>> Narrator: From around the globe, it's theCUBE. With digital coverage of AWS Reinvent Executive Summit 2020. Sponsored by Accenture and AWS. >> Welcome everyone to theCUBE virtual coverage of the Accenture Executive Summit part of AWS Re-invent 2020. I'm your host, Rebecca Knight. We are talking today about reinventing the energy data platform. We have two guests joining us. First, we have Johan Krebbers. He is the GM Digital Emerging Technologies and VP of IT Innovation at Shell. Thank you so much for coming on the show, Johan. >> You're welcome. >> Rebecca: And next we have Liz Dennett. She is the Lead Solution Architect for OSDU on AWS. Thank you so much Liz. >> Happy to be here. >> So I want to start our conversation by talking about OSDU. Like so many great innovations, it started with a problem. Johann, what was the problem you were trying to solve at Shell? >> Yeah, let's go back a couple of the years. We started summer 2017, where we had a meeting with the guys from exploration in Shell. And the main problem they had of course they got lots and lots of data, but aren't unable to find the right data they need to work from. Well the data was scattered and is scattered, it was scattered it's all over the place. And so the real problem trying to solve is how that person working in exploration could find their proper data, not just the data also the data really needed. That's what we probably talked about in summer 2017. And we said, "Okay, the only way we see this moving forward is to start pulling that data into a single data platform." And that was at the time that we called it OSDU, the Open Subsurface Data Universe, and that was what the Shell name was. So, in January 2018, we start a project with Amazon to start creating and confronting the building that OSDU environment, that subservient the universe. So that single data platform to put all your exploration and wealth data into a single environment that was the intent. And then we said, already in March of that same year, we said, 'Well, from a Shell point of view, we would be far better off if we could make this an industry solution and not just a Shell solution." Because Shell will be, if you can make this an industry solution, but people start developing applications for it also, it's far better than for Shell to say, we have it Shell special solution. Because we don't make money out of how we store the data we can make money out of we have access to the data, we can exploit the data. So storing the data, we should do as efficiently possibly can. So in March we reached out to about eight or nine other large oil and gas operators, like the ECONOS, like the Totals, like the Chevrons of this world they said, "Hey, we in Shell are doing this, do you want to join this effort?" And to our surprise, they all said yes. And then in September 2018 we had our kick-off meeting with the open group, where we said, "Okay, if you want to work together with lots of other companies, we also need to look a bit at how we organize that." Because if you start working with lots of large companies you need to have some legal framework around it. So that's why, we went to the open group and said," Okay, let's form the OSDU forum." As we call it at the time. So in September, 2018 where I had a Galleria in Houston we had a kick off meeting for the OSDU forum with about 10 members at the time. So there's, just over two years ago, we started to exercise formally we called it OSDU, we kicked it off. And so that's really where we coming from and how we got there also. >> The origin story. >> Yes. >> What, so what, digging a little deeper there, what were some of the things you were trying to achieve with the OSDU? >> Well, a couple of things we've tried to achieve with OSDU. First is really separating data from applications. But what is the biggest problem we have in the subsurface space that the data and applications are all interlinked. They are all tied together and if you have then a new company coming along and say, "I have this new application, and needs access to the data." That is not possible because the data often interlinked with the application. The first thing we did is, really breaking the link between the application and the data. So that was the first thing we did. Secondly, put all the data to a single data platform, take the silos out because what was happening in the subsurface space I mean, they got all the data in what we call silos, in small little islands out there. So we try to do is, first, break the link. Two, create, put the data in a single data platform. And then third part, put a standard layer on top of that the same API layer on top of the created platform so we could create an ecosystem out of companies to start developing software applications on top of that data platform. Because you might have a data platform, but you aren't successful if you have a rich ecosystem of people start developing applications on top of that. And then you can exploit the data like small companies, large companies, universities, you name it. But you have to create an ecosystem out of there. So the three things was, first break the link between the application data, just break it and put data at the center. And also make sure that data, this data structure would not be managed by one company. But it would be managed the data structures, by the OSDU forum. Secondly then, put the data, single data platform. Thirdly then, have an API layer on top and then create an ecosystem, really go for people, say, "Please start developing applications." Because now you have access to the data, because the data is no longer linked to somebody's application was all freely available for an API layer. That was all September, 2018, more or less. >> Liz I want to bring you, in here a little bit. >> Yeah. >> Can you talk a little bit some of the imperatives from the AWS standpoint in terms of what you were trying to achieve with this? >> Yeah, absolutely. And this whole thing is Johan said, started with a challenge that was really brought out at Shell. The challenges that geoscientists spend up to 70% of their time looking for data. I'm a geologist I've spent more than 70% of my time trying to find data in these silos. And from there, instead of just figuring out, how we could address that one problem, we worked together to really understand the root cause of these challenges. And working backwards from that use case, OSDU and OSDU on AWS has really enabled customers to create solutions that span not just this in particular problem. But can really scale to be inclusive of the entire energy value chain and deliver value from these used cases to the energy industry and beyond. >> Thank you. Johan, so talk a little bit about Accenture's Cloud First approach and how it has helped Shell work faster and better with speed. >> Well, of course Accenture Cloud First approach, really works together with Amazon environment, AWS environment. So we really look at Accenture and Amazon together, helping Shell in this space. Now the combination of the two is what we're really looking at where access of course can bring business knowledge to that environment, operate support knowledge to an environment and of course Amazon will be bring that to this environment, that underpinning services, et cetera. So we would expect of that combination, a lot of goods when we started rolling out in production, the other two or three environment. And probably our aim is, when a release fee comes to the market, in Q1 next year of OSDU have already started going out in production inside Shell. But as the first OSDU release which is ready for prime time production across an enterprise. Well we have released our one just before Christmas, last year, released two in May of this year. But release three is the first release we want to use for full scale production and deployment inside Shell and also all the operators around the world. And there is what Amazon, sorry and there when Accenture can play a role in the ongoing, in the deployment building up, but also support environment. >> So one of the other things that we talk a lot about here on theCUBE is sustainability and this is a big imperative at so many organizations around the world in particular energy companies. How does this move to OSDU, help organizations become how is this a greener solution for companies? >> Well, first we make, it's a great solution because you start making a much more efficient use of your resources, which is a really important one. The second thing we're doing is also we started with OSDU in very much in the oil and gas space, within the export development space. We've grown OSDU but in our strategy, we've grown OSDU now also to an alternative energy source. So obviously we'll all start supporting next year things like solar farms, wind farms, the geothermal environment, hydrogen. So it becomes an open energy data platform not just for the oil and gas industry, but for any type of industry, any type of energy industry. So our focus is to create, bring the data of all those various energy data sources together into a single data platform. You're going to use AI and other technology on top of that, to exploit the data to be together into a single data platform. >> Liz, I want to ask you about security, because security is such a big concern when it comes to data. How secure is the data on OSDU? >> Actually, can I talk, can I do a follow-up on the sustainability talking? >> Absolutely by all means. >> I mean, I want to interject, though security is absolutely our top priority I don't mean to move away from that but with sustainability, in addition to the benefits of the OSDU data platform. When a company moves from on-prem to the cloud they're also able to leverage the benefits of scale. Now, AWS is committed to running our business in the most environmentally friendly way possible. And our scale allows us to achieve higher resource utilization and energy efficiency than a typical on-prem data center. Now, a recent study by 451 research found that, AWS's infrastructure, is 3.6 times more energy efficient than the median of surveyed enterprise data centers. Two thirds of that advantage is due to a higher server utilization and a more energy efficient server population. But when you factor in the carbon intensity of consumed electricity and renewable energy purchases 451 found that, AWS performs the same task with an 88% lower carbon footprint. Now that's just another way that AWS and OSDU are working to support our customers as they seek to better understand their workflows and make their legacy businesses less carbon intensive. >> That's, those statistics are incredible. Do you want to talk a little bit now about security? >> Absolutely yeah. Security will always be AWS's top priority. In fact, AWS has been architected to be the most flexible and secure cloud computing environment available today. Our core infrastructure is built to satisfy the security requirements for the military, global banks and other high sensitivity organizations. And in fact, AWS uses the same secure hardware and software to build and operate each of our regions. So that customers benefit from the only commercial cloud that's had hit service offerings and associated supply chain vetted and deemed secure enough for top secret workloads. That's backed by a deep set of cloud security tools with more than 200 security compliance and governmental service and key features. As well as an ecosystem of partners like Accenture, that can really help our customers to make sure that their environments for their data meet and or exceed their security requirements. >> Johann, I want you to talk a little bit about how OSDU you can be used today. Does it only handle subsurface data? >> Today is 100 subsets of wells data we go to add that to that production around the middle of next year. That means that the whole upstream business we got included every piece goes from exploration all the way to production, you bring it together into a single data platform. So production will be added around Q3 of next year. Then in principle, we have a typical elder data, a single environment and we're going to extend them to other data sources or energy sources like solar farms, wind farms, hydrogen, hydro, et cetera. So we're going to add a whole list of other day energy source to that and bring all the data together into a single data platform. So we move from an oil and gas data platform to an energy data platform. That's really what our objective is because the whole industry if you look at our companies all moving in that same direction of course are very strong in oil and gas but also increasingly go into other energy sources like solar, like wind, like hydrogen et cetera. So we move exactly with the same method, that the whole OSDU, can really support that whole energy spectrum of energy sources, of course. >> And Liz and Johan, I want you to close us out here by just giving us a look into your crystal balls and talking about the five and 10 year plan for OSDU. We'll start with you, Liz. What do you see as the future holding for this platform? >> Honestly, the incredibly cool thing about working at AWS is you never know where the innovation and the journey is going to take you. I personally am looking forward to work with our customers wherever their OSDU journeys, take them whether it's enabling new energy solutions or continuing to expand, to support use cases throughout the energy value chain and beyond but really looking forward to continuing to partner as we innovate to slay tomorrow's challenges. >> Johan. >> Yeah, first nobody can look that far ahead anymore nowadays, especially 10 years. I mean, who knows what happens in 10 years? But if you look what our objective is that really in the next five years, OSDU will become the key backbone for energy companies for storing your data, new artificial intelligence and optimize the whole supply, the energy supply chain in this world out here. >> Johan Krebbers, Liz Dennett thank you so much for coming on theCUBE virtual. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I'm Rebecca Knight stay tuned for more of our coverage of the Accenture Executive Summit. (tranquil music).