IBM has unveiled a new software platform which it claims to enable utility companies to operate more efficiently and accelerate the development of their smart utility offerings.
A part of the IBM Smarter Planet strategy, the new Solution Architecture for Energy and Utilities Framework (SAFE) brings the capabilities of IBM software to power services across all areas of a utility company, including plant operations, smart meters and personal utility management.
According to IBM, the SAFE framework is the software technology that utilises elements of IBM’s software portfolio including WebSphere, Tivoli, Rational, Lotus and Information Management products.
IBM said that the new framework offers technologies centered around seven key focus areas: asset, device and service monitoring, asset lifecycle management, informed decision making, improved customer experience, business process automation, regulatory, risk and compliance management, and security services.
The company said that it will help energy and utility clients to implement business applications in the areas of generation, transmission, distribution and customer operations to help deliver quantifiable results and support their strategic roadmap.
Guido Bartels, general manager of IBM’s Global Energy & Utilities industry, said: We’re in a position to help our utility clients transform their networks more efficiently. The SAFE framework provides visibility, control and automation across the utility infrastructure as well as IT assets to help provide security and business agility as part of an intelligent network transformation.
IBM also launched a new comprehensive validation process for its business partners providing energy and utility applications.
IBM business partners including ESRI, SISCO, Retriever Communications and Trilliant are already validated on the SAFE framework. In addition, business partners including BPL Global, Coulomb Technologies, eMeter, Enterprise Information Management, Itron, OSIsoft, and PowerSense have committed to becoming SAFE-validated, IBM said.
