Turning data into information that can be used to make the right decisions at the right time is central to oil and gas upstream operations. While that statement is simple, anyone working in exploration and production knows that turning the tsunami of data generated on a regular basis into information is a complex and multifaceted undertaking. Further, it is an undertaking that has challenged oil and gas companies for some time.

Oil and gas companies typically have multiple, discrete, and often best of breed systems to support this objective. However, there is an urgent need to automate and integrate these systems to provide contextrelevant information in one place. Wipro Technologies and Petris Technology, Inc. have jointly developed PetrisWINDS OneTouch, a framework that takes advantage of the Microsoft (MS) Upstream IT Reference Architecture1, to provide the right information to the right people at the right time. From underlying data sources to end user, PetrisWINDS OneTouch provides seamlessly integrated information through an online portal and also enables real?time collaboration between members of multidisciplinary teams.

As fossil fuels grow scarce and increase in price and as the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions
worsen, governments worldwide are creating new, more complex and more costly regulations, shorter
deadlines and higher penalties for non-compliance. Energy utilities and ISOs have mandates to dramatically
increase renewable energy usage on uncomfortably short timelines. They face an evolving state of current
technologies, a lack of uniform standards, the unpredictable intermittency of renewable power,
complications of balancing conventional and renewable energy sources, and the cost of upgrading our
seriously dated infrastructure. And, one more thing: they are challenged to keep energy prices reasonable.

The smart grid is viewed as the enabler for the energy and utilities sector now grappling with new economic and regulatory realties coming out of the global recession. This white paper examines the new challenges affecting forecasters, as well as the opportunities for harnessing smart grid data to maximize the value of forecasting. You'll discover how your organization can better prepare for the smart grid, and capitalize on the influx of data that's coming in with it. Having the right combination of forecasting tools and information technology will determine success or failure in this new era and maximize your investments in smart grid infrastructure.

This special report packed with reasons why market-leading companies use business analytics to their competitive advantage. Filled with expert advice and research on how to base every organizational decision on facts, this report covers a range of topics, including:
o   Business analytics for industries and SMBs.
o   Examples of significant ROI
o   Applying business analytics to processes.
o   Actions to get started.

A New Way of Estimating Hurricane Destructive Potential
ImpactWeather’s Hurricane Severity Index is an enhanced hurricane rating system which more accurately defines the strength and destructive capability of a given storm than other scales currently utilized.

A crisis does not have to be a catastrophe. Threats abound: hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, lightning strikes, extreme temperature, intense wind, floods, ice, local activism, terrorism. The odds are against you. You can prevail, using a geospatial composite application. This paper describes how. Benefits: timely rerouting of power and islanding to stabilize the grid and prevent outages, reduced probability of regulatory penalties, and improved prioritization of service restoration.

Discover Cisco Solutions for Substation Automation.

Cisco solutions for the substation data communications infrastructure deliver significant benefits: increased security, better management, high performance, and lower operating costs.

This new white paper describes how Cisco substation solutions:

• Secure substation data communications for NERC/CIP compliance
• Support SCADA and IEC 61850 communications with advanced performance and features
• Provide a multiservice platform for enabling distributed intelligence over time
• Increase observability, monitoring, and control for improved grid performance and reduced operating expenses

Take advantage of this opportunity to explore Cisco solutions for the substation data communications infrastructure.

There is much ado about data quality in business today, and with good reason. Both IT managers and business decision makers alike are awakening not just to the direct costs of poor data quality, but more importantly, to the potential for true competitive advantage that superior data quality can yield. Specifically, carefully planned and executed data quality and data integration initiatives can be integral to an organization's ability to gain a 360-degree view of itself, its operations and its customer base.

According to a recent survey from TDWI Research, 38% of organizations surveyed are practicing advanced analytics today, whereas 85% say they’ll be practicing it within three years. Why such a dramatic upsurge in advanced analytics now? The use of advanced analytics is driven up by organizations’ need to understand constantly changing business environments (as seen in the current recession and the resulting market turmoil), as well as to discover opportunities for cost reductions and new sales targets (which are key to surviving and thriving in a down economy). To meet these business goals, organizations are stepping up their use of two forms of advanced analytics: query-based analytics (which relies on complex SQL statements to define recent business events) and predictive analytics (which uses data mining and statistical methods to anticipate future events).