Cybersecurity and Hybrid Cloud, Services-Based Solutions

Schneider Electric is keenly aware that energy industry leaders are facing countless challenges in grid modernization. They are asking critical questions:

• How do we increase resilience and operational agility by integrating ecosystems supported by enterprise data?

• How do we support seamless IT upgrades with rapidly evolving technology while balancing the need for customized solutions?

• How do we balance the funding of IT expenses amidst other investment needs?

• How do we maintain an IT infrastructure with increased cybersecurity threats and rising complexity?

Many utilities are turning to cloud-based IT solutions to lower costs, simplify IT management, and strengthen data security and governance. International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that by the end of 2025, 50% of utilities will form strategic ties to cloud providers for infrastructure, GenAI platforms, and developer tools. By leveraging the cloud, utilities can navigate the challenges of the modern energy landscape more effectively - and position themselves at the forefront of innovation, enhancing grid reliability and customer service while supporting environmental sustainability goals.

Schneider Electric is sensitive to the fact that utilities face stringent regulatory and funding constraints that must be balanced with considerations in selecting cloud-based solutions. Protecting mission-critical data from breaches continues to make on-premises solutions attractive to utilities as does capital funding associated with on-premises solutions.

Hybrid-cloud IT solutions offer the best of both worlds to utilities seeking to solve the challenges of modern IT management while balancing the need for control of a their most sensitive data. Hybrid-cloud solutions function in two seamlessly compatible environments:

• An environment containing your enterprise data that you manage either on-premises or in a cloud of the your choosing.

• An environment containing services and data for the functionality of the solution ecosystem that is managed by the solution provider.

The hybrid-cloud approach enables utilities to address the challenges of managing the modern grid while being supported by IT solutions that bring added cloud-based benefits.

This innovative approach:

1. Facilitates scalable, flexible, easy to deploy solutions.

2. Enables streamlined product upgrades to latest technology and longer-term satisfaction with solution tools.

3. Prevents the costly maintenance and cybersecurity risks of legacy systems to maintain customizations.

4. Brings industry-leading cybersecurity experts to support and secure infrastructure.

5. Significantly reduces the overall cost of implementation and ownership as customers do not have to acquire, maintain, or dispose of new IT infrastructure.