Client Challenge

Scottish Water maintains an extensive technology network that enables it to effectively manage and distribute water and wastewater for customers across the country. This network consists of both IT that connects its staff and offices, and OT (operational technology) that connects the machines and devices that operate its physical water system.

Many of the connected devices within this network were at or beyond end-of-life and were in need of replacement. However, it was not simply a matter of plugging in new devices, because the IT and OT networks required strict segregation to operate securely.

Scottish Water had relied on a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to provide connectivity for its OT devices, a service due to be retired by the provider in 2025.

What Scottish Water needed was a new, modern network strategy that was less reliant on legacy technologies, could be operated with lower risk, and enabled greater resilience, flexibility and affordability.

Solution

As a trusted partner with deep expertise in utilities, Atos was chosen to deploy Scottish Water’s new network strategy. After a detailed examination of Scottish Water’s business strategy, Atos recommended embarking on two critical projects that together would deliver a holistic solution that completely transforms Scottish Water’s IT and OT networks.

In the first, the PSTNs connecting the OT environment would be replaced by internet protocol (IP) networks, but those devices first needed to be upgraded or reconfigured to leverage IP technology.

The second part of the initiative was to design a software-defined network (SD-WAN) that would enable Scottish Water to:
• Remotely manage onsite devices
• Seamlessly shift site connectivity from a MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) connection to internet services such as wired, LTE (4G/5G) or satellite-based connectivity
• Support complete segregation between IT and OT data through a single connection

Although most of the solution operates behind the scenes, one highly visible feature is a large-scale Wi-Fi deployment at Scottish Water locations. It provides employees with a seamless connectivity experience — whether they are at their desks or on the move within one of their locations.

Business Benefits

The IP enablement and PSTN network replacement project is well underway, and the team from Atos has also delivered a pilot implementation of the new SD-WAN solution. It was deployed at a strategic site in order to validate the new network’s performance and uncover any issues before the full rollout.

The pilot solution has demonstrated improved network performance and greater resilience. Because it is delivered as a managed service, Scottish Water has reduced risk and enabled better day-to-day oversight of its network.

Based on the success of the pilot, Scottish Water has decided to move forward with a full-scale implementation over the coming months. Together, teams from Atos and Scottish Water are finalizing designs for the new managed SD-WAN solution — ensuring its network provides the stability, reliability and flexibility it needs to keep its business flowing smoothly.