Cisco Systems, which a year ago kicked off its Smart
Grid initiative to bring its vast networking expertise to the energy
industry, is rolling out a new router and switch designed to help utilities
more efficiently deliver power to businesses and homes.
The new offerings, announced May 25, are the first products in
Cisco's Connected Grid portfolio, the latest effort resulting from the
networking giant's energy management strategy.
The Cisco CRG (Connected Grid Router) 2010 and CGS (Connected
Grid Switch) 2520 will enable utilities to grab and analyze data from multiple
intelligent electronic devices in a substation. The data can then be used to
improve the monitoring and maintenance of power transmission and distribution
systems, to find, diagnose and fix failures, and to more easily integrate
renewable sources of power into the overall energy offerings, according to
Cisco officials.
"Cisco's vision is to help utilities transform energy
production, distribution and consumption using an end-to-end, IP-based
communications infrastructure to more sustainably meet the world's future
energy needs," Laura Ipsen, senior vice president and general manager of
Cisco's Smart Grid business, said in a statement.
Cisco is one of a number of IT vendors looking for ways to
embed IP capabilities and greater intelligence into infrastructures around the
world to help them operate more efficiently. IBM
is pushing a similar agenda through its Smarter
Planet initiative.
Cisco's Connected Grid portfolio joins other power management
offerings, including the company's EnergyWise and Network Building Mediator
technologies.
The new products are based on Cisco's IOS Software operating
system.
Along with the substation monitoring and managing capabilities,
the two new products also include network security features—such as Cisco's
intrusion protection, access control, label switching and VPN technologies—and
support IP-based physical security solutions, such as video surveillance.
Officials with Cisco, IBM
and other IT vendors say smart grid efforts can not only help utilities,
business and consumers save money, but also help the economy and environment.
The Gridwise Alliance, of which Cisco is a member, says smart grid projects
will generate about 280,000 jobs, according to Cisco. In addition, the vendor
quoted a report from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a Department of
Energy research lab, in which the lab estimates that global energy and CO2
emissions can be cut by 12 percent if smart grid technologies are put into
use.
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