Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has struck a partnership with eMeter, a smart grid management software provider, are jointly developing a set of cloud-based meter data management services targeting the utility industry.
On display at this week's DistribuTECH trade show, the new service will offer utility customer's eMeter's meter data management software as a managed service via the cloud via Verizon's IP-based network.
Because the joint Verizon/eMeter service is cloud-based, utilities won't have to make a major investment to take advantage of it because they can pay for it on a per-user basis.
Rilck Noel, managing director for Verizon's Global Energy & Utilities practice, said that "Advancing industry-specific solutions is a key component of Verizon's 'everything-as-a-service' strategy," including the utility industry.
Verizon's move with eMeter plays into two major themes. Not only does it reflect Verizon's effort to transform its wireline business into a provider of IT services, but also a continual response by the service provider industry to better understand the utility industry's communications needs.
For more:
- see the release
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