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A company that has long provided highly secure and reliable communication services to its customers, AT&T (News - Alert) is drawing on its industry-leading role to pioneer smart grid technology and offer utilities trusted services equipped to harness the power of smarter utilities. With an aim at cost-effectively restoring systems, providing sustainability for greener practices, employing security, and connecting customers to their homes and businesses, AT&T is meeting the demand for secure communications and efficient data management in smarter utility installation.

AT&T is making sure all of its bases are covered by leveraging the smart grid expertise offered by companies like Itron, SmartSynch, Cooper Power Systems, Elster, Current Group, Petra Solar, and Silver Spring Networks. AT&T and its smarter utility counterparts together offer a portfolio of solutions to help utilities enhance energy efficiency and reliability and eventually provide cost-savings to consumers. AT&T has coupled these services with its traditional products and services to help electric utilities fully tap into the promise of the smart grid.

AT&T has invested in application services designed to alter and augment the electric energy industry and further strengthen companies’ footprints and network infrastructures, including smart energy and wireless solutions, intelligent networks, data storage and security, and data management. Using comprehensive enterprise resources, corporate leadership in smarter utility projects and, of course, allied vendors, AT&T’s end-to-end smarter utility solutions are designed to bring control, monitoring, data analysis and smart metering to customers.

In order to deliver high-quality technology and business consulting services to leading businesses around the globe, AT&T enlists a suite of Security and Business Continuity services, a portfolio of solutions centered on the assessment of vulnerabilities that suggests methods to better secure data and infrastructure, detect attacks, respond to suspicious activities and guarantee reliable operations. With voice-centric solutions optimized for emergency preparedness, AT&T has become instrumental in providing disaster recovery services and response, as well as innovative ways to plan in the event of an emergency.

AT&T also provides an array of strategic mobility services and products for every type of worker and field in the utility industry. These productivity-centric solutions utilize AT&T’s network and mobile data to communicate information for workers and vehicles in the field, using location-based services and asset tracking. Through wireless solutions for field service workers, and outage detection and remote monitoring solutions, access to critical information is available in real-time, thus driving productivity and keeping businesses connected.

For companies requiring connection to systems, suppliers, customers and employees anytime, anywhere, AT&T delivers wireless and wireline network-driven applications that focus on network infrastructure and reliable application performance. By providing machine-to-machine (M2M) platforms for electric meters, routers, automated meter infrastructure and distribution automation, this, in turn, enables utilities to not have to build separate networks for these functions. Also a leader in fully managed and on-demand IT infrastructure solutions, AT&T offers the flexibility of a cloud platform with carrier-class performance, security and dependability.

When it comes to energy and utilities, AT&T has become a leader in helping companies build their strategy for tomorrow’s smarter utility. Whether it’s bringing smart metering and M2M solutions to the residential and field sectors, or aiding critical communications in emergency and disaster situations, AT&T has helped to open doors to practical methods of empowering customers to better manage how and when they use energy.

Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf