This Industrial Talk Webcast features Ricky Singh with Software AG and Ty Roberts with Itron. It explores the challenges and solutions facing electric utilities and their digitalization journey. Here's a quick summary of the webcast: Legacy systems: Many electric utilities are still using legacy systems that are not designed to handle the volume and complexity of data generated by digital technologies. This can make it difficult to collect, store, and analyze data, which can hinder efforts to improve efficiency and reliability. Security: The increasing use of digital technologies in the electric grid makes it a more attractive target for cyberattacks. Utilities need to invest in security measures to protect their systems from cyber threats. Regulation: The regulatory environment for electric utilities is complex and constantly changing. Utilities need to stay up-to-date on regulations in order to comply with them and avoid costly fines. Culture: The traditional culture of electric utilities is often resistant to change. Utilities need to create a culture that embraces innovation and is open to new ways of doing things. Cost: The cost of digitalization can be high, especially for smaller utilities. Utilities need to carefully consider the costs and benefits of digitalization before making investments. Despite these challenges, digitalization offers a number of opportunities for electric utilities, including: Increased efficiency: Digital technologies can help utilities to improve efficiency by automating tasks, reducing paperwork, and improving decision-making. Improved reliability: Digital technologies can help utilities to improve reliability by monitoring and predicting problems, and by enabling faster response times to outages. New services: Digital technologies can enable utilities to offer new services, such as demand response programs and energy efficiency consulting. Customer engagement: Digital technologies can help utilities to improve customer engagement by providing more personalized and convenient services. Overall, digitalization is a major challenge for electric utilities, but it also offers a number of opportunities for improvement. Utilities that are able to overcome the challenges of digitalization will be well-positioned to succeed in the future. Here are some specific examples of how electric utilities are using digital technologies to improve their operations: Smart meters: Smart meters are devices that collect data on energy usage in real time. This data can be used by utilities to monitor and manage energy usage, and to identify opportunities for energy savings. Distribution automation: Distribution automation systems use sensors and other devices to monitor and control the distribution grid. This can help to improve reliability and efficiency, and to reduce outages. Demand response programs: Demand response programs offer incentives to customers to reduce their energy usage during peak demand periods. This can help to relieve stress on the grid and avoid outages. Energy efficiency consulting: Utilities can offer energy efficiency consulting services to help customers reduce their energy usage. This can help to improve the efficiency of the grid and reduce emissions. These are just a few examples of how electric utilities are using digital technologies to improve their operations. As digital technologies continue to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative ways for utilities to use them to improve efficiency, reliability, and customer service.