Education First (EF), a global education company with a presence in over 50 countries, partnered with Cockroach Labs to enhance their digital learning platform by using CockroachDB Dedicated, a fully managed relational database. As EF expanded, their existing database infrastructure, which included MySQL and Cassandra, struggled to meet their global needs, prompting a search for a more scalable and efficient solution. CockroachDB Dedicated was chosen over Amazon Aurora due to its ability to handle synchronous global transactions, offering EF developers a seamless and efficient database experience without the burden of scalability issues or operational complexity. The transition allowed EF's development team to focus on building applications like the new Teachers First platform, leveraging CockroachDB’s PostgreSQL wire compatibility to simplify the process. This collaboration is detailed in a case study that highlights how EF overcame technical challenges to improve developer efficiency and support their global educational mission.