ALTEN has partnered with Microsoft to offer solutions accelerating IT/OT convergence and the digitalization of its clients’ services. The Group has achieved Gold level, the highest certification, on seven competencies, as well as Silver level on one competency. These certifications, awarded in recognition of the ALTEN teams’ expertise, in particular in Cloud and Data Services and Development of Microsoft solutions, have also been given for the Group’s initiatives supporting its employees’ training.
A bilateral partnership: expertise in service of new professional horizons
Since February 2021, ALTEN has been working hand in hand with Microsoft to develop a supportive bilateral partnership strategy.
For Microsoft, as a Cloud Provider, the challenge lay in the need to surround itself with companies capable of complementing its portfolio of skills and expertise in its solutions, to ensure that its applications are integrated in the public Cloud with a best practices approach. In effect, throughout all the Cloud transformations observed, the key success factor materialized in the capacity to mobilize the required skill sets through experts such as data engineers, Cloud engineers and native application developers.
This initiative paved the way for ALTEN to position itself for new Cloud business, through two levers:
Firstly, the creation and provision of content for training and certification purposes , to support the Group’s consultants in their improvement of these trending technologies: over several months, more than 50 people were certified through the platforms implemented. Experts in Data, Cloud, Security: these were the relevant profiles. Within this trained workforce, ALTEN also wanted to integrate business managers and recruiters in order to have a solid base to support the consultants in developing their skills, and clients in identifying their Cloud-related technical and technological challenges.
Secondly, the development of dedicated solutions and offers within the Microsoft scope, to provide clients with a differentiating value in their digital transformation. To accomplish this, ALTEN mobilized its expertise in business challenges and Microsoft technologies as well as its capacity to deliver services tailored to client needs, both in terms of delivery mode and quality of service.
Competencies: a rapid ramp-up
With the implementation of Microsoft solutions-related client projects, ALTEN attained performance levels that enabled it to achieve its commitments towards its sector clients and to gain Microsoft Gold certification in seven competencies:
- Windows & Devices
- Datacenter
- Data Platform
- Data Analytics
- Cloud Platform
- Application Development
- Application Integration
ALTEN is also Silver certified in Security.
These eight certifications awarded in less than a year signify a rapid ramp-up in Microsoft competencies, made possible specifically by the structuring of a partnership with the objectives of training, certification and the development of services with which ALTEN was already supporting its clients.
Green IT, FinOps, Industry 4.0: dedicated offers for successfully achieving digital transformation
Digital responsibility was particularly central to the offers structured by Microsoft and ALTEN. Through the toolkit provided by the IT giant, and in order to achieve its commitments and those of ALTEN in this regard, the challenge lay in the ability to support sector clients in their Green IT and IT for Green initiatives. In other words, it was about implementing eco-friendly tools and solutions using the Green Code, Green DevOps and ecodesign . ALTEN notably worked in the Netherlands on IT for Green projects whose objective was to provide greener and more economical solutions, based on Microsoft technologies, such as operational management of agricultural greenhouses, IOT and AI projects to manage the detection of unwanted vegetation, etc.
At the same time, the teams concentrated their efforts on issues around FinOps. Finally, in close collaboration with the ALTEN Group’s Innovation Department, work began on Industry 4.0 focused offers, maintenance predictability and supply chain optimization.
In light of the strengthening of this partnership with Microsoft and its expertise, ALTEN is aiming for Gold level in Security in 2022 , and achieving Advanced Specializations certifications for a variety of tools, particularly the Microsoft Azure platform.
Compiled by Pascal Deshayes, ALTEN Cloud & Infra Practice Manager
