The
information and operations systems of utilities are coming under pressure as
new smart grid assets converge upon utility territories nationwide.

Leading
utilities are scrambling to build the supporting information and operation
systems in parallel with device deployment, a trend GTM Research expects to
drive $8.2 billion in U.S. utility enterprise spending between 2011 and 2015.

According to
GTM Research, the total available smart grid enterprise market in the U.S. will
be $1.3 billion in 2011, with that figure forecasted to hit $1.8 billion per
year in 2015. This scaling activity has attracted a collection of vendors from
start-ups, such as Ecologic Analytics, to established conglomerates, such as
ABB, IBM, GE, Oracle and Siemens.

“The pace of
market activity is quickening as major vendors jockey to provide a complete
enterprise value proposition,” said Chet Geschickter, senior analyst, GTM
Research.

“M&A
activity, such as ABB acquiring Ventyx last year, is now being followed by a
round of product rationalization and harmonization, where vendors, and the
utilities they serve, are evaluating smart grid requirements,” Geschickter
added.

By
Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com