diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index aad2b4dbc..28633465b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ warn_unreachable = true
 [[tool.mypy.overrides]]
 module = [
     "apiai.*",
+    "backports.datetime_fromisoformat.*",
     "feedparser.*",
     "gitlint.*",
     "google.auth.*",
diff --git a/zulip/integrations/openshift/post_deploy b/zulip/integrations/openshift/post_deploy
index da2bdb912..4384f98c1 100755
--- a/zulip/integrations/openshift/post_deploy
+++ b/zulip/integrations/openshift/post_deploy
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ def get_deployment_details() -> Dict[str, str]:
         url=os.environ["OPENSHIFT_APP_DNS"],
         branch=splits[2],
         commit_id=splits[3],
+        dep_id=splits[1],
+        dep_time=splits[0],
     )
 
 
diff --git a/zulip/integrations/openshift/zulip_openshift_config.py b/zulip/integrations/openshift/zulip_openshift_config.py
index ef71bfc57..98e5b1de0 100644
--- a/zulip/integrations/openshift/zulip_openshift_config.py
+++ b/zulip/integrations/openshift/zulip_openshift_config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # https://github.com/python/mypy/issues/1141
 from typing import Dict, Optional
 
+import zulip
+
 # Change these values to configure authentication for the plugin
 ZULIP_USER = "openshift-bot@example.com"
 ZULIP_API_KEY = "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef"
@@ -28,6 +30,14 @@ def deployment_notice_destination(branch: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, str]]:
     return None
 
 
+# To utilize Zulip's global times (https://zulip.com/help/global-times)
+# call this function from format_deployment_message, and use the
+# returned string in your message template.
+def get_global_time(dt_str: str) -> str:
+    dt = zulip.datetime_fromisoformat(dt_str)
+    return zulip.datetime_to_global_time(dt)
+
+
 # Modify this function to change how deployments are displayed
 #
 # It takes the following arguments:
@@ -39,9 +49,6 @@ def deployment_notice_destination(branch: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, str]]:
 # * commit_id = hash of the commit that triggered the deployment
 # * dep_id    = deployment id
 # * dep_time  = deployment timestamp
-#
-# To utilize Zulip's global times (https://zulip.com/help/global-times),
-# use the syntax `<time:dep_time>`.
 def format_deployment_message(
     app_name: str = "",
     url: str = "",
diff --git a/zulip/setup.py b/zulip/setup.py
index 137fc29ee..097bc684b 100755
--- a/zulip/setup.py
+++ b/zulip/setup.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ def recur_expand(target_root: Any, dir: Any) -> Generator[Tuple[str, List[str]],
         ],
     },
     install_requires=[
+        "backports-datetime-fromisoformat; python_version < '3.11'",
         "requests[security]>=0.12.1",
         "distro",
         "click",
diff --git a/zulip/zulip/__init__.py b/zulip/zulip/__init__.py
index c8d6955de..93fbc896f 100644
--- a/zulip/zulip/__init__.py
+++ b/zulip/zulip/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import types
 import urllib.parse
 from configparser import ConfigParser
+from datetime import datetime
 from typing import (
     IO,
     Any,
@@ -34,6 +35,13 @@
 # Ensure the Python version is supported
 assert sys.version_info >= (3, 6)
 
+if sys.version_info < (3, 11):
+    from backports.datetime_fromisoformat import (
+        datetime_fromisoformat as datetime_fromisoformat,  # noqa: PLC0414
+    )
+else:
+    datetime_fromisoformat = datetime.fromisoformat
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 API_VERSTRING = "v1/"
@@ -351,6 +359,12 @@ def validate_boolean_field(field: Optional[str]) -> Union[bool, None]:
         return None
 
 
+def datetime_to_global_time(dt: datetime) -> str:
+    if dt.tzinfo is None:
+        raise TimeZoneMissingError(f"Datetime {dt} does not have a time zone.")
+    return f"<time:{dt.isoformat(timespec='seconds')}>"
+
+
 class ZulipError(Exception):
     pass
 
@@ -367,6 +381,10 @@ class UnrecoverableNetworkError(ZulipError):
     pass
 
 
+class TimeZoneMissingError(ZulipError):
+    pass
+
+
 class Client:
     def __init__(
         self,