Metering.com 20 OCTOBER 2016
Itron integrates Microsoft Azure platform to streamline access to multiple data sources for power, gas and water utilities.
To do this, Microsoft’s Azure platform will become the backbone for Itron’s Total Outcomes – a solution which provides business outcomes that address utility and smart city challenges in an Outcomes as a Service model.
The move is aimed at offering utilities and cities a platform where different types of data come together into one place, generating new intelligence and insights. [CenterPoint awarded for excellence at Itron Utility Week]
Solution for power, gas and water utilities
For example, solar-related services will bring together accurate, real-time data related to consumption, usage patterns, panel temperature and power generated and combine it with weather and geolocation data to drive further insights into energy efficiency and asset health.
For gas utilities, detecting leaks through cloud-based applications and services that monitor pressure, temperature and pipeline stress will enhance safety and protect revenue.
For water, providing early warnings of potential water leakage using real-time usage readings from households can prevent high-risk situations that lead to large reparation expenses or liability payouts.
Greg Richards, vice president of DevOps at Itron, said: “Itron is standardising on Microsoft Azure to provide higher quality and more seamless services to our customers. It allows us to offer the functionality of many software offerings in a unified ‘as a service’ environment.
“Offering our software applications via Microsoft Azure will enable Itron to be more agile in innovation and development for our customers.”
“Azure is uniquely positioned to empower utilities and cities to accelerate their digital transformation, with the power of our global-scale, hybrid and trusted cloud. Through Azure, Itron can enable a new range of IoT services that deliver valuable insights and drive faster decision making,” added Julia White, corporate vice president, Cloud Platform, at Microsoft.