Verizon to provide energy management solution to Constellation Energy

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) continues to play its utility industry hand by winning a deal to extend its IP-based network to power Constellation Energy's (NYSE: CEG) new online energy management portal.

Designed to enable commercial and industrial customers track their energy costs online from any location where there's an Internet connection, Constellation Energy has introduced two energy tracking applications for their industrial and commercial customers: its customer-access port, NewEnergy Online, and its demand-response application, VirtuWatt.

This deployment wasn't just about providing a new customer portal. By leveraging Verizon's IP-based MPLS network and its IP Trunking services, Constellation Energy's employees and departments will be able to more effectively collaborate from various locations.

In addition to the wireline-based applications, the agreement will incorporate Verizon Wireless' service to smartphones to enable Constellation's field technicians to access the utility's data and systems remotely. Similar to the staff that resides in their U.S. and Canadian offices, field technicians will be able to not only communicate with other workers, but be more proactive in conducting daily monitoring of the power network and be able to quickly resolve problems that arise.

Rilck Noel, vice president of Verizon's Global Energy & Management Practice, said the relationship with Constellation illustrates the drive by utilities to "provide enterprises and consumers with visibility and control of their energy consumption."

He added that Verizon's "growing relationship with Constellation showcases how this is becoming a reality, and how energy and technology industries can work together to create a new generation of cost-saving energy management solutions for customers."

Verizon's work with Constellation Energy represents a growing trend where service providers are presenting themselves not just as providers of telecom services, but solutions providers for specific industry verticals such as the utility industry that's continually adopting IP-based communications for energy management.  

For more:
- see the release

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