Technology Uplift Across 300 Utility Sites

Sector: Utilities
Practice: DeliveryAssure and CyberAssure — Multi-Site Infrastructure Uplift and Capability Embedding
Objective: Assure the delivery of a large-scale technology uplift across 300 operational sites, embed permanent capability, and establish sustained governance over critical infrastructure beyond programme closure.

Modernising Critical Infrastructure Across 300 Sites

A major Australian utility was undertaking a large-scale technology uplift spanning more than 300 operational sites. The programme encompassed modernisation across multiple infrastructure layers — IP telephony, CCTV, access and environmental monitoring, firewall upgrades, Wi-Fi deployment, electronic access control, fire detection, and out-of-band resilience pathways.

The scope and complexity demanded more than a one-off project team. Each of these layers carried delivery risk and cyber exposure: firewall configurations had to be consistent across 300 varied site conditions, access control and monitoring systems had to integrate with existing compliance frameworks, and out-of-band access pathways had to be established before they were needed. The utility required permanent personnel who could deliver under structured oversight and remain to manage, optimise, and scale the solution after the initial programme closed.

The 123.EXPERT Approach

123.EXPERT partnered with the utility to insource a dedicated permanent team — project delivery specialists, network engineers, and a programme oversight lead — embedded directly into the organisation under 123.EXPERT’s assured delivery model. The team:

• Defined and enforced deployment standards for IP telephony, CCTV, access monitoring, and environmental controls across varied site conditions — ensuring configuration consistency at scale.
• Coordinated phased rollouts to minimise disruption to operational services at each site.
• Integrated fire detection and electronic access control systems into existing compliance and governance frameworks.
• Oversaw firewall upgrades and secure Wi-Fi deployment, ensuring network segmentation and configuration governance were maintained across all 300 sites.
• Established out-of-band access pathways providing critical redundancy and remote management capability for future incidents.
• Provided structured reporting to executive stakeholders, maintaining delivery visibility and risk transparency throughout the programme.

Outcome

The programme delivered a consistent, modernised technology environment across 300 sites — improving safety, security, operational efficiency, and cyber resilience simultaneously. Firewall governance, network segmentation, access control, and environmental monitoring were all brought to a consistent standard, reducing the attack surface and operational risk exposure that had existed across a fragmented, legacy infrastructure estate.

With permanent staff insourced and embedded, the utility retained the expertise to manage, evolve, and govern these systems beyond programme closure — without the ongoing cost of an external consulting engagement.

Through 123.EXPERT’s permanent insourcing model, the organisation secured assured project delivery at scale and a sustainable internal capability to manage critical infrastructure into the future — leaving the programme not just delivered, but defended.