Today, public utilities are looking to optimize distribution performance through sophisticated Advanced Distribution Management (DMS) solutions that inherently integrate an advanced-technology SCADA with a DMS and Outage Management System (OMS) – a solution that enables a high-performance network model and automated control of a very large number of critical resource functions for efficient distribution. As such, SCADA/DMS/OMS technology can be an attractive lure for hackers, cybercriminals and cyber-terrorists; the same supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system functionality used to control and manage an information network can be used to blind an organization to attack, create confusion, provide false information, and prevent required actions – and wreak havoc on the electric grid, water pumping plant or oil pipeline.

Utilities are facing a unique change: moving from traditional metering to smart metering. The complete replacement of all meters is a huge project that quite likely won't be repeated again. Facing that project with internal resources would imply a learning curve and costs that would not be leveraged later on. Therefore, it'd be an investment with very little return and a high risk, since it'd be the first (and last) time the utility would go through this process.

In order to reduce risks and limit the investment, utilities in areas like Scandinavia are opting for outsourcing the smart metering rollout and operation to a service provider with recorded experience in these projects. The service provider knows how to carry out an AMI rollout on time and budget and can take the risk and commitment, making using of refined processes and systems.

As a communications service provider, you know that competition is the distinguishing factor in your market. Solutions like Telvent’s Enterprise GIS can give you an edge by helping you easily track and analyze the spatial location of your assets in relation to prospective customers.

This webinar focuses on the solution’s competitive benefits, such as its ability to house information in a single data store and share it across your entire enterprise to support planning, provisioning, fulfillment and service assurance. Its desktop, Web and mobile delivery capabilities allow you to push data into the field for better decisions through improved operational awareness. In addition, its open architecture supports future expansion to meet growing demand.

"The Smart Grid Changes Everything"

The Smart Grid is having a dramatic impact on how electrical utilities do business, impacting numerous processes and procedures. In this presentation, Scott Henneberry from Schneider Electric will examine these changes, and the direction he sees most utilities taking.

"The Role of Weather in the SmartGrid"

No other influence has a greater impact on the power grid than the weather, affecting demand, capacity and generation. In this presentation, join Don Leick from Telvent DTN, and Scott Koehler from Telvent Utility Group, for a discussion on how leading utilities are incorporating weather intelligence into their solutions in order to better meet the demands of the Smart Grid.

As more utilities are rolling out AMI systems, two of the most defining aspects of Smart Grid are becoming increasingly imperative: sharing near-real time data throughout the enterprise and doing so with a focus on interoperability. While the deployment of AMI has been supported by many business cases, integration with Outage Management is increasing the return on investment by improving network operations.

This webinar will focus on the tangible benefits provided by extending AMI to the control room such as reduced outage times, efficient crew management, nested outage detection, and more accurate reliability reporting. It will also provide a detailed assessment of the important elements of an integrated approach including system performance, standards-based messaging, event validation, network analysis, and visual awareness.