IBM and eMeter have announced a bundled software package of eMeter's software bundled on IBM Power7 systems for Smart Grid implementations.
IBM and eMeter have announced a bundled software package of eMeter's
software bundled on IBM Power7 systems for Smart Grid implementations.
The hardware/software bundle is designed to help electric, gas and
water utilities customers implement Smart Grid implementations out of
the box.
IBM and eMeter officials said their combined technology can help
utilities reduce the implementation and test cycle time from a year to
as little as six months, and shave as much as 60 percent off the
implementation cost. The combined offering features templates of Smart
Grid best practices and out-of-the box adapters for Advanced Meter
Infrastructure (AMI) systems, eMeter officials said.
Known as the eMeter Smart Grid Appliance, the systems are targeted
at municipal and midsize utilities and combine a set of software,
tools, and best practices available preloaded on IBM Power7 systems for
rapid implementations.
Through an IBM Application Specific Licensing agreement, the new
eMeter bundle combines IBM Tivoli Monitoring and WebSphere 7
Application Server software with eMeter EnergyIP meter data management
and Energy Engage home energy solutions. These technologies are offered
preloaded and optimized to take advantage of the capabilities of IBM's
recently announced Power7 systems.
"Having worked with several utilities that have succeeded with
large-scale Smart Grid rollouts, eMeter and IBM took on the
responsibility of identifying the right set of hardware and software
tools best suited for these critical projects," said Bobby Napiltonia,
senior vice president of sales and alliances at eMeter, in a statement.
"The Smart Grid Appliance delivers a solution for utilities looking to
quickly and easily make the most of their Smart Grid investments."
The demand for rapid development and deployment for Smart Grids has
been growing as current city infrastructure boundaries are continually
being tested with growing populations and higher energy demands.
Governments around the world are allocating stimulus money to revamp
energy systems-the U.S. alone has assigned $4.3 billion to the effort,
IBM officials said.
"By eMeter leveraging IBM technology, our utility clients will be
able to streamline their Advance Metering Infrastructure projects and
reduce implementation and operational costs associated with their smart
grid programs," said Allan Schurr, vice president of strategy for IBM
Energy & Utilities, in a statement, "This serves as another example
of IBM and its partners working together to help transition the world
toward smarter energy and ultimately a smarter planet."
To manage the demands of emerging applications such as smart grids,
as well as traditional applications, the new IBM Power Systems with
Power7 technology are designed with workload-optimizing technologies.
The new systems also feature technology breakthroughs in
virtualization, energy savings, more cost-efficient use of memory, and
better price performance to enable clients to lower costs.
The eMeter Smart Grid Appliance will become available in the second quarter of 2010.
Also, on March 23, eMeter announced that former Veritas Software CEO
and Symantec president, Gary Bloom, will be joining as the company's
new chief executive officer.
"The utility industry is in the midst of a major technology
transformation as they upgrade to the Smart Grid and eMeter is
delivering best-in-class Smart Grid software solutions," Bloom said in
a statement. "I am excited to combine my enterprise software experience
with eMeter's market-leading product set, world-class partners like
Siemens and IBM, and an impressive roster of customers across the
world."
Bloom will be replacing Cree Edwards who will continue on as eMeter
Chairman of the Board. "Adding Gary's expertise in building high-growth
global software companies will give eMeter a distinct advantage as we
position ourselves for the future," Edwards said in a statement. "We
are confident he'll not only advance eMeter, but Gary will further
establish what the Smart Grid industry has long been discussing - that
Smart Grids are the future of the electric, gas, and water
infrastructure worldwide."
Most recently, Bloom was vice chairman and president of Symantec
where he led the company's line of business and corporate development
organizations. Bloom joined Symantec through the company's merger with
Veritas. Prior to Veritas, Bloom was executive vice president at
Oracle. During his 14-year career at Oracle, Bloom led the company's
database business, worldwide marketing, support, education, and
alliance organizations, and was responsible for mergers and
acquisitions, eMeter said.
Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.
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