The Microsoft SERA is expected to help utilities by providing a method of testing the alignment of information technology with their business processes to create an integrated utility. This is the second utility offering to be released from Microsoft in four months, following the revelation of Microsoft Hohm, an online application developed to enhance the experience of utilities’ customers and provide insight into the supply and demand of residential energy use.
The Microsoft SERA has been endorsed by solutions providers whose energy industry solutions span the entire energy ecosystem – from the power grid to the home, said Microsoft.
Microsoft has been working with power industry partners to ensure that SERA addresses power utilities’ IT infrastructure needs.
Laurent Demortier, senior vice president of energy management business, Alstom Power, said: “Alstom has established a long-term relationship with Microsoft in order to provide cost-efficient, scalable architectures for electrical producers like solar, hydro, wind, coal, steam or nuclear power plants. This Microsoft reference architecture accelerates solution development to enable developers to provide enhanced, more cost-effective, secure and scalable solutions.”
The Microsoft SERA provides a road map for utilities to help identify and solve the integration issues facing grid and energy ecosystem advancement. It also empowers users to drive improvements in real time, as well as to accelerate continuous improvement over time, Microsoft said.
