The NGN Forum is launching its Smart Energy Forum at ITEXPO’s Internet Telephony (News - Alert) Expo on Tues, Oct. 5, 2010. The Forum will also hold a Board and Members meeting that is open to all attendees at the Internet Telephony Expo and 4GWE conference.

The Smart Energy Forum will focus on IP services used to power the smart grid, home grids and alternative energy sources such as wind and solar. The NGN Forum will focus its activities on Next Generation Communications and NGN Energy Applications as it moves forward.

“Utility companies have traditionally developed their own networks and communications systems,” said Michael Khalilian, chairman and president, NGN Forum. “However, they are now looking toward the telecommunications industry for apps, technology development, and OSS/BSS/Security to help them manage consumer demand. A number of major telecom operators and vendors are driving the initiative to expand into the highly lucrative energy management and applications field.”

As per Smart Grid News, the US smart grid industry is valued at about $21.4 billion. By 2014, it is projected to exceed $42.8 billion. The world market is expected to grow at a faster rate, surging from $69.3 billion to $171.4 billion by 2014. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is slotted to allocate billions of dollars for energy projects including $4.5 billion to modernize the electric grid. Other major government initiatives that will increase telecom-related funding include $7.2 billion in broadband deployment grants administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utility Service (RUS).

The Smart Energy Forum will center on NGN Energy Applications and NGN communications services for Smart Grid and Renewable energy apps such as security, billing and integration services. It will investigate all manner of energy apps that employ IP services for smart metering, billing and transport of energy. The Smart Energy Forum will develop guideline documents to help guide the industry in its adoption of this technology as well as enhancing NGN/IMS Interoperability and its Plugfests to include Smart Energy apps requirements.

Initial member companies involved in the new Smart Energy Forum include Aricent, Sprint (News - Alert), D2 Technologies, Hewlett Packard, RADVISION, T-Mobile, Symantec, Sonus Networks, Wipro Technology, Tech Mahindra, Mu Dynamics, Marben Products/NE Technologies (News - Alert) and others.

“The Smart Energy forum shall play an important role bringing together telecom operators, utilities companies and companies like ourselves involved in design and development of smart energy communications core and smart home applications” said C.P.Murali, senior vice president at Aricent (News - Alert). “We are pleased to offer our vast experience in interoperability testing, NGN and wireless system design to empower the smart energy forum to overcome these challenges.”

“One can draw parallels from the optimizations employed within large, nationwide, IP communications networks, such as moving traffic over the links with least cost, and handling overload and overflow conditions,” commented Mehdi Ghasem, vice president of strategy for Sonus Networks (News - Alert). “As the leader in building and managing some of the largest IP voice networks in the world, Sonus is pleased to lend its expertise to this forum to ensure that the best practices are employed in developing the Smart Grid.”

For those wishing to speak with members of the Forum at ITEXPO, please visit breakout room 304B from 2 to 4 pm. Up for discussion will be the new NGN Energy Forum, the forthcoming Applications Working Group Document that is being drafted for delivery in the fourth quarter and other NGN and IMS Plugfest business.