Verizon Partners Up to Battle for Market Share in Smart Grid Communications
http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Technologies_Communications_News/Verizon-Partners-Up-in-the-Battle-for-Market-Share-in-Smart-Grid-Communications-2461.html
Verizon Wireless sees the wealth of opportunities in Smart Grid communications networks for utilities and is setting up its shots for a bigger piece of the market as competition in the sector heats up. The wireless company is busily promoting its communications network solutions with technology partners such as smart meter giant Itron and communications technologies and equipment maker Ambient. Verizon intends to step in when utilities want support for their machine-to-machine (M2M) needs, from metering to fleet management. Verizon's solutions also include grid communications security, data movement management, interoperability and deployments.
Quick Take: AT&T may be considered the most aggressive competitor in the pool of cell phone companies pushing for bigger pieces of the Smart Grid network market, but that market is heating up fast and Verizon has its running shoes on — and some very competitive teammates. While the cellular carriers may have gotten a late start in the Smart Grid, they're realizing that M2M communications is a major growth sector, as SGN's Jesse Berst pointed out in a recent column.