Shell Global Solutions, a managing energy supply and demand company, is broadening its work with Microsoft Corp. to help accelerate industry transformation and innovation. Because of this collaboration, Shell will drive efficiencies across the company. These advancements range from drilling and extraction to employee empowerment and collaboration. The advancements also include safety for its retail customers and employees.
“Digital technologies are core to our strategy to strengthen our position as a leading energy company,” said Yuri Sebregts, executive vice president, technology and CTO, Shell. “Our collaboration with Microsoft (News - Alert) gives us a solid digital platform to make our core business more effective and efficient and supports our ambition to provide more and cleaner energy solutions through technology.”
Shell has selected C3 IoT with Microsoft Azure as its artificial intelligence (AI) platform to enable and accelerate digital transformation on a global scale. It is the company’s expectations to realize substantial economic value by rapidly scaling and replicating AI and machine learning applications across its upstream and downstream businesses and improving operational performance.
“Shell is demonstrating AI and IoT leadership in selecting C3 (News - Alert) IoT and Azure for the Shell AI Platform,” said Thomas M. Siebel, chairman and CEO, C3 IoT. “This will enable Shell to rapidly realize the vision of digital transformation across all lines of business, including upstream, midstream, retail and finance.”
Shell has been driving digital technologies throughout its business for many years, from subsea robotics in the 1970s to helping in the development of RAM (News - Alert) in the 1980s to process seismic data. This global solution company leverages Microsoft tools to enhance people productivity and collaboration and is now embarking on broader AI projects to drive industry-leading innovation.
What are the digital advancements that will come from the joint effort of Shell and Microsoft? The most important advancement is the adoption of the AI platform.
Another advancement is the addition of the Shell Geodesic. This was developed to improve the accuracy and consistency of a horizontal well’s directional control to reach the most productive layers of rock containing oil and gas. The guarantee is that the safety of employees and customers at its retail sites will be upheld.
Shell developed a new cloud-based, deep learning solution built on Microsoft Azure that uses closed-circuit camera footage and Internet of Things technology to automatically identify safety hazards and alert employees, so they can quickly respond and eliminate potential problems. An additional advancement is to foster more social, seamless and integrated digital experiences for its workforce of over 84,000 global employees. Shell leverages three integrated Office 365 communication apps. The Microsoft Stream is an enterprise video service. The SharePoint Online is a content collaboration repository. Yammer is a corporate social network, to modernize its communication channels.