DistribuTech is the largest power grid technology conference in the U.S.

Transformation is the name of the game in the electric power industry, and that fueled the energy, so to speak, at DistribuTech 2020 last week in San Antonio.

New solutions and a flood of blow-your-mind innovations in AI (artificial intelligence) are powering the heightened needs in the utilities industry. But one thing is clear: it is and always will be the people who are making it happen. They are the gatekeepers who keep us safe and keep the machine running in the command and control centers of today.

I was reminded of this a few days ago when I received a text notification from my utility provider that the power was out in my neighborhood and would be back on in one hour. This minute-to-minute monitoring typically occurs in the NOC (network operations center), and this is the part of the process I love.  

TOC and NOC centers are among the many names for a operations command center which manages information from outside of the room. As new technology comes into this industry and new room design ideas are created, your command center design will change. For 2020, how can your room layout/design be more responsive and adapt to the fast pace technology and communications changes that are headed your way? 

Some console manufacturers claim to have eliminated wasted space with a linear design, when they have just moved it in different locations on the console.  No matter what you will still have some wasted space in the design of the console and then in the design of the room.   

When it is time to purchase your new furniture for your 911 center, often a City or County has a purchasing department with rules to determine if such a purchase needs to go out to bid or can be bought directly. So, what exactly is a "bid"?   

The word "bid" seems to be used as a generic term for a competitive purchasing process.  We hear the word "bid" used in Request for Proposal or RFP or an Invitation to Bid IFB. These are two very different ways to create a competitive purchasing process.   

A question we often hear is, "do we have enough power for the new workstations?".  This question can actually be split into two categories:  Live cut over and new building.

New buildings are pretty easy as the architect and the electrical engineer should have already specified enough power after consulting with the radio vendor, phone, and used best practices.   

A Live Cut Over is usually pretty simple but some knowledge base of what works will make the installation of your new furniture workstations go better. Here is some simple electrical information that you'll find helpful.

If you are in the beginning of shopping for new dispatch console furniture in your 911 center a great first question is, how much do they cost?  After all, you will need to plan a budget about a year in advance and get the most accurate pricing. If you don't budget enough, you may not be able to get all of the features and options you want. If you ask for too much you may not get the project approved.   

If you're getting ready to purchase Dispatch Console Furniture, you will want to know that you are getting the best value or return on your investment (ROI). This is critical information for your your team and your taxpayers. Here is a quick guide on what to look for to make sure you are getting the most ROI for your dispatch consoles. 

It is that time of the year where the 911 community makes their annual pilgrimage to the APCO conference.  Some of you are going to take classes, others go for fun, but many of you go because you want to do some shopping in the exhibit hall.  More specifically, we know some of you are looking for new dispatch furniture consoles. 

The exhibit hall can feel like hours and hours of listening to Billy Mays's OxiClean pitch on every product. I have been on both sides of the booth. Being "that sales dude" and "being a prospect", I understand just trying to learn a product, what I like and what will work best for my needs. I've found that the best way you can be prepared to handle the semi-dreaded sales pitch and vendor hall, is to have a bit of background knowledge and some questions ready to go. 

Time flies by from year to year and from trade show to trade show. I attend somewhere around 10 trade shows a year as a vendor and a couple as an attendee. As a vendor usually, a few weeks before the show, I start to dread going. This year, AHRA 2018 is in Orlando so I think to myself negative thoughts like 'man, it is going to be HOT in Orlando' or 'that's going to be a long flight, Ugh'. But, once the show is about a week away, for some reason my mindset flips, and I get excited to go. I guess this is because I do like going to the shows, meeting people and showing them all the cool stuff that we do. I will end up enjoying Orlando (mostly inside with the A/C) and I usually will partake in at least one good local restaurant.