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(This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/mother99/jacksonholdingcompany.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114As part of Cisco Live Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Leadership Summit for top leaders in the industry. Our goal was to gain deeper insight into our customers\u2019 challenges, discuss i\u2026 Read more on Cisco Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b<\/p>\n As part of Cisco Live Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Leadership Summit for top leaders in the industry. Our goal was to gain deeper insight into our customers\u2019 challenges, discuss innovations, and build strategic relationships. We explored high-level questions such as:<\/p>\n What are the top challenges and opportunities on the minds of utilities leaders in the US? We anchored the summit on three key topics: substation automation, distribution automation and utility wide-area networks. During Cisco Live US, clients, partners, and Cisco colleagues discussed these topics.<\/p>\n Since then, I\u2019ve been reflecting on both formal discussions and casual conversations at Cisco Live US and considering the implications for other utilities. I\u2019ve distilled my thinking into five takeaways.<\/p>\n When we surveyed utilities leaders about their top challenges, they were clear that resources are constrained. Given the lack of time and money, they value hardware that can perform multiple functions.<\/p>\n The Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Series Router is a great example. In a single piece of hardware, it offers a switch and router plus security (Cisco Cyber Vision sensor, Zone-based firewall and IDS\/IPS capability) and a timing module for substation synchronization. It helps utilities save on power and heat while helping optimize rack space in the substation. The summit reaffirmed why the IR8340 has been very well received as a key platform for substation automation.<\/p>\n In the quest for efficiency and value, utilities leaders also told us they want end-to-end solutions proven to work. We\u2019re able to provide that assurance to utilities with Cisco Validated Designs<\/a> \u2013 for example, our designs for Substation Automation and SD-WAN for Distribution Automation are specifically developed for utilities.<\/p>\n Summit attendees shared that they\u2019re acting quickly to adopt SD-WAN for substation automation. There seemed to be consensus that SD-WAN will be a good fit for distribution automation, too. From my perspective, SD-WAN has gained significant momentum over the past six months. I attribute that to greater collaboration between IT and operational technology (OT) teams. While OT still owns final decisions, IT is showing OT the power of enterprise networking tools. These enterprise tools are very familiar to IT leaders, who can show OT leaders the potential ease of use, security, and automation they bring.<\/p>\n It was mildly surprising to hear about rapidly increasing adoption of SD-WAN; it was almost shocking to discover how quickly some utilities are moving ahead on virtualization in the substation. There appears to be general acceptance that traditional applications will eventually be virtualized. After all, virtualization makes it possible to automate and centralize all the devices and systems within a substation. It enables greater security, visibility, and operational efficiency. It also unleashes new levels of intelligence. Although utilities are still early in this journey, they seem committed to making it happen.<\/p>\n Cisco\u2019s Secure Equipment Access service enables an organization\u2019s staff and contractors to access connected devices in a highly controlled and efficient manner. Because Secure Equipment Access is cloud based, I assumed utilities would be unable to use it to support certain substation assets. Conversations during Cisco Live US revealed that I was wrong. Utilities leaders I spoke with see great potential in using Secure Equipment Access to support ancillary non-critical equipment \u2013 for example door access control and fire detection systems \u2013 inside their substations. Streamlining the processes needed to keep these systems updated, secure and running smoothly is a powerful advantage.<\/p>\n Cisco maintains strategic relationships with several industry-relevant partners, including Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). Utilities customers at the summit were vocal about the value of such Cisco partnerships.<\/p>\n As utilities continue investigating cellular connectivity for substations and distribution network assets, there is growing interest in private LTE and 5G. Cisco solutions already support both, and we continue to invest in testing and proof-of-concepts. In fact, we shared our ongoing collaboration with Verizon to bring a joint solution for connecting substations and distribution assets\u2014news that was well received during the event.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the summit demonstrated that utilities are no longer technology laggards; (surprise no. 2) some of the most innovative are emerging as technology leaders. To learn more about how Cisco is collaborating with utilities, listen to the replay of my session from Cisco Live US, The New Digital Substation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Series Router<\/a> \u00a0\u00a05 takeaways from top industry leaders on key trends, thought leadership, and innovation in utilities\u00a0\u00a0Read More<\/a>\u00a0Cisco Blogs\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n As part of Cisco Live Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Leadership Summit for top leaders in the industry. Our goal was to gain deeper insight into our customers\u2019 challenges, discuss i\u2026 Read more on Cisco Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b<\/p>\n As part of Cisco Live Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Leadership Summit for top leaders in the industry. Our goal was to gain deeper insight into our customers\u2019 challenges, discuss innovations, and build strategic relationships. We explored high-level questions such as:<\/p>\n What are the top challenges and opportunities on the minds of utilities leaders in the US? We anchored the summit on three key topics: substation automation, distribution automation and utility wide-area networks. During Cisco Live US, clients, partners, and Cisco colleagues discussed these topics.<\/p>\n Since then, I\u2019ve been reflecting on both formal discussions and casual conversations at Cisco Live US and considering the implications for other utilities. I\u2019ve distilled my thinking into five takeaways.<\/p>\n When we surveyed utilities leaders about their top challenges, they were clear that resources are constrained. Given the lack of time and money, they value hardware that can perform multiple functions.<\/p>\n The Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Series Router is a great example. In a single piece of hardware, it offers a switch and router plus security (Cisco Cyber Vision sensor, Zone-based firewall and IDS\/IPS capability) and a timing module for substation synchronization. It helps utilities save on power and heat while helping optimize rack space in the substation. The summit reaffirmed why the IR8340 has been very well received as a key platform for substation automation.<\/p>\n In the quest for efficiency and value, utilities leaders also told us they want end-to-end solutions proven to work. We\u2019re able to provide that assurance to utilities with Cisco Validated Designs<\/a> \u2013 for example, our designs for Substation Automation and SD-WAN for Distribution Automation are specifically developed for utilities.<\/p>\n Summit attendees shared that they\u2019re acting quickly to adopt SD-WAN for substation automation. There seemed to be consensus that SD-WAN will be a good fit for distribution automation, too. From my perspective, SD-WAN has gained significant momentum over the past six months. I attribute that to greater collaboration between IT and operational technology (OT) teams. While OT still owns final decisions, IT is showing OT the power of enterprise networking tools. These enterprise tools are very familiar to IT leaders, who can show OT leaders the potential ease of use, security, and automation they bring.<\/p>\n It was mildly surprising to hear about rapidly increasing adoption of SD-WAN; it was almost shocking to discover how quickly some utilities are moving ahead on virtualization in the substation. There appears to be general acceptance that traditional applications will eventually be virtualized. After all, virtualization makes it possible to automate and centralize all the devices and systems within a substation. It enables greater security, visibility, and operational efficiency. It also unleashes new levels of intelligence. Although utilities are still early in this journey, they seem committed to making it happen.<\/p>\n Cisco\u2019s Secure Equipment Access service enables an organization\u2019s staff and contractors to access connected devices in a highly controlled and efficient manner. Because Secure Equipment Access is cloud based, I assumed utilities would be unable to use it to support certain substation assets. Conversations during Cisco Live US revealed that I was wrong. Utilities leaders I spoke with see great potential in using Secure Equipment Access to support ancillary non-critical equipment \u2013 for example door access control and fire detection systems \u2013 inside their substations. Streamlining the processes needed to keep these systems updated, secure and running smoothly is a powerful advantage.<\/p>\n Cisco maintains strategic relationships with several industry-relevant partners, including Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). Utilities customers at the summit were vocal about the value of such Cisco partnerships.<\/p>\n As utilities continue investigating cellular connectivity for substations and distribution network assets, there is growing interest in private LTE and 5G. Cisco solutions already support both, and we continue to invest in testing and proof-of-concepts. In fact, we shared our ongoing collaboration with Verizon to bring a joint solution for connecting substations and distribution assets\u2014news that was well received during the event.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the summit demonstrated that utilities are no longer technology laggards; (surprise no. 2) some of the most innovative are emerging as technology leaders. To learn more about how Cisco is collaborating with utilities, listen to the replay of my session from Cisco Live US, The New Digital Substation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Series Router<\/a>
\nWhich technologies have them hitting the accelerator?
\nAnd what do they value when building strategies and architectures for modernizing the grid?<\/p>\nTakeaway #1: Utilities want fewer devices with more functionality<\/h2>\n
Takeaway #2: Utilities are moving rapidly on SD-WAN<\/h2>\n
Takeaway #3: Virtualization in the substation is coming faster than you might think<\/h2>\n
Takeaway #4: First surprise: Utilities see the benefits of efficiently accessing and securing non-critical assets with the cloud.<\/em><\/h2>\n
Takeaway #5: Industry-specific partnerships matter<\/h2>\n
Learn more<\/h2>\n
\nCisco Catalyst IE9300 Rugged Series Switches<\/a>
\nCisco Cyber Vision<\/a>
\nCisco Catalyst SD-WAN<\/a>
\nCisco Secure Equipment Access<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWhich technologies have them hitting the accelerator?
\nAnd what do they value when building strategies and architectures for modernizing the grid?<\/p>\nTakeaway #1: Utilities want fewer devices with more functionality<\/h2>\n
Takeaway #2: Utilities are moving rapidly on SD-WAN<\/h2>\n
Takeaway #3: Virtualization in the substation is coming faster than you might think<\/h2>\n
Takeaway #4: First surprise: Utilities see the benefits of efficiently accessing and securing non-critical assets with the cloud.<\/em><\/h2>\n
Takeaway #5: Industry-specific partnerships matter<\/h2>\n
Learn more<\/h2>\n
\nCisco Catalyst IE9300 Rugged Series Switches<\/a>
\nCisco Cyber Vision<\/a>
\nCisco Catalyst SD-WAN<\/a>
\nCisco Secure Equipment Access<\/a><\/p>\n