Networking giant Cisco sparked up its strategy this week to become a leader in smart grid infrastructure with additions to its Connected Grid technology portfolio designed to address ongoing concerns about security and interoperability.
In classic Cisco fashion, the company has come up with a spiffy blueprint for utilities that it calls the Cisco GridBlocks Architecture. Cisco describes GridBlocks as a “forward-looking” framework that allows utilities to build out their smart grid projects on a modular basis.
To its credit, one piece of that architecture, a field area network, is made possible through Cisco’s relationship with Itron. Probably the most important feature of the Connected Grid FAN technology is the face that information from advanced meter infrastructure, distribution automation systems and security controllers can be delivered over a “common” network platform.
Cisco’s contribution to the FAN is the 100 series Connected Grid Router that can be installed indoors or outdoors and that support 2G/3G, WiMax and radio frequency mesh connectivity options.
Here is some insight about that from Gary Murphy, chief product officer of BC Hydro, a utility in the Canadian province of British Columbia:
“The Smart Metering Program will help keep rates in British Columbia lower than they would have been otherwise, with a total benefit to customers projected to be $1.6 billion over time. The Cisco-Itron alliance was a game changer for the industry. The ability to leverage our infrastructure with Itron’s smart grid solution and Cisco’s Connected Grid networking and security capabilities is a great stepping stone into smart grid. We will be able to leverage it for years to come.”
That last sentence is really the clincher, isn’t it? While virtually every utility probably agrees that smart grid infrastructure is a smart idea, this sort of investment isn’t trivial. The extent to which utilities can leverage existing pieces of network infrastructure likely will make or break technology choices. Certainly, Cisco with its venerable leadership stance in corporate networking will have a competitive edge if it really plays the interoperability card to its advantage.
Aside from the FAN and router, there are a number of other new technologies being announced today by Cisco, which you can read about it more depth.
The extent of this week’s product introductions should lay to rest any doubt that Cisco wants to be anything less than a leader in the smart grid, and it will sound the interoperability argument loudly in that quest.
