The electric and water utility industry is facing challenging and exciting times. Emerging energy and water technologies and the use of information technology in this sector have changed the way power and water companies operate. The use of wireless communications devices has made the distribution and management systems of these companies smarter and more efficient.

With changing electric utility trends in the United States, Sprint, a telecom company, has signed a deal with   Itron, Inc; Lanner Electronics (News - Alert), Inc.; Power Insight and Silver Spring Networks.

According to a press release, Sprint (News - Alert) said that these four companies will rely on its wireless network connectivity to support their automated products and services.

Sprint is supporting Itron's advanced metering Infrastructure solution that allows utilities to collect metering data wirelessly from Itron meters and other manufacturers' meters.

"With the rising demand for energy and natural resources, machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions give utilities and their customers a powerful emerging tool for managing demand and promoting sustainability," said Wayne Ward, vice president-Emerging Solutions Group, Sprint. "These new agreements underscore our continued commitment to the utility industry. Sprint has a dedicated team to fast track bringing M2M solutions to market. To date, Sprint has certified hundreds of M2M solutions and has millions of devices running on its network today."

Sprint is working with Lanner Electronics to certify its substation automation computing platform under an agreement that will give utilities the option of remotely managing substation assets.

The Silver Spring Smart Energy Platform supports multiple smart grid applications running over a unified network and leveraging common back-office software. It also enables utilities to focus on advanced metering, distribution automation and demand-side management.

The Power Insight software platform allows users to keep an eye and control their energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings.  It also offers API easy customization of device automation.

In other company news, TMCnet reported that TMC (News - Alert) and Sprint presented a Webinar on “Using Wireless Digital Signage and Interactive Media to Maximize Customer Engagement.”

Want to learn more about M2M technologies? Then be sure to check out the M2M Evolution Conference, collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO East 2012 taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. The M2M Evolution Conference is for industry professionals interested in capitalizing on a rapidly growing segment of the telecom industry. The M2M Evolution Conference embraces the any-to-any strategy of the Internet today. Co-sponsored by TMC Partner Crossfire Media, it showcases the solutions, and examines the data strategies and technological requirements that enterprises and carriers need to capitalize on a market segment that is estimated to grow to $300 Billion in the year ahead. For more information on registering for the M2M Evolution Conference click here.

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