Utilities and Renewables

Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) is the backbone of a country, providing the facilities, systems, sites, information, people, networks and processes upon which daily life depends. With the Utilities and Renewables sector providing essential energy and water services, maintaining availability to citizens and business is paramount.

On top of the increased pressures from regulations and compliance, plus the growing requirement to move towards sustainable generation methods, Utilities and Renewables are also faced with keeping up with the pace of technology and the implications of converging IT and OT (operational technology) networks.

Vysiion’s extensive experience in delivering mission-critical projects in both IT and OT gives us a unique perspective on these challenges, allowing us to offer innovative solutions to the Utilities and Renewables sector that strengthen CNI across the UK. As part of the Exponential-e group, Vysiion also provides digital solutions and consultancy, focused on delivering favourable outcomes for organisations across the CNI sector. The fusion of IT and OT is critical to the success of such solutions and is a key focus in Vysiion’s close collaborations with CNI leaders.

Creating the right foundation for CNI’s unique connectivity requirements

Historically, IT and OT networks have operated independently of one another, with CNI relying on IT to automate business functions, such as billing, customer service, and accounting, while OT has primarily been focused on controlling critical infrastructure and systems management, e.g. power generation and distribution. Pre-2010, there was little awareness of critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and rarely dedicated resource for OT security – these ‘air-gapped’ systems were seen as secure.

In today’s world of connectivity and real-time data, OT and IT networks are now merging to provide monitoring, maintenance and remote control to CNI systems. Bridging the gap between IT and OT systems creates new opportunities to improve operational efficiency, meet customer demands, and keep pace with digital transformation. As a trusted partner for organisations across the CNI sector, we see this trend continuing until there is a fully integrated IT-OT environment, allowing the sector to mitigate risk and more achieve more effective disaster recovery and service continuity processes, and continue working closely with our partners and customers to make this a reality.

From Smart Grid to Smart Cities

The digital transformation of the power and energy sector started well over a decade ago, but the true power and potential of big data and IIoT techologies is still be realised. The modernisation of the power grid goes beyond the smart metering of households and businesses, and focuses more on distributed generation, the integration of renewable and microgeneration, and the growth in eco-initiatives, such as electric vehicle charging.

With 65% of electricity companies purported to be investing in digital technologies and platforms by 2023, the Smart Revolution is here.