Netz Niederösterreich Website Relaunch

Netz Niederösterreich - Website Relaunch

Die Netz Niederösterreich GmbH operates, as a subsidiary of the EVN Group, the electricity and gas distribution network for large parts of Lower Austria and is thus one of the largest distribution network operators in Austria. The starting point was a web presence that had grown over years on an older Kentico Xperience version with .NET Framework – functional but technologically at the end of its lifecycle and increasingly difficult to connect with modern self-service requirements. The goal of the relaunch was a contemporary brand appearance, significantly improved customer accessibility – with consistent accessibility and seamless responsiveness on all devices as a core requirement – a future-proof technology stack, and a digital service portal that fully maps central application processes for end customers online.

Project advantages at a glance

  • Token-based design system as a single source of truth
  • Self-service applications digital and fully automated
  • WCAG 2.2 compliant, high-performance platform

Details

  • Client: Netz Niederösterreich
  • Project: CMS Relaunch
  • Technology: Xperience by Kentico, .NET Core, Storybook, Figma, Azure
  • Hosting: Microsoft Azure
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Design system

At the heart of the relaunch is a custom-developed, token-based design system for Netz NÖ. Colors, typography, spacings, radii, and shadows are defined as design tokens and consistently implemented in Figma, Storybook, and Xperience by Kentico. The workflow "Figma → Storybook → XbyK" has established itself as a binding pipeline: design decisions are made collaboratively in Figma, implemented as isolated, documented components in Storybook, and only then integrated into the CMS once they have been approved technically, visually, and in terms of accessibility. The result is a single source of truth that keeps editorial, design, and development permanently synchronized.

On the frontend side, a modern architecture based on TypeScript and SCSS is used. Components are modular, typed, and themeable via tokens without the editorial team having to touch any code. All components were developed according to WCAG 2.2 AA – contrasts, keyboard operability, focus states, and semantic structures are not retrofitted but part of the component definition. For Netz Niederösterreich as a publicly accessible utility provider, accessibility is thus transparently anchored in the system.

Migration

Parallel to the new frontend, the transition from the older Kentico Xperience version to Xperience by Kentico was completed – including the underlying migration from .NET Framework to .NET Core. This change means much more than a version jump: architecture, hosting model, and extensibility fundamentally change, and established content, structures, and functions had to be transferred to the new platform. Cyber-Solutions was responsible for both migrating the existing content and building a modular page structure that Netz NÖ can independently expand in the future.

The platform runs entirely in Microsoft Azure – both the CMS and the service backends. This consistent cloud architecture combines modern .NET Core features such as performance, maintainability, and scalability with the advantages of a uniformly managed environment and transparent operational processes. The specific setup in Azure was defined together with the IT managers of Netz NÖ – including European data residency and the necessary security mechanisms for operation in the context of critical infrastructure.

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Service-Portal

A key project goal was to improve customer accessibility. This was achieved through digital service forms that allow end customers to handle key requests directly online—including applications for grid access (such as for new connections or solar power systems) and meter reading submissions. What looks like “just one form” is, behind the scenes, a seamlessly orchestrated process.

Inbound processing is handled via Azure API Management, which secures the public endpoints, versions them, and documents them via OpenAPI. Incoming applications are decoupled via Azure Service Bus and passed on to downstream processing steps, where they are forwarded by Azure Functions to the respective business processes. This architecture is stateless, scalable, and resilient to spikes—such as when many grid access applications arrive simultaneously following public funding announcements. For Netz NÖ, this means that digital applications are not only captured but also fed into the operational process landscape in a structured manner.

Long dark brown curly hair with subtle lighter highlights, wearing a black ribbed top against a light textured wall

With the new platform, we have not only modernized our website but also structurally elevated our digital service processes to a new level. Our customers benefit from fast, clear online paths, and our editorial team works significantly more efficiently.

Martina Mild

/ Project Manager, Netz Niederösterreich

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Security

As a distribution network operator, Netz Niederösterreich is part of critical infrastructure, which significantly raises the security framework of the project. From the outset, the platform was developed against the OWASP Top 10 and an extended internal requirements catalog. The publicly accessible APIs are secured via Azure API Management, including token-based authentication, rate limiting, and well-documented OpenAPI specifications. Within Azure, Managed Identities, Azure Key Vault for secrets, and Private Endpoints for service-to-service communication are used.

Before go-live, the exposed components underwent multiple iterations of penetration testing, complemented by internal code reviews and security audits by the Netz NÖ security team. The architecture follows a deliberate risk logic: public touchpoints such as CMS delivery and API endpoints are clearly separated from internal service processes and communicate exclusively via secured, documented interfaces. The result is a platform that structurally – not just documentarily – meets the increased requirements of an energy provider.

Modernization

With this relaunch, Netz Niederösterreich is not only visually and technologically up to date, but also structurally future-proof. The token-based design system reduces friction between design, development, and editorial teams and shortens the time-to-market for new content and modules by 40%. The switch to .NET Core and a modern front-end stack also delivers measurable performance gains, with an improvement of around 25% compared to the previous platform. Self-service applications are no longer a loose add-on to the website, but part of a seamless, secure architecture that can be expanded to include additional processes—without having to modify the entire system each time.

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Numbers that make an impact!

Reach, team size, and project duration at a glance – compact, comprehensible, measurable.

2100000

Years of project duration

17

% faster time-to-market for new content and modules

545

% better performance compared to the previous platform
Fabio König
Fabio König
Head of Business Development

To the project

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About the project!

Frequently Asked Questions

The existing website on an older Kentico Experience version and .NET Framework was technologically at the end of its lifecycle and could no longer be economically extended with modern self-service functions. At the same time, Netz Niederösterreich wanted to specifically improve digital customer accessibility – including accessibility and responsiveness.
The focus was on a contemporary brand appearance, significantly improved customer accessibility via digital self‑service applications, and the switch to a future-proof technology stack around Kentico Experience by Kentico and .NET Core.
The design system is token-based and modular. Colors, typography, spacings, radii, and shadows are defined as design tokens and consistently delivered through an end-to-end pipeline from Figma, Storybook, and Experience by Kentico.
The combination of platform migration (older Kentico Experience Version → Experience Version by Kentico), new design system and complex service‑processes in the context of critical infrastructure required special care regarding architecture, security and test coverage.
Applications such as network access or meter readings are received via Azure API Management, decoupled via Azure Service Bus, and further processed in Azure Functions. The APIs are documented using OpenAPI and secured with token-based authentication, rate limiting, and Managed Identities.
As critical infrastructure, Netz Niederösterreich must be set up to be not only functional but also operationally reliable. Microsoft Azure provides the necessary scalability, documented security‑mechanisms (Managed Identities, Key Vault, Private Endpoints), European data residency, and an established operational model that fits well with the internal IT‑processes. The decision was made jointly with the IT‑responsible parties of Netz NÖ. 

Cyber‑Solutions was responsible for the technical implementation of the platform – from the migration to Experience by Kentico and .NET Core via the token-based design system including Storybook to the connection of the service‑‑Backends on Azure and the support of security-relevant approvals.