Oracle Announces Oracle(R) Utilities Network Management System Release 1.8.0

Enhanced Application Enables Utilities to Improve Distribution Management and
Accelerate Outage Identification and Resolution

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DistribuTECH -- Oracle
today announced the availability of Oracle(R) Utilities Network Management
System Release 1.8.0, an integrated suite of real-time operations technology
applications designed to improve network reliability, maximize asset
utilization, reduce outage durations and increase customer satisfaction. This
new release builds on the product's market leadership(1) in outage management
with new enhancements to help utilities improve distribution management,
including new applications for Fault Location, Isolation and Service
Restoration, as well as Volt/Var Optimization.
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Oracle Utilities Network Management System Release 1.8.0 leverages
Oracle's application infrastructure -- including Oracle Database and Oracle
Fusion Middleware -- to provide a unified application and technology operating
environment. This combined application and supporting technology enables
utilities to leverage new functionality to support their intelligent grid
roadmaps.
"Maintaining high performance and service levels requires the visibility
to anticipate and respond to dynamic usage requirements," said Quentin Grady,
senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Utilities. "Oracle
Utilities Network Management System allows utilities to provide rapid and
cohesive responses to performance issues, and it serves as the foundation for
expanded services and enhanced operations."
Expanding Distribution Management Functionality
The Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration application within
the new release integrates with distribution automation and Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. The application automates fault
isolation and determines how to efficiently restore service. It also
initiates closed-loop switching actions within 60 seconds -- without requiring
dispatcher interaction, enabling utilities to quickly reduce the number of
customers experiencing sustained outage durations.
Oracle's Optimal Power Flow Engine enhancements feature Volt/Var
Optimization to minimize system losses. Volt/Var Optimization provides
enhanced insight during system load changes -- providing system operators with
additional flexibility and responses for managing peak load conditions.
Oracle Utilities Network Management System Release 1.8.0 also features
Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Integration Adapters to support
Intelligent Grid and Smart Metering solutions. The integration of AMI
technologies into Oracle Utilities Network Management System provides the
ability to communicate with meters to enable restoration verification. As a
result, utilities can reduce the number of truck deployments when power has
already been restored to the meter and receive more comprehensive outage
extent notifications from meters reporting that power is off. Oracle's
field-proven interfaces are based on a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
implemented with Web services and exchanging MultiSpeak(R)-compliant
extensible markup language (XML) messages.
Expanding Security and Data Modeling Capabilities
Oracle is providing additional capabilities to help utilities enhance
system security and comply with industry mandates. New Oracle integration to
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) provides utilities with
consistent user name and password administration and management within the
system. Simplified user access for Oracle Utilities Network Management System
provides single sign-on to all network management system applications.
To help utilities streamline reporting to Public Utility Commissions on
overall system and reliability performance, Oracle Utilities Network
Management System Release 1.8.0 also improves the accuracy of data models and
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through:
-- The introduction of Oracle Utilities Business Intelligence to support
visual metaphors for enhanced data mining and industry standard IEEE
P1366 reports
-- Support for post-outage correction and detailed audit trails
-- Modeling of Automated Throwovers (ATOs) behavior for manual and auto
return control schemes for reliable network configurations that
accurately present, manage and control the complexities of Intelligent
Electronic Devices (IEDs)
-- Support for life-cycle changes to GIS data for construction-pending
states through previews of facilities to be installed or removed from
the electrical network and plans for commissioning or decommissioning
equipment

"Oracle is well-positioned to support utility objectives through our
best-of-breed products and integrated application infrastructure that delivers
the performance, flexibility and scalability required to enhance services,
streamline operations and achieve other business goals," said Linda Jackman,
vice president of product management, Oracle Utilities. "Oracle Utilities
Network Management System Release 1.8.0 reflects Oracle's ongoing commitment
to provide utilities with focused applications that address specific
challenges, as well as broad solutions that provide the platform for the next
generation of operations and services."
Pricing and Availability
Oracle Utilities Network Management System Release 1.8.0 is currently
available. For additional product information, including pricing, please
visit http://www.oracle.com.
About Oracle Utilities
Oracle Utilities delivers the proven software applications that help
utilities achieve competitive advantage, business performance excellence and a
lower total cost of technology ownership. Oracle Utilities integrates
industry-specific customer care and billing, network management, work and
asset management, mobile workforce management and meter data management
applications with the capabilities of Oracle's industry-leading enterprise
applications, business intelligence tools, middleware and database
technologies. Oracle Utilities enables its customers to adapt more nimbly to
market deregulation, meet ever-evolving customer demands, and deliver on
commitments to environmental conservation. For more information, visit
http://www.oracle.com/industries/utilities.
About Oracle
Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) is the world's largest enterprise software company.
For more information about Oracle, visit our Web site at
http://www.oracle.com.
(1) Gartner Research, Magic Quadrant for Outage Management Systems, 1H07,
by Bradley Williams and Zarko Sumic

* Magic Quadrant Disclaimer
The Magic Quadrant for Outage Management Systems, 1H07, is copyrighted
March 27, 2007, by Gartner, Inc., and is reused with permission. The Magic
Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific
time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure
against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not
endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and
does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest
rating. Gartner disclaims all warranties express or implied, with respect to
this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
specific purpose.
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SOURCE Oracle Corporation

Caroline Yu of Oracle Corporation, +1-650-506-8920, caroline.yu@oracle.com; or
Janice Hazen of O'Keeffe & Company, +1-770-938-4753, jhazen@okco.com, for
Oracle Corporation