Cybersecurity threats never clock out—so protection shouldn’t, either. That’s why Ontinue specializes in delivering security that never sleeps. Their managed extended detection and response (MXDR) protection, built around the Microsoft security stack, helps organizations modernize their defenses, reduce operational overhead, and unlock greater value from their Microsoft investments.
A Microsoft partner and member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), Ontinue’s blend of intelligent automation and human expertise helped them earn the Threat Protection and Cloud Security specializations.
Their flagship ION MXDR service is designed to simplify and elevate enterprise security by combining Microsoft security tools into a unified experience. ION uses native signals from Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel to provide real-time monitoring and investigation, while Ontinue’s experts provide strategic guidance tailored to each customer’s unique risk profile and business goals.
This approach has made Ontinue a go-to partner for organizations around the world—including those in highly complex industries like manufacturing. And it’s this expertise that made them a natural fit for Burckhardt Compression.
Too many tools, not enough clarity
Swiss-based Burckhardt Compression has a 180-year legacy in mechanical engineering. The company designs and builds reciprocating compressor systems that are essential to critical industries such as energy, industrial gas, and petrochemicals. Their reach is global—and so is their risk surface.
With a fragmented security infrastructure that relied on solutions from multiple providers, Burckhardt Compression’s visibility across devices, identities, and cloud services was limited, particularly as their operations grew in complexity—making it difficult to detect and respond to threats efficiently. They needed a way to unify their security posture and ensure continuous protection without adding operational burden.
The team had already been using various Microsoft solutions such as SharePoint and Exchange, so adding the security components of Microsoft 365 E5 would enhance synergy among their systems. “As a company that uses Microsoft solutions 99% of the time, it was a natural step to also rely on Microsoft and Ontinue for our security strategy,” recalls Leonardo Casubolo, Director Global IT Infrastructure and Security at Burckhardt Compression.
Unifying a fragmented security landscape
Burckhardt Compression’s journey with Ontinue began with a shared goal: to turn untapped Microsoft security capabilities into a fully integrated, active security posture. “At the kick-off meeting, we immediately shared a common understanding of the goals and tasks,” Casubolo recalls. “That shortened the time-to-value enormously.”
Working closely with Burckhardt Compression’s IT leadership, Ontinue started by migrating and decommissioning their old tools, then activating the new Microsoft solutions, including Microsoft Sentinel and various E5 components. This gave Burckhardt Compression complete visibility and control across their digital estate.
Ontinue also provided a Microsoft-based security operations center (SOC) to optimize data management. Thanks to close collaboration and careful planning, the transition was seamless—despite the customer’s unique requirements across different geographies and complex business processes.
“Complexity wasn’t a problem for us,” said Ogi Stanovcic, General Manager at Ontinue. “On the contrary, it drove the migration, because Burckhardt Compression, Microsoft, and Ontinue all share a unified vision and were able to translate it into precise processes. This kind of collaboration is the gold standard for transparency and partnership.”
Enhanced security, operational efficiency, and beyond
With the consolidated security platform in place, security incidents are recorded and analyzed via the SOC, and response proposals are generated. Despite the Ontinue Cyber Defense Center processing thousands of alerts each month, only 0.5% have to be escalated to the security team at Burckhardt Compression, helping to ensure precise responses and reduce noise. This significantly limits the number of tickets Burckhardt receives each day—a dramatic improvement over their previous security landscape.
Another advantage of the platform is that all data is processed internally at Burckhardt Compression. This progress helps their small cybersecurity team manage the IT security of 3,500 employees. “Our security environment becomes more secure with every new Microsoft feature,” Casubolo said.
Thanks to optimized data volumes in Microsoft Sentinel and other Microsoft solutions, the team can maintain cost control more easily. With “Monitor Mode,” they can also gauge a new solution by running a month-long test that assesses its relevance before deploying it permanently. This approach ensures that Burckhardt only ever uses solutions that add lasting value.
The collaboration between Ontinue and Burckhardt Compression—which began with a demonstration of their SOC and security information and event management solutions two years ago—has evolved into an ongoing partnership. “The success of our collaboration is essentially rooted in staying close to the customer,” Stanovcic said. Together, they’re continuously working to improve these systems and keep costs down.
As security threats and technology alike grow in complexity, cooperation between Burckhardt Compression, Ontinue, and Microsoft remains key to keeping the company prepared for future challenges. Burckhardt Compression is also looking for ways to deploy AI such as condensing results from the incident channel and accelerating processes.
“We all have one and the same goal,” Casubolo says. “And, working together as partners, the Microsoft platform helps us do everything in our power to achieve that goal.”
