Open Source in Electric Utilities

Kerala Electricity Board saves mn by using Open Source

Kerala has always been in the forefront with regard to free and open source solutions. In Kerala starting from school students to Government offices, everyone uses Linux. 

The revolution started way back in 2008 with the successful in-house development and implementation of ORUMA(Open Resourced Utility Management Application). ORUMA gave freedom to Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) from the clutches of Microsoft

KSEB serves 11 million customers across the state and has 697 sections for billing. ORUMA works within a client-server architecture and works in real-time providing solutions for new connections, billing, cash collection and accounting of customers. PostgreSQL is used as a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), Debian Linux as the server OS, Ubuntu Linux as the client OS, and PHP as the server-side scripting language for the Web-based front-end. In addition to ORUMA, KSEB has accounting software Saras, a Human Resource Management System (PF and Payroll module); HT and EHT billing software for new connections, billing, collection and accounting; software providing Web-enabled services like e-payment, and the Supply Chain Management System, which handles planning, procurement and store management. Even the KSEB website runs on Joomla, again an open source solution. They are planning to implement GIS also on open source as most of their requirements are simple do not justify costly COTS deployment.

Advantages of FOSS adoption:

1. Economic and technical superiority
2. Saved about Rs 7-8 crore(1.6 mn USD) by implementing open source tools for deployment of various applications
3. No license renewals and version updation, so no expenses in that regard
4. The government has become aware about this recurring expenditure, and supports open source solutions to the maximum extent possible to keep IT expenses down to the minimum.
5. No vendor dependability
6. Free to modify code without fear of legal complications
7. In terms of scalability, PostgreSQL stands at par with industry-known proprietary databases like SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL

 

OpenSource & Geospatial Intelligence System (GIS)

GIS is not just maps and visulaization. It has left the geography train much before. Lets not dilute it by using its old definiation which centred around it and kept it at the periphery of overall IT infrastructure. Lets call it "Geospatial Intelligence System" (GIS).

Geospatial Intelligence System (GIS) is now at the core of many consumer applications. We all know it is more about the integration of locational intelligence with the existing IT setup so users can take the advantage of this powerful tool. With the addition of an integration platform, which may include an enterprise service bus, GIS services can be fused with the other shared services of complementary enterprise systems (CRM, ERP, CIS, etc.) to provide a more complete business picture. Along with the proliferation of consumer mapping and Free and Open Source (FOS) platforms, GIS integration has grown over the past five years, so has the overall interest of developers and new breed of GISers. Use of Open Source technology enriches service offerings and provides value in overall efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility to organizational business processes with lesser limitations due to sw specific requirements and architecture. For example, compare Microsft MSN with Google products. All google products are open source, youtube, orkut, g-maps, g-earth ocean etc. You can't fix many problems in the popular GIS softwares. You are always limited with ArcGIS, Mapinfo or Autocad or any other, but with open source there is no such limitations. In most of the audio video web applications, open source has given a new concept for web that is known as web 2.0 technology where these sites Google, eBay etc are launched. Very soon web 3.0 technology is about to come.

Scapability, Customisation, Compatibility and even performance is beyond desire in open source eg like WMS, WFS, Open Jump, GRASS, Postgre SQL, Web 2.0 etc. The core programming is back with bang and now even microsfot is afraid after the recent success of Google products. All the big co. have setup R&D div. for this and even smaller enterpreneur are happy as all they need now is buch of capable and motivated people only. EU has already taken the lead and soon when Indian and Chinese talent pool will also become familliar with this advantage then Microsoft and ESRI, MapInfo, AutocAD etc will face a tough challenge in market