TOKYO, October 3, 2023 — Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, today announced the establishment of the Next Generation System Operation Consortium (NGSM) with six companies, including user companies and IT companies, in Japan. The aim of the consortium is to help solve complex and emerging IT problems and provide additional value to the operations of Japan’s IT systems. NGSM plans to become a general incorporated association in 2024 and to expand the scale of its activities by inviting a range of user companies and IT companies to participate.

As technology evolves and becomes more important to everyday society, IT infrastructure increasingly depends on advanced technologies such as AI and virtual reality. As a result, the importance of continued, secure systems operations has increased as well. NGSM will promote activities that contribute to the advancement and automation of system operations and to the development of human resources and skills to support the operation of increasingly complex systems, in which user companies and IT companies work together across organizational boundaries. Through these activities, NGSM aims to improve the presence of system operations that support important social infrastructure.

The consortium’s activities are as follows:

• Conduct research on the practical applications of cutting-edge technologies (AI, VR devices, metaverse and more) in systems operations
• Develop case studies of DevOps and NoOps for information exchange, study sessions and lectures
• Promote the above activities to raise awareness about the potential of these technologies

Through these activities, NGSM aims to respond to the immediate issue of complex system operations, helping to reduce operating costs and solve for a shortage of IT engineers. Additionally, NGSM aims to improve the presence of system operations that support critical infrastructure in society by promoting the integration of development and operation, automation of operations using AI, skills development of new human resources and new ways of working to support those changes, and efforts to solve social issues such as human resource shortages.

Takashi Uesaka, President of Kyndryl Japan, said, “We are not only dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI and VR but also to transforming the way IT professionals work and creating conducive environments. We aspire to make the world of system operations even more vibrant and appealing, and to enable all people involved in system operations to work effectively. In a society where the cyber and physical spaces will be highly integrated in the coming years, a world free from dependence on time and place is not just a dream. We are committed to researching and working toward such a world together.”