Energy Magazine December 2019 | Page 19

For more than a century , electric utilities have focused on the sale of a single commodity . The proliferation of distributed and renewable energy resources , advanced analytics and increasingly connected homes and businesses is now opening up the opportunity for utilities to think and act less like traditional providers of electricity and more like innovative retailers with an array of products and services that empower and delight customers , all while ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of power . Simply put , the pressure to deliver increasing value for utility customers is mounting and non- utility players are willing to step in as intermediaries if the incumbents fail to act . Electric utilities intent on maintaining their customer base – and revenue flows – must transform how they interact with increasingly connected energy consumers . With the proliferation of distributed solar , electric vehicles and energy storage , along with the adoption of devices such as smart speakers and Wi-Fi thermostats , utilities can leverage advanced cloud analytics to build and strengthen their customer relationships – while simultaneously working to build a more resilient digital grid .

Just as Amazon makes use of consumer insights to create new , highly valued offerings for its customers , next-generation electric utilities can likewise transform themselves into digital organizations that rely on advanced cloud analytics to learn far more about their customers than they ever could before , and then tailor services to improve their customers ’ lives . The convergence of digitalization and decentralization provides an opportunity for utilities to tap into the capabilities of machine learning and artificial intelligence to build upon their role as a 24 / 7 core service provider in people ’ s lives . Unlike past transformations in the utility industry , redefining the customer experience through cloud analytics can start to bear fruit in months , rather than years .

For some of the largest utilities around the world , such as Centrica , Enel and Pacific Gas & Electric , the journey to the cloud is already well underway . But there is ample opportunity for utilities of all sizes and under all regulatory frameworks . For energy providers that have not yet mapped out a transformative customer experience , now is the time to embrace an agile platform and chart a course .

Making the most of the cloud requires much more than just a technology change ; it requires evolving processes and transforming the business culture .

Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) gives power and utility companies the foundation to focus on delivering the best customer experience and achieve operational and cost efficiencies while meeting demand securely and reliably ; the flexibility to evolve their business model and innovate in a rapidly changing industry ; and the critical business insights to transform the industry . AWS Power & Utilities solutions address the industries four core business categories and are centered around IT and OT Transformation , Workforce & Asset Management and Customer Engagement . These are underpinned by Data Insights and core cloud services consisting of database , edge technologies , AI / ML , IoT , analytics and voice services .

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