Cisco takes stake in smart grid player

Undisclosed equity investment in Grid Net adds to GE, Intel stakes

Cisco has acquired a stake in Grid Net, a maker of smart grid and "smart home" software for utilities and their customers. The amount of the equity investment was not disclosed. 

Grid Net said it will use the investment to develop, market and promote its smart grid network products, and accelerate customer engagement, industry standards and regulatory initiatives. The Grid Net software platform is designed to integrate substation automation, distribution automation, smart meters, demand response, load management and home automation capabilities to increase grid reliability, energy efficiency and renewable energy use. 

Other Grid Net investors include GE, Intel, Braemar Energy Ventures and Catamount Ventures. Motorola and Clearwire are Grid Net partners. 

Cisco kicked off its smart grid initiative less than a year ago. Greentech Media has an interesting perspective on what brought about the Cisco/Grid Net union.

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• Cisco
• Cisco announced its new pursuit of building out smart grid utility networks
• Smart Grid
• Utilities