Program: 2010 UTC Region 8 Fall Technical Meeting

Room: Vail

Room: Vail

The utility telecom and information technology landscape is changing in many ways. Federal regulators and industry standards have created a variety of performance measures, certification criteria and training requirements for the this generation of utility workers. There are many certification programs available supporting IT and telecom training; but do they fit the bill and will they meet NERC/FERC requirements for the future. This session will review existing certifications and explore the need to establish new programs with performance measures for employees who work with the critical infrastructure of our utilities.

Room: Vail

Many different fiber optic transport methods provide robust, reliable telecommunications for utilities. The key to successful network architecture lies in finding the combination of technologies that works best for your utility. Join us to explore fiber optic connectivity, Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), and Ethernet. Sort through the advances in transport technology and learn to identify the solution that provides the restoration of switching speeds and the reliability you need.

Room: Vail

Countless ordinary tasks make up the daily routine of operating and maintaining a utility telecom network. But as simple as these tasks are, they demand a disproportionate amount of personnel time and resources. Creating a “Virtual Technician” lets you do more with less and empowers your field team. Discover how your utility can reduce the man hours currently consumed by routine questions and issues.

Room: Vail

With the advent of the Smart Grid Evolution and new Regulatory Impacts such as NERC CIP, utility telecommunications infrastructures are stressed to scale and provide for new bandwidth growth. As Smart Grid telecommunications deployment moves beyond AMI to complete connectivity for control and monitoring of all elements in the Utility generation-transmission-distribution network, an explosion of bandwidth is about to occur. But is Ethernet/IP ready to provide access and transport of time-sensitive mission critical applications such as SCADA and Protective Relaying Communications? Recent test results of protective relaying latency times and priority performance over a network using DS0/T1 Packetizing Channel Muxes connected to Layer 3 MPLS enabled Routers and transported over a OC-192 SONET backbone will be discussed.

Room: Vail

Discover how IP video technology offers cost-effective compliance with physical security requirements and helps protect critical infrastructure. In today’s economic climate, why waste valuable man-hours protecting against copper theft and other criminal activities at off-site locations? Monitoring for terrorists—including physical attacks from the inside—is even more critical. Make sure you know about the new video options and best practices for maximum security.

Room: Vail

IT to the substation, IP communications for critical infrastructure control networks, seamless wired and wireless integration for traditional IT, and telecommunications functions: these are key issues every utility faces today––or will soon. Explore traditional IT functions as applied in critical infrastructure organizations, for example in Smart Grid applications. See how the role of IT is changing and how your utility can turn it your advantage.