Cloud Computing Insider

How Grab YANKED 200 Macs Back On-Prem and Crushed Costs!


Listen Later

Grab, Southeast Asia's leading super-app for ridesharing and food delivery, recently completed a transformative overhaul of its app-building infrastructure by moving more than 200 Mac Minis from the cloud into a self-managed datacenter. Previously relying on a US cloud provider for its macOS Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) needs, Grab faced major cost pressures—macOS build minutes on cloud platforms were ten times pricier than Linux, and Apple's requirements meant paying for 24-hour blocks even during off-peak periods. Attempts to boost efficiency with macOS virtualization were hampered by performance and stability trade-offs. By shifting to on-premises infrastructure, with four racks housing over 200 Mac Minis in Malaysia, Grab gained 20-40% faster CI/CD performance and slashed costs by an estimated $2.4 million over three years. Automated provisioning with Jamf management tools minimizes maintenance overhead, giving Grab tighter control and a competitive edge in mobile app development. This bold move aligns with a broader trend in tech—cloud repatriation—where companies reclaim cost and performance benefits for critical workloads by moving off public cloud platforms. Grab's experience is a key case study for businesses wrestling with cloud expenses versus operational agility.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Cloud Computing InsiderBy David Linthicum

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

4 ratings


More shows like Cloud Computing Insider

View all
The Enterprise AI Show by Massive Studios

The Enterprise AI Show

149 Listeners

Oxide and Friends by Oxide Computer Company

Oxide and Friends

65 Listeners

Better Offline by Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

Better Offline

608 Listeners