IBM and Cable & Wireless to gather smart meter data in the cloud

IBM and Cable & Wireless (C&W) have announced plans to collaborate on the development of a cloud-based smart metering system, dubbed the UK Smart Energy Cloud.

This collaboration aims to support the UK's Smart Meter Implementation Programme, which should see about 50 million smart meters rolled out in the UK by 2020.

Smart meters are designed to monitor energy consumption and provide consumers with a more accurate bill.

The Energy Cloud will utilise IBM's experience in smart grid programmes, and will be supported by C&W's network.

Built on IBM's scalable WebSphere enterprise messaging infrastructure, it uses virtualisation to achieve a cost-effective solution, the firm said.

The grid will be able to gather data many times a day, from any smart meter in the country, and store it centrally in a UK-based hosted cloud environment.

This data will then be sent to energy retailers for assessment.

"As we start the journey towards a low carbon economy, smart meters will drive a wave of change in the energy system and are set to become an increasingly important part of the nation's critical infrastructure," said Laurence Carpanini, director of smart meters and smart grids, IBM UK & Ireland.

This news follows a similar announcement last year, which saw BT align with Arqiva and information specialist Detica to roll out meters to 26 million homes by 2020.

The companies said at the time that they planned to combine their respective experience in delivering national communications solutions, data services and secure systems, and running a critical national infrastructure.