Press Release
10. May 2023
Arvato Systems and rku.it launch AS4 test operation
Gütersloh – Five months before the official launch of market communication based on the AS4 standard in the energy industry, Arvato Systems has begun test operations under practical conditions. The pilot customer is rku.it GmbH. After Arvato Systems initially tested on internal systems, the AS4 installations in both houses are now talking to each other for the first time. "After intensive preparation, we have reached an important milestone," says Eric Selck, project manager and consultant for technical market communication at Arvato Systems. "This brings us a good deal closer to our goal of making AS4 market communication fit for live operation well before the official launch date, and not just at rku.it. Test operations will start shortly at other customers."
Arvato Systems has a close partnership with rku.it on several levels. Apart from the fact that both companies cooperate in smart meter gateway administration, Arvato Systems has already successfully implemented AS4 market communication for the European gas market with rku.it. This was a decisive factor in rku.it's decision to use Arvato Systems' AS4 service for the German electricity market as well. In addition, the hardware security modules (HSM) required for AS4-based market communication are operated in rku.it GmbH's certified data center.
"Set-up of the solution is proceeding according to plan"
"We made a very conscious decision to work with Arvato Systems because the market communication solution 'B2B by Practice' from Arvato Systems in use at rku.it has distinguished itself for years with its reliability and stability," said Sven Auer, application consulting services and data exchange team leader at rku.it. The challenging goal now, he said, is to provide the corresponding AS4 services to rku.it GmbH's customers on time. "The current project planning phase for setting up the solution is proceeding according to plan and is characterized by constructive cooperation. We are confident that together with Arvato Systems we will be able to meet our customers' requirements and look forward to continuing successful cooperation."
Arvato Systems provides information on AS4 at E-world
AS4 is one of the topics Arvato Systems will inform about at E-world energy & water in Essen. "The conversion of market communication to AS4 represents a major challenge for utilities and continues to generate uncertainty in many places," says Eric Selck. "We invite interested parties to visit our booth in Hall 3 (3-218) to learn more about our AS4 solution and the current project status."
About Arvato Systems
Arvato Systems is an international IT specialist that supports major companies in Digital Transformation. We stand for strong industry knowledge, in-depth technology expertise and a clear focus on customer requirements. Working as a team, we develop innovative IT solutions, transition our clients into the Cloud, integrate digital processes, and take on IT systems operation and support. As part of Bertelsmann, we are built on the solid foundations of a German global corporation. At the same time, we rely on our strong strategic partner network with top international players such as AWS, Google, Microsoft and SAP. We make the digital world easier, more efficient and more secure and our customers more successful. We Empower Digital Leaders. arvato-systems.com