Kyndryl’s Journey: Transformative Growth, Cloud Innovation, and Cybersecurity Excellence
CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Hussain Zaidi, Vice President – Kyndryl Practices, Kyndryl India
- Can you elaborate on Kyndryl’s strategic growth journey and transformative initiatives since its spinoff from IBM?
Our transformation is well underway. We are on a mission to build the very best technology services company in the industry. Our strengths are our operating and go-to-market model that are aligned to our customers’ needs. Today we have the “freedom of action” to recommend the best solutions to meet our customer’s requirements and are not bound by a specific technology solution or platform. We believe our customers are seeing the benefit from this approach and that can be seen in the results from our 3A’s initiatives focused on Alliances, Advanced Delivery, and fixing low-margin Accounts that were a legacy of old pre-spin IBM services contracts.
On the Advanced Delivery front, automation via Kyndryl Bridge powered by AI is driving progress with customers. More than 500 global enterprise customers are operational on Bridge with more than 1,000 customers expected by fiscal year-end. Kyndryl Bridge capabilities have on average reduced the number of incidents per server per month for our customers by 74 percent. On the Alliances front, in the first half of our fiscal year 2024, we recognized more than $180 million in revenue tied to cloud hyperscaler alliances – progressing well toward our hyperscaler revenue target of more than $300 million for fiscal year 2024. Our team is also continuing to build Account relationships based on trust and value while addressing elements of contracts with substandard margins
Kyndryl Consult is also critical element of Kyndryl’s wider strategy to provide end-to-end solutions to customers by identifying their strategic goals and developing a roadmap for digital transformation using advice assets, accelerators, and capabilities.
We were also on a two-year timeline to transition to our own Kyndryl systems and leave legacy IBM processes and systems behind. We moved to a platform strategy with industry standard technologies and went from 1,800 apps down to only a few hundred. This was complex but rewarding work.
- How does Kyndryl leverage cloud technologies in its solutions, and how are these aligned with current industry trends and client requirements?
Our alliances with hyperscalers are instrumental in helping us unlock new frontiers for Kyndryl and empower our customers to truly optimize their cloud journeys. We’ve built an ecosystem that is far more relevant to our customers than we could offer pre-spin and allows us to provide higher value services that we couldn’t provide before. And we’ve significantly expanded top tier alliances with Microsoft, AWS, Google, Cisco, Dell, Oracle, Red Hat, SAP, VMware and many others.
One of the biggest strengths of our approach is offering choice. Through our partnerships, we don’t lock customers into a single cloud environment. Instead, we act as trusted advisors, understanding their unique needs and recommending the best cloud provider based on their specific workloads, industry, and compliance requirements. This flexibility has been vital in expanding our reach and attracting diverse clientele.
These partnerships also unlock a universe of possibilities. Here’s how each collaboration shines:
Microsoft Azure: Our alliance with Azure lets us leverage their robust platform services and tools like Azure Arc and Dynamics 365 to build industry-specific cloud solutions. This helps us drive deeper digital transformation in sectors like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
Amazon Web Services (AWS): We’re leveraging AWS’s global reach and leading data analytics services like Amazon Redshift and SageMaker to create data-driven solutions and accelerate cloud migration initiatives for our customers. Our recent multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement focuses on co-creating generative AI and ML solutions, further propelling innovation for Indian businesses.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP): GCP’s focus on open-source technologies and cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities perfectly complements our expertise. We’re working together to develop AI-powered solutions for businesses across diverse sectors, like retail and smart cities.
Kyndryl’s cloud practice also encompasses engineering services, pre-built reference architectures, and multi-hyperscaler capabilities. Our Experience Centre offers clients an immersive glimpse into cloud migration. We excel in managing mission-critical applications, prioritizing security throughout the lifecycle We recently introduced Cloud Native Services, facilitating seamless migration, modernization, and optimization on hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
- What strategic initiatives and product offerings can Kyndryl introduce to assist organizations in maintaining competitiveness amidst the increasing significance of digital transformation?
Through Kyndryl Consult, we offer comprehensive technology consulting services, facilitating agile and iterative co-innovation for businesses at various stages of their digital journey.
Kyndryl Consult brings together the best technical capabilities across a broad ecosystem of partners—combined with the data-driven insights of Kyndryl Bridge and the co-creation of Kyndryl Vital—in one place for accelerated business transformation.
Kyndryl Consult differentiates itself from other consulting services out there through a pragmatic transformation strategy that breaks complex problems into achievable projects with actionable and innovative insights. Our extensive skillsets and resources across the broad partner ecosystem then enables us to execute faster and deliver accelerated business outcomes.
We’ve also launched a cross-practice advisory function within Kyndryl Consult, bringing together our best experts to solve our customers’ problems. We’re also implementing a “fields of play” framework that helps us identify the problems and pain points a customer has, and then develop a tailored approach to solving them.
- How is Kyndryl evolving its solutions to facilitate automation and AI support? What advancements can we anticipate in this domain?
Kyndryl Bridge, our open integration platform, utilizes AI to expedite automation, enhance efficiency and fortify security across our delivery operations. Our industry focus centers on cost-efficient integration, emphasizing the crucial role of well-organized data in enabling effective AI tools. We engage in cautious discussions on privacy, IP protection, data security, and cost management, reaffirming our commitment to responsible AI adoption in the evolving digital landscape.
In November 2023,we announced a multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS), focused on developing and delivering generative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and advanced machine learning (ML) capabilities.
Kyndryl will also utilize its AI-readiness program to further support customers in the adoption of responsible AWS Generative AI services. This program relies on Kyndryl’s deep domain knowledge and enterprise-grade AI expertise to provide customers with the necessary end-to-end services to incorporate Generative AI solutions that will drive business impact.
- How does Kyndryl address the contemporary cybersecurity needs of enterprises through its cybersecurity practice?
Kyndryl tackles modern cybersecurity challenges through a strategic approach rooted in innovation. Our cybersecurity practice employs Artificial Intelligence (AI) for rapid breach detection, aligning with the dynamic digital landscape shaped by IoT, 5G, and hybrid work environments. Embracing the Zero Trust model, we ensure proactive security. Some of our offerings under the cybersecurity practice include:
- Next Gen Detection and Response (ngXDR): Our strategy integrates Managed Detection and Response (MDR), SIEM, EDR, and Vulnerability Management, providing a versatile solution for evolving security needs.
- Holistic Security Approach: The fusion of cyber resilience with Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery enhances our security posture, offering customers more holistic protection.
- Adaptive Security Operations: Kyndryl’s Security Operations platform is designed for adaptability and utilizes hybrid teams and adjusts to changing threat landscapes.
