|
|
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Page 2: Read the press release >> By Jesse Berst
Systems integrator Utility Integration Solutions (UISOL) has come out with a new offering that perfectly illustrates this evolution. Smart cities are about sharing data, and UISOL is working to make it easy for utilities to share data back and forth with a city's emergency responders.
Bridging CIM and UICDS
The technical part of the effort is to use an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) to bridge two sets of standards. On the utility side, the common information model (CIM). On the emergency side, the Unified Incident Command and Decision Support (UICDS).
UICDS is a set of standards and peer-to-peer sharing techniques promulgated by the federal government. (For more details, visit the UICDS website or review the UISOL slide deck that was supplied to me.) The objective is to automatically and instantly give all relevant regional entities a Common Operating Picture (COP) for every incident. The geo-spatially-based system creates a map showing every incident, with the ability to drill down for details.
The value of integration
Consider a large fire such as those that often occur in the American southwest. A utility might urgently need to know the extent of the fire and any areas that have been deemed off-limits. Meanwhile, the responders might need to know where power is out, where lines are down, or where work crews are currently located. And both might need to know the location and situation of critical facilities such as hospitals, prisons and public buildings.
Sure, each agency could call every other agency to gradually compile a complete picture. The beauty of UICDS is that the picture shows up instantly on everybody's screens.
UISOL helps utilities achieve the ultimate in situational awareness by merging in data from emergency responders and other agencies.
In the early days of this initiative, the Department of Homeland Security encouraged public entities to hook up. Now it is reaching out to private organizations that have a stake, and utilities are high on the list.
The value of experienced systems integration
UICDS is based on open standards and open source software. Utilities with the time and manpower can implement it on their own. For those short on either one, UISOL has developed reusable integration elements that smooth the process while improving results.
Part of the installation process, by the way, involves decisions about how much information to share. Every utility gets to make up its own mind. To date, says UISOL CEO Ali Vojdani, most utilities are charting a path in the middle – more than they show on their public sites, but less than they generate internally.
The once and future UISOL
UISOL has an interesting story. It started as a systems integrator. It then expanded into software for demand response called DRBizNet.
It then sold to Alstom Grid in March 2011. Since then, the software side of the business has been absorbed into Alstom (where it is being integrated into Alstom's e-terra distribution management system).
That leaves a core of roughly 30 employees and another 20 contractors focused on their core systems integration business, operating as an independent subsidiary of the parent. During its 11 years, the firm has worked with more than 100 utilities worldwide, often focusing on distribution management, outage management or AMI.
UISOL started by working for large IOUs. Then (almost by accident), it became the go-to partner for co-ops, thanks to an agreement with the national association. Today, says Vojdani, UISOL is targeting the underserved middle of the market – the 2,000 or so midsize municipals big enough to need integration but small enough not to have a large in-house staff. He claims that UISOL has a solution that is "right-sized" for munis.
I'll be curious to read your reactions to this topic. Are utilities doing enough to be part of the solution for the cities they serve? Will the UICDS system described here create value for utilities as well as for emergency responders? Use the Talk Back comment form below to add your thoughts.
You might also be interested in …
Schneider Electric and Telvent set their sights on smart cities
Smart grid M&A: Alstom poised to become king of the control room
Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.
Next page: Read the press release >>
Got something to say about this article? Be the first to leave a comment!
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Talk Back
