OTB Consulting Services

Welcome to the website for Outside The Box (OTB) Consulting Services. The company is dedicated to providing thoughtful solutions to problems in the electric utility domain.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” [Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr – 1849]

As the utility industry undergoes its “transformation” due to the emergence of the Internet of Things (IOT), the convergence of IT/OT, smart grids, microgrids, and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), there is the appearance of dramatic changes to the industry. As technology from the IT domain, and others, is adopted and the scale and distribution of information sources impact the industry, it is worthwhile to keep Karr’s perspective in mind.

The key to a successful utility eco-system still remains as requiring:

Information integration strategies and technologies.
Understanding of the security and privacy requirements of the integrated solution.
Minimizing life-cycle costs.

OTB Consulting Services provides integration and security services founded in experience in the OT environment but with knowledge of the IT space. OTB has an in-depth knowledge of several different information models from the OT space, including but not limited to CIM and IEC 61850, as well as utility security requirements and can assist customers in developing strategies and technologies that minimize customization.