This extended digitalization process also involved a cultural mindset shift to drive API literacy across the entire organization.

To explore new agile ways of business operations and generate new revenue streams, the largest electricity utility in Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), has adopted a more open digital backbone.

To remain responsive to the needs of TNB’s customer base of over 9.4m residents in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan, the firm has modernized its technological infrastructure with an enterprise-wide Application Programming Interface (API) strategy featuring microservices and a cultural mindset shift to drive API literacy internally for better knowledge sharing and collaboration.

In collaboration with two vendors, Capgemini and Google Cloud, TNB launched a introduce new agile ways of working to accelerate its digital maturity from within. This involved updating its existing API products, expanding its in-house digital capabilities, as well as exploring non-regulatory revenue streams from API monetization leveraging an API management tool.

The more agile and flexible infrastructure has helped TNB to unlock newly consolidated data and services, opening them for broader consumption by internal and external customers, as well as enabling reusability, enhanced security, and the strengthening of governance requirements. 

According to the firm’s Chief Information Officer, Datuk Fazil bin Ibrahim: “TNB is constantly looking into opportunities to capitalize on the impact of technology disruptions to unlock new growth … and … to lay a strong foundation to react more effectively and swiftly to market-competitive pressures, as well as to stay responsive to changing customers’ demands.” 

Capgemini CEO Olaf Pietschner and Google Cloud (Asia Pacific)’s Director of Business Application Platform Jagannath Narendran both noted how “API-led connectivity enables enterprises to seamlessly integrate multiple technologies together to create unique and valuable offerings for customers and the broader ecosystem” and how TNB can “rapidly build and monetize APIs that are secure and scalable, and expand the canvas of possibilities for both TNB and its customers.”