Major energy operator supports critical infrastructure with cloud tech

Major energy operator supports critical infrastructure with cloud tech

National Power Company (NPC) Ukrenergo is the transmission system operator of Ukraine, controlling the country’s integrated power system. With more than 8,000 employees in every corner of the country, Ukrenergo decided to power its cooperation and mobility with Microsoft 365. This decision enabled the company to switch to remote work in only ten days under the COVID-19 quarantine instead of the planned two years, while supporting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and avoiding blackouts. With increased productivity and collaboration, Ukrenergo can ensure uninterrupted operation of the country’s energy transmission systems while relying on the cloud.

As Ukraine’s power system operator, NPC Ukrenergo controls energy transmission in the country every single moment. The company lives by the slogan ‘driving the power of changes’. Looking to upgrade its workplace for around 6,000 employees—80% of its workforce—NPC Ukrenergo set out on a digital transformation journey in autumn 2019. “We initially planned for a gradual workplace migration until 2022. When COVID-19 hit, we needed to urgently enable thousands of people to work from home while ensuring continuous energy supply in the country,” explains Sergiy Galagan, CIO at NPC Ukrenergo. “We switched to remote work using Microsoft 365 in only ten days, thanks to the joint effort of our team, Microsoft, and our IT partner Lizard Soft which supported the technical side and trained our staff,” continues Sergiy Galagan.

Operating energy transmission via the cloud

Ukrenergo’s corporate portal was first launched on SharePoint 2013. This led them to choose Microsoft tools to increase employee productivity and operational efficiency. “The only decision left to make was between on-premise and cloud, keeping in mind the security implications for a state-owned enterprise. When the time came to decide, we chose the cloud because it could better support collaboration and a mobile workplace. We knew we could rely on cloud security without any doubts,” says Galagan.

Ukrenergo’s employees use Yammer, OneDrive cloud storage, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams. “It transformed the way we work. Thanks to the meeting booking feature, people are planning their work much more efficiently. Even after returning to the office, we continued calling via Microsoft Teams because it’s more convenient. We’ve cut spending on business trips as the app enables efficient communication. Microsoft Teams is our app of the year!” emphasizes Galagan.

Ukrenergo’s future will be energized by cloud technology as well. The company is preparing to have its data backup in Azure, and to move its software development and testing into the cloud. “I am telling everyone: start with the cloud as soon as possible. Ten years ago, it was risky; five years ago, it was a promising thing; now, you just can’t survive without it,” concludes Galagan.

Source: Major energy operator supports critical infrastructure with cloud tech.

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