European utilities open lines of communication

Electric utilities all over the world are facing the need for computer system integration to reduce life-cycle cost and enhance flexibility in operation and services. Along with integration of different kinds of data traffic (control, administrative, financial, graphics, etc.), there is a trend toward network computing and sharing of data between increasingly dispersed business offices and computer systems. Development and application of standards are necessary for computer system integration in order to provide connectivity, interoperability for systems, portability, and compatibility for modules. The European utility communications architecture (EurUCA) project aims to contribute to standardization by means of a communication architecture specific to electric utilities in Europe. This article highlights the results of Phase I of the project, which included analysis of business processes and data flows, assessment of existing standards, specification of architecture standards, and definition of the demonstration phase of the project