Cisco and Landis+Gyr today announced they will work together on a holistic approach to smart grid communications infrastructure that is expected to help utility companies and their customers manage energy better.
The collaboration is intended to accelerate the delivery of standards-based solutions for the energy industry and facilitate the integration of existing capabilities with renewable power sources, plug-in vehicles and distribution automation functionality.
The engagement between the two companies will build upon Landis+Gyr’s expertise in advanced metering infrastructure and applications as well as Cisco’s experience in defining the architecture of an end-to-end networking and security solution. A goal of the collaboration will be to promote open standards as well as enable a smart grid ecosystem where a variety of solutions can be integrated and optimised.
“As the largest global player in electricity metering with one of the broadest portfolios of products and services, we believe working with Cisco to establish an interoperable infrastructure will empower utilities and consumers to improve their energy efficiency, reduce their energy costs and thus contribute to a sustainable use of resources,” said Andreas Umbach, president and chief operating officer of Landis+Gyr. “I believe this agreement is key for both companies. Together we have the opportunity to shape, in a meaningful way, the evolving smart grid.”
“The time is now to invest in a smart connected infrastructure for the 21st century that is based on open standards. Innovation and collaboration with companies like Landis+Gyr will further enable Cisco to deliver IP-based smart grid solutions and promote an open ecosystem for smart grid development. Together, we can help utilities drive new service models and develop additional revenue streams such as energy-related services for home and building energy management, while achieving energy efficiency and cost savings for consumers,” said Marthin de Beer, senior vice president of Cisco’s Emerging Technologies Group.
Landis+Gyr’s and Cisco’s collaboration aims to capitalise on the strengths of open standards, such as IP, allowing for greater ease of deployment and scalability, as well as optimised efficiency of communications networks. The two companies plan to work on future architectures in the areas of smart metering, the utility data centre, and wireless and fixed last-mile communications with the objective to ensure interoperability across Cisco’s and Landis+Gyr’s smart grid solutions.
