How Autokeskus moved 3.5 million documents to the cloud — without disrupting daily operations

A Finnish dealership running 3.5 million documents through Next

For over 20 years, Autokeskus, a leading Finnish full-service car dealership, has relied on Next for document handling. What started as a simple legal archive for invoices has grown into a crucial operational hub handling over 3.5 million documents.

150 applications — and a clear case for cloud

Cloud has been a strategic priority for Autokeskus for some time. With the burden of juggling around 150 applications — from car manufacturers and banks to spare parts management and customer service tools — managing everything on-premise was no longer sustainable.

"Cloud solutions take the hassle out of manual updates and keep everything running on autopilot. That’s why we were keen for Next to get on board with this vision."
— Tomi Valasvuo, CIO of Autokeskus

Three reasons Autokeskus chose Nextway.cloud

Besides the strategic focus on cloud, Autokeskus names three main reasons why switching to Nextway.cloud made sense.

Hassle-free operation — always current, always patched

When Autokeskus first explored switching to a SaaS agreement for Next, they discovered they were 22 software versions behind. Upgrading on their own had always been costly and time-consuming. With Nextway.cloud, updates happen automatically — including the latest security patches. Contracts and sensitive customer data stay protected without manual intervention.

"We’ll get updates automatically without lifting a finger."
— Tomi Valasvuo, CIO of Autokeskus

From upfront investment to predictable monthly cost

The license fee now covers all operational costs. What used to be a significant upfront investment is now a predictable monthly expense. How?

• No more server upgrades: Maintaining and upgrading Windows servers is no longer Autokeskus’s problem.
• No more server storage: The cloud removes the need for ever-growing on-premise storage — and the costs that follow.
• No more consultancy fees: Upgrade consultations and external storage management are off the budget.

And as a bonus:

• Freed-up personnel: Two employees used to spend 20 hours on each upgrade. That time now goes to higher-value work.

"With Nextway.cloud, we get long-term cost efficiency at about the same price level, but without any surprise bills. Plus, it frees up our time"
— Tomi Valasvuo, CIO of Autokeskus

50 users managing 3.5 million documents — with less IT overhead

The benefits are clear for everyone. The IT team can now focus on what really matters — without managing systems in the background.

And for the users? They get a smoother experience with new features rolled out automatically, so they are always working with the latest version. With 50 users on board, they see noticeable efficiency improvements across 3.5 million documents and over 1,000 contracts.

Cloud migration starts with a mindset shift

Embracing the cloud is ultimately about decisive leadership. As Tomi Valasvuo points out, CIOs constantly weigh the risks and benefits of innovation. The real challenge is making the commitment.

"Adopting cloud technology is like moving from traditional cars to electric vehicles. It’s not just a technical upgrade, it’s a mindset shift. You have to be ready to embrace the future and leave old habits behind."
— Tomi Valasvuo, CIO of Autokeskus