UK Power Networks has extended a long-standing partnership with IT infrastructure services provider, Kyndryl, following a successful IT modernization campaign.
UK Power Networks, a distributed network operator (DNO) for electricity in London, as well as the east and south-east of England, is the largest electricity distributor in the United Kingdom.
The organization owns and manages the cables and substations that supply power from the national grid to more than 8.5 million homes and businesses nationwide, serving more than 20 million people.
The digital overhaul has allowed it to develop and launch new offerings more quickly and efficiently than before, the operator said.
Having launched the country's first independent Distribution System Operator (DSO) last year, the company said it needed a faster and more seamless way to manage the supply of green electricity across the grid.
John Chambers, Kyndryl president of the UK and Ireland, said the partnership has enabled the distributor to improve operational agility.
“The new DSO element of our partnership with UK Power Networks is a first-of-its-kind solution for the industry, and Kyndryl is proud to drive it forward with our agile team approach and digital capabilities,” he said.
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with UK Power Networks to modernize their IT environment and accelerate development speed. By expanding and expanding our collaboration with UK Power Networks, we support mission-critical infrastructure and prioritize customer satisfaction.”
UK Power Networks opted for Azure
As part of the deal, UK Power Networks switched to a Microsoft Azure cloud-based environment which it said has allowed it to deploy new solutions faster and support future innovation and digital transformation projects.
This involved using automation by creating infrastructure as code (IaC) pipelines, performing cloud-native builds in Azure, and hosting mission-critical systems in the cloud to protect the electricity supply of 8.5 million customers.
The services have already transitioned and additional monitoring of the Azure environment is underway with the goal of increasing the visibility and observability of the platform.
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with Kyndryl to the cloud. Kyndryl has demonstrated real capability in developing new tools and services,” said Sul Alli, director of finance, customer service and technology at UK Power Networks.
“As we develop technology capabilities for the future, it is essential to have the right partners who understand the ultimate impacts of the technology being built and how it better serves our customers and stakeholders.”
