Scaffolding for the Smart Grid

My husband and I are repainting our historic Victorian home, and hold grand visions for what will emerge.  Today, the workmen came to put up the scaffolding necessary to get the job done. 

After a day of them erecting metal structures and laying down planks into strategic and stable configurations, I behold in amazement the result.  There now exist pathways and bridges providing access and support to the painters for every stage of their work to come -- whether removing unwanted paint, renewing wood surfaces or applying pigments and protectants into an intricate pattern.  Very cool. 

Unfortunately, there now also exist pathways and bridges leading to nearly every opening of our suddenly vulnerable-looking house.  As I sit at my desk on the second floor, I look at the makeshift deck floors which will bring those very painters right up to places which were completely inaccessible just yesterday.  So - this cool sense of convenient access is balanced by a new and uncomfortable anxiety about the security of our inner sanctums.   I quickly will go around and double-check all of our window locks.  This is indeed a transformed state of affairs.

The Smart Grid is something like that.   The Smart Grid -- which brings the power of data communications to the electrical grid -- will require new pathways and bridges to connect each of the power generation, transmission, distribution and storage elements within our expansive and evolving electricity grids.  And unlike the scaffolding around our house, these new pathways and bridges will be here to stay.  In fact, these new communication paths will become powerful and welcome allies.  And the security needed to manage the transformed state of affairs will need to be strategic and strong.

Smart Grid innovators looking for partners to solve these two needs -- the need for access, and the need for security -- are in luck.   

Brian Huey from Sprint took the time to answer InnovatingSMART's questions regarding communications support for Smart Grid innovators and entrepreneurs.   Check out Brian's detailed answers.  And check out The Sprint Open Solutions Conference Nov. 2-4, 2011, in Santa Clara, California. Registration is now open for the conference -- Half-off early-bird pricing through August!  Meanwhile, today's spotlighted story from-the-field is from Ulrich Lang, the Founder and CEO of ObjectSecurity-- a provider of automated security solutions.

With partners like these, soon our utility grids will enjoy a new look, a new vibrancy, a new intelligence and a significant upgrade in value.   Smart Grid innovators -- it's time to pick your partners.  Who will build the scaffolding for your grand vision?