Three-year agreement extends plans to co-innovate and accelerate deployment of flexible, reliable, and secure LTE and 5G private wireless connectivity services and Industry 4.0 solutions

Kyndryl elevates its strategic investment in Nokia achieving the highest tier Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) accreditation status, increasing expert resources and skilled practitioners ready to support customers across the globe.

Kyndryl and Nokia will launch a partner innovation lab in Raleigh, North Carolina, to bring advanced wireless connectivity and edge computing, integrated with a multi-factor zero trust model, converging IT and OT for enterprises

Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) the leader in state-of-the-art networking technology, today announced a three-year extension and expansion of their global network and edge computing partnership, with a focus on developing and delivering industry-leading LTE and 5G private wireless services and Industry 4.0 solutions to customers worldwide.

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Kyndryl and Nokia established their global network and edge computing alliance in February 2022. The partnership has since grown exponentially, with more than 100 active engagements with global enterprises, from advisory or testing, to piloting, to full implementation, across 24 countries. With a shared vision and commitment to help enterprise and mission critical infrastructure customers accelerate their digital transformations with leading-edge LTE and 5G private wireless networking, 90% of the current engagements are enterprises in the industrial manufacturing sector – including multinational petrochemical, mining and timber and utilities/energy companies.

“As enterprises seek to accelerate and deliver on their journeys towards Industry 4.0 and digitalization, the effective integration and deployment of advanced LTE and 5G private wireless networking technologies becomes instrumental to integrate all enterprise operations in a seamless, reliable, efficient and built in a secure manner,” says Alejandro Cadenas, Associate Vice President of Telco and Mobility Research at IDC. “This expanding, powerful relationship between Nokia and Kyndryl is a unique combination of vertical and horizontal capabilities, and offers IT, OT and business leaders access to the innovation, tools, and expert resources they need to digitally transform their operations. The partnership offers a compelling shared vision and execution that will enable customers across all industries and geographies to access the ingredients they need to deliver against the promise of digital acceleration, powered by network and edge computing."

The expanded effort will be enhanced with Kyndryl’s achievement of Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) Advanced accreditation status, which helps ensure that enterprise customers benefit from an expanded lineup of expert resources and skilled practitioners who have extensive training and deep understanding of Nokia products and solutions. In addition, customers will gain access to Kyndryl’s accelerated network deployment capabilities and support of Nokia cellular radio expertise in selected markets.

To meet the growing convergence and demands of IT and OT for enterprises, Kyndryl, Nokia, and Palo Alto Networks, a global cybersecurity leader, will launch a joint lab in Raleigh, North Carolina to bring reliable, and auditable wireless connectivity with advanced security capabilities to industrial networks. Through the collaboration, a multi-factor zero trust model for industrial networking is enabled at both the IT and OT sides of the network using the best tools and resources from each of the companies. Kyndryl’s network experts are developing an integrated system starting from the foundations of a typical Modbus process control network and extending access and security beyond the typical shop floor. Using the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud, private cellular connectivity will enable high mobility and extended reach of the network.

“Our partnership with Nokia has been focused on co-innovating and co-creating for customers to digitally transform their workspaces and operations,” said Paul Savill, global practice leader of Network and Edge computing for Kyndryl. “The success we have seen in deploying private wireless for customers like Dow Chemical over the past 12-months, along with the global expansion of our collaboration, is a testament to our belief that we can jointly help companies drive Industry 4.0 transformation across all industries, with speed and scale.”

“Kyndryl and Nokia have a shared vision for digital transformation, and as leaders in our respective industries we are driven to grow this market together. We are excited to build upon our existing success and strengthen our alliance targeting more enterprise customers across multiple industries,” said Chris Johnson, head of Nokia's Global Enterprise Business. “The two companies are currently exploring and developing new, integrated solutions and services for Edge, Cloud, IP networking, Optics, Fixed Access, 4G and 5G Core and Network Operations software technologies, which can address the growing demand for mission-critical, industrial-grade wireless networking.”

To date, Kyndryl and Nokia have successfully implemented a private wireless network with edge computing for Dow Chemical, at their petrochemical processing plant in Freeport, TX. The modernization of the Dow Chemical plant with advanced connectivity has increased worker safety, enabled remote audio and video collaboration, and real time smart procedures.

At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, Kyndryl and Nokia will unveil new device management services at the Nokia partner arena (Booth #3A20/2A2), showcasing Kyndryl’s auto-provisioning software leveraging Nokia’s customizable enterprise mobile capabilities on Nokia’s XR20 line of industrial-grade, ruggedized devices. The jointly-developed offerings will further enhance workplace mobility, and improve productivity, employee communication, and in industrial scenarios enhance overall worker safety. Together, Kyndryl and Nokia are addressing the collaboration and operational needs that contractors and operators face in the field today. Additionally, Gretchen Tinnerman, Vice President, US Network and Edge Practice Leader at Kyndryl will join Nokia CEO, Pekka Lundmark, onstage during his MWC keynote address taking place Tuesday, February 28, 12:00-13:00 CET at the Keynote Stage, Hall 4.

Nokia has deployed mission-critical networks to more than 2,600 leading enterprise customers in the transport, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale, and public sector segments around the globe. It has also extended its footprint to more than 560 private wireless customers worldwide across an array of industrial sectors and has been cited by numerous industry analysts as the leading provider of private wireless networking worldwide.

For more information on Kyndryl’s Network and Edge Computing services, visit: https://www.kyndryl.com/us/en/services/network

For more information on Kyndryl’s Digital Workplace services, visit: https://www.kyndryl.com/us/en/services/digital-workplace

About Kyndryl

Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider serving thousands of enterprise customers in more than 60 countries. The Company designs, builds, manages and modernizes the complex, mission-critical information systems that the world depends on every day. For more information, visit www.kyndryl.com

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed, and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Adhering to high standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, including statements concerning Kyndryl’s plans, objectives, goals, future events, and other non-historical statements, including without limitation statements relating to the expected outcomes of Kyndryl’s partnership with Nokia and collaboration with Nokia and Palo Alto Networks, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements often contain words such as “will,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” “target,” “commit,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seek” and other similar words or expressions or the negative thereof or other variations thereon. Forward-looking statements are based on Kyndryl’s current assumptions and beliefs regarding future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those suggested by forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties which include, among others: technological developments and Kyndryl’s response to such developments; failure to meet growth and productivity objectives; competition; inability to attract and retain key personnel and other skilled employees; service delivery issues; and Kyndryl’s ability to successfully manage acquisitions, alliances and dispositions, including integration challenges, failure to achieve objectives, the assumption of liabilities, and higher debt levels. Additional risks and uncertainties include, among others, those risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Kyndryl’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and may be further updated from time to time in Kyndryl’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by law, Kyndryl assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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