Final sprint in the AS4 market communication: All Arvato Systems customers are ready to go

• Arvato Systems is now AS4 ready with all existing customers of market communication
• The technical experts at Arvato Systems now have the resources to support companies in this critical situation in a timely manner

Turbulent final spurt in the transition of market communication to the AS4 standard – and all existing Arvato Systems customers are already AS4-ready. But two weeks before the end of the transition period on March 31, 2024, there are apparently still quite a few electricity market participants who are not yet ready for the switch.

The fact that a timely changeover was possible for all Arvato Systems customers, even under such high time pressure, was due to the technical fact that Arvato Systems hosts its AS4 solution on a platform as Software as a Service. This meant that market participants could be brought on board as new clients easily and at short notice. Now it’s time for minor reworking and optimization of individual process steps. The recently completed implementation project with Thüga SmartServices GmbH shows that an AS4 infrastructure also has to cope with a high volume of data at short notice.

However, not all market participants in the German energy market are ready yet. "We receive inquiries almost daily from companies that need help at short notice," reports Bastian Schwartz, Product Manager Service Market Communication at Arvato Systems. "As we have already completely converted our regular customers, we have the personnel resources to support companies in this critical situation in a timely manner." Project manager Christine Hoffmann adds: "However, the prerequisite for this is that these companies have the necessary basic certificates for a Sub-CA. If these are provided and the systems can be linked without any problems, we can still help them to become AS4-ready."

BDEW criticizes implementation status

BDEW estimates that only 50% of market participants have met the BNetzA’s requirements two weeks before the mandatory switch to AS4. The association also points out the enormous impact on the electricity market if the BNetzA actually excludes market participants from market communication who have not managed to switch to AS4 by April 1, 2024.

"Get in touch with us."

It remains to be seen whether the BNetzA will grant a further extension – AS4 was originally supposed to work from October 1, 2023. Putting your hands in your lap in this situation and hoping for a merciful fate is not an option for companies without an AS4 ticket, says Bastian Schwartz. "We definitely advise them to try and make the leap and, ideally, to do so in good time. Just get in touch with us."