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BPL Global and SAIC Partner to Market Services to Utilities By SGN Staff Oct 12, 2009 - 2:35:30 PM
Smart Grid technology company BPL Global (BPLG) and science and engineering giant SAIC have formed an alliance to sell their combined expertise to electric utilities that want to upgrade and improve their networks. SAIC has acquired a $10 million minority interest in BPLG as part of the partnership.
The partnership is the latest in a long list of alliances formed by Smart Grid technology companies to take advantage of the stimulus funds made available by several countries to develop intelligent electric grids and the technologies required to get them online.
For its part, Pennsylvania-based BPLG will contribute its utility network expertise. The company's Power SG® solution suite is a service-oriented, architecture-based integration platform that addresses solutions for the energy delivery value chain from substations to customers' homes. Power SG solutions help utilities enhance reliability, integrate distributed energy sources, improve demand management capabilities, monitor electric grid assets and give real-time control over the network.
SAIC, headquartered in Virginia, develops and builds complex computer systems and has considerable experience in the integration of complex systems. The company works in fields including national security, critical infrastructure, health and energy and the environment — primarily for federal government agencies like the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community.
"We are at an inflection point for the Smart Grid industry," said BPLG CEO Keith Schaefer. "Stimulus funding in the U.S. and countries around the world has significantly increased the number and size of grid modernization projects. SAIC, with a rich legacy of innovation and strong presence in the electric grid industry, is well positioned to contribute to the development and deployment of Smart Grid technology on a global scale."
SAIC VP and business unit general manager J.T. Grumski added, "This investment and our strategic alliance with BPLG represent further strides in SAIC's strategy to provide life-cycle capabilities to the rapidly evolving power industry, following our recent acquisition of R.W. Beck Group, Inc. We look forward to integrating a number of SAIC's capabilities into the Power SG platform and further expanding our support to this growing market."
Quick Take: It’s a bit of an odd marriage. SAIC is an old-line company that’s gotten big doing elaborate government contracts. But it has had its eye on the utility sector and made a few half-hearted attempts to get involved previously. With its BPLG alliance and acquisition of R.W. Beck it seems to be moving toward systems integration.
Forbes news article on the BPLG and SAIC partnership
PR Newswire press release on the alliance
BPLG company profile by SGN
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