ElectraLink selects HP

HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd. will continue to help ElectraLink evolve its infrastructure and services to support the British energy industry as it faces the challenges of deploying smart metering, low carbon generation and grid infrastructure.

Under a six-year contract extension, HP will design, build and manage a scalable new data transfer network (DTN) which will enable ElectraLink to provide secure, reliable, cost-effective information to the electricity and gas industries. HP Enterprise Cloud Services – Virtual Private Cloud will improve the flexibility and scalability of the DTN, while HP Applications Management Services will support a dynamic service delivery model, enabling ElectraLink to shift IT investments from maintenance to innovation.

ElectraLink provides an auditable messaging system to exchange the structured data that underpins all domestic electricity supply market processes. The service is used voluntarily by all British domestic electricity market suppliers, distributors and their associated agents, with ultimate oversight and scrutiny by Ofgem. ElectraLink has been given permission by its users to capture and analyse this data to improve market transparency and allow market participants to make better informed business decisions. The DTN infrastructure is also used on a commercial basis by industry parties in the gas market.

“Our customers rely on the DTN for reliable, secure, cost-effective delivery of their data to other market participants,” said Stuart Lacey, Chief Executive of ElectraLink. “The cost of ElectraLink’s regulated data transfer service for the period 2010-2014 is already half the comparable cost for the period 1999-2003, with overall traffic volumes doubling over the period. This new contract, which was awarded after a thorough validation of HP’s new service and costs, will allow us to further reduce costs for our customers.”

To allow ElectraLink’s customers to transfer critical settlement, change of supplier and other data rapidly and securely across the market, HP Enterprise Services will implement and operate an HP managed cloud environment.

Maintaining a consistent and efficient user interface will minimise re-engineering effort and thereby keep industry costs down. HP’s integrated advanced security systems will ensure that ElectraLink’s customer data continues to remain confidential and protect the system from external threats. Network enhancements will allow ElectraLink’s customers to deploy real time messaging to support new products and services.

“The British energy industry is evolving to improve consumers’ experience of multi-party processes, such as change of supplier,” says Ross Taylor, director, energy & utilities, HP Enterprise Services UK&I. “The scalable, cost-effective HP solution will continue to support healthy competition in the market, and with energy prices being an important and topical issue, this programme demonstrates that innovative technology and solutions can both improve operations and reduce industry costs.”