Smart Grid Managed Services Growing Fast
April 7th, 2011 | Author: Larry Walsh
Global energy systems – particularly the generation and distribution of electricity – were built on 19th century technology, and they’re being asked to power growing 21st century societies and economies. With global oil reserves rapidly depleting and alternative energy sources relatively underdeveloped, the solution for maintaining power supplies is – in part – smart grid technology.
Smart grids – integrated generation and distribution systems that more accurately monitor and control power needs – are relatively new. The placement of IP-enabled monitors on homes and commercial buildings to feed data to power generation stations to throttle production or locate waste has huge potential, increasingly for managed services.
A new report by Pike Research predicts managed services for smart grids will jump from $470 million in 2010 to $4.3 billion by 2015. While the conventional electric distribution systems are complex, the addition of integrated software and management devices is increasing the complexity beyond what many utilities can support on their own. Pike believes the explosion in smart grid adoption will compel utilities to seek outside help with monitoring and management.
“Operating the smart grid will require a set of capabilities and human resources that many utilities have not needed in the past,” says industry analyst Marianne Hedin. “Smart grids are significantly more complex in terms of IT and communication systems infrastructure, in addition to the business processes required to support it. Especially with many of their engineers nearing retirement age, a number of utilities will increasingly turn to managed services providers for ongoing assistance.”
Several IT and telephony vendors, as well as carriers, are eying smart grids as a major growth market in coming years. IBM, Cisco Systems and Microsoft have major initiatives on building and supporting smart grid technologies, as well as enabling partners to deliver energy management tools. Carriers such as AT&T and Verizon are supporting smart grids through the integration of 3G cellular transmitters to extend the reach of data sensors and management devices. And alternative suppliers such as Johnson Controls and Honeywell are developing more IP-enabled devices for building smart grids in residential and commercial settings.
Pike notes that managed services opportunities today are best positioned for large outsources and global systems integrators such as Accenture, Capgemini, CSC and Wipro. But many vendors and solution providers are seeing smart grid opportunities for midmarket and small solution providers. Already several solution providers and MSPs are building practices around smart energy consumption and sustainability, and targeting customers in hospitality, health care and construction verticals.
Business Technology Partners is a good example of a mid-tier solution provider capitalizing on the smart grid and smart building trend. The Manhattan-based integrator and managed service provider designed and implemented a fully integrated IT network for the new Trump SOHO Hotel in New York City. The high-rise building uses Cisco components for building operations, guest services, environmental controls and business management. BTP provides the remote monitoring and management of the network. And integral part of this system is controlling the consumption of energy, saving the hotel operators millions of dollars annually.
While smart grid and smart building technologies aren’t getting the same buzz as cloud computing, health care IT and tablets, it’s an important sector with tremendous growth potential for industrious and innovative solution providers.
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