Electricity Delivery and Management:

Enabling Information and Communication Technology

Global 2011 revenue from software and services reached $7.7 billion in 2011, and 2012 estimates of $9.4 billion demonstrate robust growth (23%).

Utility and related spending in information technology (IT) and control room operating technology (OT) is expanding rapidly in support of the deployed field-based smart grid equipment. Global 2011 revenue from software and services reached $7.7 billion in 2011, and 2012 estimates of $9.4 billion demonstrate robust growth (23%).

This segment includes grid communications networks (beyond Advanced Metering Infrastructure, AMI) and grid IT/OT software and services, such as meter data management, next generation customer information and billing systems, and advanced data analytics. For many utilities, implementing new grid capabilities requires significant integration of separate information systems, not unlike the transformations that swept the financial, telecom, and manufacturing industries over the last two decades, with the hope of similar improvements in flexibility, efficiency, and productivity.

In many ways, the United States has been at the forefront of this transformation as AMI deployments reach high penetration levels and utilities begin to analyze and use the vast amounts of data now available from these systems. Revenue in 2011 was nearly $3.0 billion, coming from a mix of communications network upgrades, new customer information systems (CIS), emerging data analytics applications, and integration services supporting all of these. Estimates for 2012 see year-over-year growth of 20% with continued expansion expected over the next few years.

Economic Impact

Advanced Energy Companies

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