Two Goliaths are getting ready to battle over a new society, and the results will greatly improve our world. With all the capitalistic vigor they can muster, Google and Microsoft are at it again. We have seen these two companies fight for web browser market share, search engine dominance, and advertising clout. But now they have sent their eyes on a protect that will change the world.
The battlefield is the new frontier of smart grid technology. Knowing how you are using electricity allows for effective and efficient change of that use. How you get the information from the meter on the outside of your house, to a display of functional information inside is the goal of both groups. Google.org’s project is Google Powermeter. With eight power companies in three countries, serving 12 million people, Google and their partners can have great reach. Microsoft is just wading into the smart grid arena with their project Microsoft Hohm. Any power company that receives data from their meters(other that total usage) can be linked into Hohm. As of this writing, the site was in its infancy (6 twitter posts to date, and mostly signup for info) but updates should be quick.
While they will take slightly different paths while creating these projects, the outcome is clear. Having Microsoft and Google both working on a project that has massive environmental and social implications is only going to raise the profile and research commitment to this positive future building.
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