Cisco Debuts Smart Grid Ecosystem, Names Tech Partners

Cisco on Thursday furthered its previously announced Smart Grid agenda by unveiling new services and the formation of the Cisco Smart Grid Ecosystem, a group of technology vendors, integrators, energy companies and other Cisco partners that according to Cisco will "facilitate the adoption of IP-based communications standards for smart grids."

The term "Smart Grid" refers to the next-generation electric grid that will, according to the goals set out by the Obama administration, be more efficient and rely on IT to regulate the country's energy consumption. Funding for Smart Grid technologies is a major component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and vendors such as Cisco and IBM -- which introduced its own SAFE Smart Grid platform earlier this week -- have attempted to get out in front of what represents a major opportunity for technology providers.

Cisco first outlined its Smart Grid strategy back in May, with the networking titan saying at the timethat it expects Smart Grid communications infrastructure to be a $20-billion-a-year business within five years.

The companies named to the Cisco's Smart Grid Ecosystem include Accenture, AeroScout, Arcadian Networks, AREVA T&D, Cable&Wireless Worldwide, Capgemini, Coleman Technologies, EMC, Echelon, EnergyHub, GE, GridPoint, Infosys Technologies, Itron, Landis + Gyr, OATI, Oracle, OSIsoft, Pulse Energy, Proximetry, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), SecureLogix, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Skyline-ATS, Telvent, Verizon, Watteco, Wipro and World Wide Technology Inc.

Cisco also said it had formed a Smart Grid Technical Advisory Board (TAB) comprised of utility and energy companies from around the world, in hopes of giving "customers the opportunity to influence Cisco Smart Grid product and solution development road maps through a technology-focused forum."

The TAB will meet four times a year, according to Cisco, starting with this week's Smart Grid Strategies conference in Berlin.

The elements of Cisco's previously described Smart Ggrid strategy include transmission and distribution automation solutions that utilize Cisco switches and routers. To those offerings Cisco added new services centered on physical security, cybersecurity and electric system reliability for smart grid deployments, including compliance assessment, physical site security vulnerability assessment and grid security architecture design.

"Cisco is making important strides toward enabling an end-to-end, highly secure Smart Grid communications infrastructure that will help utilities, business and consumers better manage and reduce energy consumption. Together with our partners, and with input from utilities around the world, we will develop open, IP-based solutions that will help make the Smart Grid and all of its benefits a reality," said Marthin de Beer, senior vice president for Cisco's Emerging Technologies Group, in a statement.