- UniSuper is transitioning to a fully managed, digitally enabled power infrastructure model to replace its ageing uninterruptible power supply (UPS) assets.
- The Secure Power as a Service model, delivered by Schneider Electric, removes capital expenditure and operational risk.
- The project sets a new benchmark in strategic infrastructure management across the superannuation sector.
Sydney, Australia, 5 August 2025 – Schneider Electric, a global leader in digital energy management and automation, has partnered with UniSuper, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, to deliver a new approach to critical infrastructure management.
To better align with their evolving operational requirements, UniSuper is modernising their ageing UPS systems by transitioning from a traditional capital expenditure model to a flexible, usage-based service agreement through Schneider Electric’s Secure Power as a Service offering.
This service allows UniSuper to achieve the outcomes it needs, such as resilience, uptime and reliability, without the added risk, responsibility, and effort of owning or managing the physical infrastructure.
Simplifying infrastructure, improving efficiency
Under this new model, Schneider Electric takes full operational responsibility for UniSuper’s UPS infrastructure across all Australian sites. The infrastructure is monitored, maintained and managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The shift eliminates the need for upfront capital expenditure and allows UniSuper to scale infrastructure in line with its changing needs, avoiding the pitfalls of overprovisioning and lifecycle uncertainty.
“With support from Schneider Electric, we’ve moved to an outcomes-based model that delivers the performance we need without the complexity of managing physical assets,” said Lachlan McDonald, Infrastructure Operations Manager at UniSuper. “It’s a more sustainable, more strategic way to meet our power continuity obligations and operational requirements.”
Supporting long-term business continuity
Like many organisations, UniSuper previously relied on oversized or extended life UPS systems, for reasons such as budget cycles and shifting priorities.
By adopting Secure Power as a Service, UniSuper has mitigated the associated risks and transitioned to a predictable, transparent and sustainable solution. The shift also supports their long-term planning efforts by replacing reactive infrastructure decisions with a scalable and proactive model.
“This approach gives us peace of mind and removes the unpredictability of managing complex assets across multiple sites,” said McDonald. “We no longer have to overinvest in infrastructure and we only pay for exactly what we use. It’s a great fit for our business and a smart way forward.”
The move demonstrates how service-based infrastructure models can unlock financial and operational value for enterprise organisations, particularly those with distributed locations and strong continuity requirements.
Reframing power infrastructure as a service
Secure Power as a Service delivers defined service level outcomes, such as load capacity and runtime, without requiring the customer to own or manage the associated infrastructure. It enables organisations to focus on innovation, customer experience, and other aspects of business continuity, while reducing risk and administrative burden.
“Secure Power as a Service is designed to deliver what organisations really need, resilient, scalable power infrastructure, without the cost and distraction of managing the assets,” said Seg Narayanan, Vice President Services & Safety, Pacific Zone, Schneider Electric. “Our partnership with UniSuper highlights how this model can support complex, distributed environments while delivering tangible operational value.”
For more information, visit www.se.com/au/outcomes.
About UniSuper
UniSuper is one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds and is run solely for the benefit of its members. For over forty years, UniSuper has been managing super for people employed in the higher education and research sector, and as of 2021 opened the fund to all Australians. UniSuper currently invests over $149 billion on behalf of more than 650,000 members[1].
About Schneider Electric
Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On.
Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency.
We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitisation to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centres, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers.
We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.
Contact details:
PR agency for Schneider Electric – ICON Agency; [email protected]