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Mobile Computing


Geo-targeting with Data Analytics

How to reduce peak load in constrained areas of the grid BY W. HUGH GAASCH, Retroficiency With an aging infrastructure, rising demand, and an increasingly stringent regulatory climate, utilities across the country face some tough decisions in the coming decade. The American Association of Civil...

Electrical Safety in the Field

Protecting utility workers using mobile technologies BY TOM OCONNOR, Panasonic Solutions for Business Nearly every lineman has heard of a colleague who has been injured—or worse—while on the job. Because of the dangers inherent to their job (that is, electrical safety in the field), these brave...

Data Analytics and Reporting


Casting Doubts on Global Positioning

Many fleet executives working at electric utilities have doubts about implementing global positioning system (GPS) tracking technology into their fleet operations. A number of doubts exist. For example, GPS technologies are designed to track a vehicle’s whereabouts; this can lead to trust issues...

Enhance Utlity Fleet Tools & Best Practices

Fleet managers working at electric utilities know that for crews to be successful on any jobsite, they need to have access to tools that will help them work safer, smarter, more efficiently and more profitably. In the electric utility industry, a utility truck, whether an aerial device, such as a...

Technology Adoption and Integration


Enhance Data Center Security

How utilities can protect operations from penetration BY MICHAEL STUBER, Itron For utilities deploying Smart Grid solutions, the major security concern is often the field devices. Utilities and vendors have long understood that field devices such as meters, switches, routers, and concentrators are...

Utilities Share Fleet Management Best Practices

Valuable information from managers and directors BY PHILL FELTHAM, Executive Editor Electricity Today Magazine Electric utilities are facing operational cutbacks and lower budgets due to the recent economic downturn. However, many of these same utilities are taking a fresh approach to maintaining...

Fleet Management

Managing Fleets with GPS Integration

Integrating GPS tracking software to improve business operations

BY JENNY MALCOLM, GPS Insight

Software integration, the process of combining individual computing systems into a unified whole is important to electric and utility companies because it provides the full picture into all fleet activity.

Integrating global positioning system (GPS) fleet tracking software with a geographic information system (GIS), mapping overlays, an outage management system and other software features, can provide the most information for day-to-day operations...

Fleet Management Articles