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Production Stability and AWS Spend Optimization
Merlin Mines partnered with Yuga Labs to reduce AWS spend, eliminate operational risk tied to legacy infrastructure, and improve reliability and security across critical production systems — without slowing delivery.
Situation
AWS spend had grown across multiple accounts, with lingering legacy systems and modernization work that had stalled internally. The team needed a pragmatic path to reduce cost and risk while maintaining continuity for production assets.
Constraints
- Cost reduction needed to be real and durable, not cosmetic
- Changes had to avoid disrupting production operations
- Some modernization work was blocked internally for an extended period
- Post-acquisition infrastructure transfers required safe handling with minimal internal lift
What We Did
- Executed a systematic account shutdown plan to eliminate unused or redundant AWS environments
- Modernized high-impact systems to unblock account decommissioning and reduce long-standing operational risk
- Improved reliability and security across critical infrastructure, including DNS/CDN and source control systems
- Supported post-acquisition infrastructure transfer work while maintaining operational continuity for production assets
Outcomes
Annualized AWS Spend
~$1.2M
Before
~$550K
Current
~$400K
Target
~54%reduction achieved
- Reduced annualized AWS spend ~54% (from ~$1.2M to ~$550K), with a path to ~$400K as remaining shutdowns complete
- Unblocked a stalled migration and modernization effort that had been stuck internally for nearly two years, removing long-standing operational risk
- Improved reliability and security across DNS/CDN, source control, and production systems, reducing incident risk and improving workflows
- Supported post-acquisition infrastructure transfer with minimal internal lift while maintaining operational continuity
What This Enabled
- A lower-cost, simpler cloud footprint with clearer ownership and less operational drag
- Reduced incident risk and improved confidence in day-to-day operations
- Faster execution of infrastructure decisions without accumulating more legacy risk
If you're seeing rising AWS spend, recurring incidents, or inherited infrastructure risk, we can help.