Smart Grid: Cisco's smart grid stranglehold intensifies with major new partnership - Smart Grid News

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Cisco's smart grid stranglehold intensifies with major new partnership
By Jesse Berst
Sep 1, 2010 - 10:59:08 AM

Here’s some important news today from two Smart Grid powerhouses: Itron and Cisco announced a strategic alliance that will deliver a definitive 21st century Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications platform to the smart grid market and help advance more consistent and reliable delivery of energy across the electric distribution system and into homes and businesses. Read the complete announcement >>

So what does it mean?

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Cisco, Itron press release

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Smart Grid Communications technologies and resources

With the world's largest base of proprietary AMR meters, Itron was initially a standards laggard, preferring to maintain vendor lock-in as long as possible. Eventually, it dipped its toe partially into the standards waters with its OpenWay AMI system, which many in the industry jokingly called OpenHalfWay.

But even though it was late to get the religion, Itron is now a fervent believer, as it proved today by marrying itself to Cisco's underlying standards-based architecture. Smart move.

As for Cisco, you already know that it is building the world's first grid operating system. This important partnership further extends its leadership. Can anyone catch Cisco’s smart grid momentum at this point? Other companies have equally strong technology, but Cisco seems to have a stranglehold on thought leadership and strategic foresight.

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