next step in production is. At first, they can work based on previous instructions, but after a few hours, things start to fall apart. That’s why reliability was such a key factor in our decision to move to Scale Computing.”

Kolbe partnered with Scale Computing for an on-site installation, with Technical Services Engineer Luis Apodaca assisting with deployment and integration. “Luis and the team were great to work with. He worked closely with our third-party network provider, Solaris, ensuring that our network stayed up and running throughout the deployment.”

While most migrations went smoothly, Kolbe learned that no two workloads are the same. For some applications, they found that alternate migration methods, such as Clonezilla, provided better results than traditional tools. “We had one instance where an application moved over, but the web interface wouldn’t start. Switching migration methods solved the problem, but that was a good lesson – always have a backup plan.”

The Road Ahead: Disaster Recovery and Future Expansion

Kolbe is already seeing improved performance with Scale Computing, with applications running faster and infrastructure management becoming more efficient. “Even simple tasks like taking snapshots for quick rollbacks are much easier now,” Stuplich said.

Looking ahead, Kolbe plans to implement a disaster recovery (DR) site using Scale Computing. “Right now, we rely on Acronis for cloud backups, but we’re exploring a Scale-based DR cluster in our Minnesota office. Having an easy-to-deploy solution for disaster recovery was another big selling point for us.”

Beyond delivering a powerful IT solution, Scale Computing is dedicated to ensuring customers have the resources and support needed to maximize their investment. From hands-on assistance during deployment to ongoing technical support, the Scale Computing team works closely with customers to streamline migrations, troubleshoot challenges, and optimize performance. “One of the really cool things in the Scale Computing interface is the click-to-chat feature. You can just click, get on chat with tech support, and they’ll take care of you.”

Kolbe’s journey underscores how Scale Computing can simplify IT for manufacturers dealing with complex operations and limited IT staff. Their advice for others considering a move? “Explore Scale Computing’s migration services as it will save you a great deal of time,” says Stuplich. “We’ve been able to move workloads ourselves, but if we had migration services handle it, we’d be even further along.”

For manufacturers looking to streamline their IT infrastructure, Scale Computing offers a cost-effective, easy-to-manage, and resilient platform that enables teams to focus on growth rather than maintenance.

To learn more, visit our Resources page or reach out for a personalized consultation.

Award nominations are now open for Platform//2025

INDIANAPOLIS – February 25, 2025 – Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced it is now accepting nominations for the third annual Scale Computing Platform Summit Awards. The awards ceremony will take place May 15, 2025 at Resorts World in Las Vegas at Scale Computing Platform Summit (Platform//2025), the company’s flagship event for IT professionals and partners. These prestigious awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of Scale Computing’s partners, IT leaders, and technology alliances, who have driven innovation, collaboration, and success within the Scale Computing ecosystem.

The company welcomes nominations for individuals, organizations, and teams with exceptional contributions across multiple award categories. Submit a nomination today to shine a spotlight on those who have truly made an impact this year.

The Scale Computing Platform Summit Awards categories include:

Partner Awards

• Outstanding Partner Momentum Award: Recognizes a partner who has demonstrated exceptional growth and success in driving new business opportunities with Scale Computing solutions.
• Edge Pioneer Partner of the Year: Awarded to a partner at the forefront of delivering innovative edge computing solutions using Scale Computing’s platform.
• Scale Computing Partner of the Year – North America: Honors the top-performing partner within the NA market who has showcased exceptional collaboration, sales achievement, and customer impact.
• Scale Computing Partner of the Year – International: Celebrates the international partner who has demonstrated outstanding performance and expanded Scale Computing’s presence globally.
• Distribution Partner of the Year – North America: Acknowledges the distribution partner who has excelled in enabling and supporting partner success through Scale Computing technologies.
• Distribution Partner of the Year – International: Highlights the international distribution partner who has driven significant growth and supported partners in achieving Scale Computing success.
• MSP Leadership: Honors a managed service provider (MSP) that has shown remarkable leadership in delivering Scale Computing solutions and driving customer value.
• MVP Sales: Recognizes an individual who has achieved unparalleled success in driving sales of Scale Computing solutions.
• MVP Technical: Celebrates a technical expert who has gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional support, expertise, and solutions to Scale Computing customers and partners.

Customer Awards

• IT Leadership in Edge: Recognizes an IT leader who has implemented innovative edge computing solutions to transform their organization’s operations using Scale Computing technology.
• IT Leadership in Data Center: Awarded to an IT leader who has leveraged Scale Computing’s platform to achieve significant advancements and efficiencies in their data center operations.
• Scale Computing CHAMP: Honors customers and partners who have passionately championed Scale Computing, advocating for its value and impact across the market.
• Tech Leadership Award: Celebrates a technology partner who has driven innovation and set new standards through their collaboration with Scale Computing.
• Marketing Innovator Award: Recognizes a technology alliance partner who has creatively leveraged marketing initiatives to elevate Scale Computing solutions and drive mutual success.
• Partnership Excellence Award: Honors a technology alliance partner who has exemplified outstanding collaboration, fostering shared success and impactful results through their partnership with Scale Computing.

“We are excited to celebrate the best of the best in the Scale Computing community. The Platform Summit Awards recognize the organizations and individuals who embody the spirit of innovation and collaboration—the pillars of Scale Computing’s culture. We look forward to acknowledging the winners’ achievements in Las Vegas and welcoming our community of customers, partners, and technology alliances in May,” said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder of Scale Computing.

The three-day event, held May 13-15, 2025, at Resorts World in Las Vegas, will feature live educational and best practices sessions, dedicated networking opportunities, the Platform//2025 Awards Dinner, training and certification opportunities, and more.

Shares New Real-Time Pricing Tool, Delivering Instant, Transparent, and Upfront Pricing

INDIANAPOLIS – February 18, 2025 – Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced new tailored pricing tiers that include entry level pricing with scalable options to meet the needs of customers and partners with a wide variety of budgets and use cases. The company also announced the launch of its new Scale Computing Pricing Tool. The real-time pricing tool, now live on the Scale Computing website, enables users to customize hyperconverged solution options and receive an instant, transparent quote.

“Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has created uncertainty in the market with escalating costs and unpredictable changes, leading organizations everywhere to seek alternative virtualization solutions. At Scale Computing, we pride ourselves on providing innovative infrastructure solutions and straightforward, tailored, upfront pricing—with no hidden fees. Organizations navigating the virtualization market shift can now take advantage of our new licensing tiers, which deliver award-winning virtualization technology priced to meet the use cases and budget needs of organizations of all sizes. Paired with our easy-to-use pricing tool, we’re making it easier than ever to find the perfect IT infrastructure and virtualization solution,” said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder of Scale Computing.

Scale Computing’s new licensing tiers deliver the company’s award-winning IT infrastructure with tailored, transparent pricing and include:

1. Professional Essentials: A cost-effective 3-node virtualization solution with 256GB RAM per node, designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) seeking to modernize IT infrastructure.
2. Standard: Reliable, affordable solutions with essential IT features, including HyperCore virtualization and software-defined distributed storage.
3. Professional: Advanced tools like replication and GPU virtualization for AI applications and businesses ready to scale.

Scale Computing’s real-time pricing tool enables users to:

• Instantly configure solutions to match the organization’s needs.
• Compare options and receive clear, upfront quotes.
• Enjoy transparent pricing with no hidden fees.

Scale Computing Platform (SC//Platform) replaces virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage with a fully integrated, highly available system. The leading hyperconverged infrastructure solution for small and midsize organizations, and the distributed enterprise, SC//Platform delivers simplicity combined with high availability, near turn-key deployment, seamless scalability, disaster recovery, and non-disruptive rolling updates. The company recently unveiled the Scale Computing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator, a free online tool for estimating the cost savings customers can achieve by migrating application workloads to SC//Platform. Easy to use and easy to maintain, the award-winning SC//Platform reduces TCO by 40% thanks to its more efficient resource management and lower licensing costs.

Scale Computing is currently offering two promotions to further ease the transition from VMware to SC//Platform, including a 25% software and services discount for new customers through its VMware Rip & Replace offer, and a full system exchange trade-up plus no-cost coverage for the remaining VMware term with the Seamless Switch: Trade-Up to Scale Computing promotion.

To learn more about Scale Computing’s new pricing tool, please visit scalecomputing.com/pricing-tool.

Scale Computing Executive Spotlight: VMware Migration

For many organizations, the first hurdle in considering a VMware alternative is the migration process itself. Will it integrate with our existing infrastructure and tools? What about the ecosystem of backup and security software tied to VMware? As Jeff explains, Scale Computing has been tackling these challenges for years, long before Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware. Armed with the right tools and the infrastructure experts at the ready to ensure a seamless and efficient transition, we’re here to help guide you through every step of your migration journey.

Scale Computing’s tailored approach ensures that each migration is optimized for each customer’s unique environment. Jeff further explains how Scale Computing leverages a diverse set of tools and methodologies across a broad spectrum of use cases to successfully migrate practically every type of application from VMware to the SC//Platform. The collective expertise of our team ensures that our customers and partners can be fully confident that their workloads will transition smoothly and that their IT systems will remain resilient both during and after the move.

However, what really makes Scale Computing stand out from the crowd isn’t just our migration expertise, but SC//Platform itself. Unlike VMware, which was developed decades ago, Scale Computing continues to actively invest in the latest groundbreaking automation and AI technologies into its solutions. As one of the top five VMware alternatives recommended by DCIG, Scale Computing offers not just a replacement but a significant upgrade that enables organizations to reduce complexity, enhance performance, and future-proof their IT operations.

If you’ve been considering moving away from VMware but are wary of the potential complications, it’s time to rethink what’s possible. Watch the full video to hear Jeff explain how Scale Computing delivers a seamless, stress-free migration experience and why we’re recognized as a leader in VMware alternatives.