Utilities are now getting much more data about their equipment via meters, sensors and other intelligent devices and seeing the benefits of software that can pull together all that information and make sense of it. As a result, strategic asset management is entering its next phase, which is the focus of our latest eBook developed with the experts at UTILICASE. Download the free eBook to learn how your utility can glean the benefits of advanced analytics to develop a more strategic asset care program.

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How are we going to turn our frail and neglected electric power transmission system into a secure and reliable smart grid? It’s a critical and timely issue, which is why we’ve loaded this toolkit with some of the best analysis, most-promising trends and smartest research relating to next steps in electric power transmission.

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Silver Spring Networks has announced numerous efforts to help municipal and cooperative utilities make systems integration easier and deployment of smart grid technologies faster. Silver Spring is taking advantage of the MultiSpeak specification for interoperability to help those utilities reduce costs and time associated with complicated systems integration efforts.

Siemens, already a key player in smart grid hardware, has announced its intent to do the same in smart grid software. We share some of the progress the company has made during its entry into the software sector.

This week's smart grid wins feature projects from distribution automation to tools designed to help consumers conserve energy and new offerings for the public power industry. And don't forget to check out the winners of the Edison Electric Institute's 2013 Edison Award.

Schneider Electric will add KGS Buildings' automated fault detection and diagnostics to its building energy management services and solutions. Yes, it's a noteworthy development. But it also reveals four significant trends for the industry. We've got the details.

S&C Electric's Michael Edmonds understands the importance and relevance of smart grids to smart cities. Read the story for his views on the related challenges, from financing to regulatory issues, and how the market and technologies are progressing.

Europe has been aggressively developing renewable energy resources, but a study by Siemens and a German technical university found that poor choices have been made in siting renewable energy projects. The result? A tremendous waste of money. Read the story for details on what Siemens recommends to remedy the problem.

President Obama restated his interest in designating utility workers first responders while he met with a utility executive group to go over restoration planning after major storms. Not only is it a useful and practical solution for speeding up response to outages, it also represents an opportunity for the industry to make its case for the money needed for grid modernization because of the widespread interest in restoration issues.

For a mid-size company, S&C Electric has heavyweight influence on the smart grid. Kyle Seymour, S&C's new CEO, and outgoing CEO John Estey spent some time with Smart Grid News recently and shared their thinking on strategy, what's coming next, challenges and competition, and opportunities. It's an interesting read.

Cisco announced two new offerings Monday, a security architecture and a substation solution. SGN Chief Analyst Jesse Berst shares some insights on what that means for Cisco, utilities and other communications providers.

Many utilities are deploying smart grid technologies. But apparently Florida Power & Light's "network first" approach and willingness to invest heavily when others were not has given it some major bragging rights. Find out why MIT Technology Review says the utility is the first to put a comprehensive, large-scale smart grid online.