Commander wins TransGrid tender

TransGrid has selected IT&T service provider Commander to develop an electronic outage system that can manage planned outages and maintenance across the state.

Commander won the project in a tender after providing TransGrid with an architectural design for an automated outage system to improve the accuracy of information available on planned outages.

Dubbed THEOS (THE Outage planning System), it will replace multiple systems, including a mainframe based system. THEOS will further complement TransGrid’s new service-oriented architecture (SOA), which is based around the Microsoft .NET (version 3.0) framework and Microsoft Windows Smart Client.

Gordon Dunsford, TransGrid’s chief information officer said in any outage case, THEOS will prompt TransGrid’s outage coordinators to notify all systems involved of next steps, drastically automating and streamlining processes.

“In later development stages, THEOS will exchange outage plans and notifications using NEMMCO’s Business-to-Business electronic exchange facility. It will also enable greater automation of the reports the Australian Energy Regulator require,” he said.