How Kyndryl Partnership Drives WPP Workplace Transformation

The advertising industry's shift to hybrid working has exposed the limitations of traditional technology infrastructure at many global agencies. Creative teams, once concentrated in city centre offices, require secure access to complex applications and large media files from multiple locations, while clients demand faster turnaround times and seamless collaboration across markets.

To help combat these challenges, global marketing and advertising group WPP has completed an overhaul of its technology infrastructure through a partnership with Kyndryl, IBM’s former managed infrastructure unit that now operates as the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider.

The transformation reflects the growing complexity of global marketing operations, where agencies must manage vast amounts of data. For WPP, this has meant confronting technical debt accumulated through decades of acquisitions and organic growth.

The project, spanning WPP's network of creative agencies including Ogilvy, VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, involved the decommissioning of 4,700 on-premises servers and the migration of 1,000 servers to cloud environments, removing barriers to better collaborate across agencies and regions.

Kyndryl Bridge platform powers cloud migration

At the core of the transformation is Kyndryl Bridge, an AI platform that automates IT issue resolution. The system manages WPP’s remaining infrastructure, which connects 47 campus locations worldwide, where the group's employees develop advertising and marketing campaigns for global clients.

The migration has enabled WPP to centralise its technology operations, moving away from the fragmented systems that resulted from decades of agency acquisitions. This consolidation aims to remove barriers between agencies and regions, enabling more efficient collaboration across WPP’s global network.

Jamie McLellan, Chief Information Officer for Creative at WPP, says: “This IT evolution involved numerous complex components, requiring a partner with the agility and responsiveness to adapt to our dynamic needs. Kyndryl’s ‘one team’ approach and commitment to a flexible engagement made them an ideal extension of our team.”

Network modernisation supports global creative teams

The infrastructure transformation includes the implementation of next-generation firewalls across WPP’s global network: supporting the group’s shift toward hybrid working patterns and allowing creative teams to access systems securely from any location while maintaining data protection standards.

As part of the modernisation programme, WPP has distributed new laptops to staff, with devices configured according to individual role requirements. The company manages these through a centralised workplace platform, enabling standardised software deployment and security updates across its worldwide operations.

The modernisation reflects growing pressure on advertising groups to deliver integrated services across multiple markets while maintaining consistent technology standards. Marketing clients increasingly demand seamless collaboration between agency teams spread across different locations.

Through the centralisation and standardisation of capabilities, the partnership has achieved a unified approach to managing enterprise technology across the organisation. This streamlined system aims to enhance the creativity and connectivity of WPP employees across the company's global network.

Enhanced collaboration through cloud technology

The cloud migration represents a strategic shift in how WPP manages its creative operations. By moving significant portions of its infrastructure to cloud environments, the company aims to facilitate better collaboration between its agencies and improve service delivery to clients.

The modernised system enables WPP to respond more quickly to client needs while maintaining consistent standards across its global operations. This standardisation is particularly important in the current marketing landscape, where clients expect uniform quality of service regardless of location.

John Chambers, President of Kyndryl UK and Ireland, says: “With Kyndryl Bridge insights, we are able to provide WPP with unique data points that enable it to create the most innovative and collaborative environment for employees. With decades of experience managing mission-critical IT systems for large enterprises, Kyndryl is well-positioned to deliver flexible, adaptive and resilient technology services that support WPP's strategic ambitions.”

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