Expert guidance in Azure implementation ensures security at Sloecentrale

About the customer

The Sloecentrale is a highly advanced gas-fired power plant. Opened in 2009, the plant can supply the daily energy needs of over two million households. A notable feature of the plant is its very short start-up time. This characteristic is especially useful in ensuring the continuity of energy supply from natural sources (wind and sun). When the wind suddenly drops or energy demand unexpectedly peaks, this quick start-up capability provides a solution.

The challenges

Security, cost savings, and increasingly working in the cloud. Those were the key challenges for the Sloecentrale. "We too are working more and more in the cloud, and that will only increase in the future. Security is essential in that context, especially for a power plant. For example, we must comply with the Network and Information Systems Security Act (Wbni) for Digital Service Providers. If we want to be ready for the future in the cloud, the foundation of our IT environment must be solid. That’s why we contacted the specialists at SoftwareOne for a second opinion—to ensure that our Azure environment is properly configured and meets the required standards and regulations."

The Solution

“For the integration of Microsoft Azure into our organization, we wanted to consult with an expert partner. SoftwareOne proved that they know what they’re talking about. After our initial exploratory meeting, SoftwareOne suggested approaching the project through a series of workshops. These workshops refreshed our background knowledge and thoroughly discussed and hands-on demonstrated how this could be implemented at Sloecentrale. Based on these sessions, a blueprint for ‘working in the cloud’ via Azure at Sloecentrale was created. We then set up the Azure landing zone, and could always rely on the expertise of SoftwareOne.

One of the workshops focused on cost management, which provided us with many insights. The SoftwareOne PyraCloud platform offers tools to continuously optimize the costs of your software environment and align them with your business goals. Coincidentally, Sloecentrale already had a license for AzureSimple within PyraCloud, which made it easy for us to connect to the Azure environment.

If you’re in an organization with substantial IT knowledge and are looking for a sparring partner for your software and cloud questions, this workshop-based approach is definitely recommended. But not before you’ve created a strategic roadmap and gained support from top management. Because the foundation must be solid before you can build further.”