By Andreas Walter, HEXstream Senior Vice President of Global Sales

Hello from the floor of DISTRIBUTECH, which never fails to surprise with the size of this show. This is a big, big conference. And that size reflects the growth of the distribution space. There are many new tools, techniques and technologies in this field. There are many stakeholders, and myriad ways that utilities (the smart ones at least) can embrace new strategies to more efficiently serve their customers. 

So what stands out on Day 1...outside of the acrobats twirling over our heads during the opening presentation? 

Well, there is a strong focus on software. Solution providers are offering software to address even the most niche aspects of power distribution. There is an equally strong interest in new software among utility representatives I've chatted with; these decision-makers recognize the value in emerging software solutions, particularly those that can automate and ease processes within their systems. 

DER/DERMS is a hot topic here at DISTRIBUTECH. As utilities' assets are increasingly distributed into remote locations, these Distributed Energy Resource/Managing Systems are in high demand. This trend will continue in the coming years—I am excited to see HEXstream solutions employed with these techniques.

Lastly, a hot topic here in Orlando is artificial intelligence, particularly with AI's capabilities to empower energy providers throughout every aspect of their operations—from customer service to predictive maintenance, from billing to data management. Exciting stuff, for sure, particularly with the huge opportunities AI presents to the utilities sector that has, historically, been slow to embrace some of these approaches. 

That's it for now. Our CEO Jamal Syed (pictured above) and I have many more people to meet. If you'd like to connect with me to discuss how HEXstream aligns with these strategies listed above, be in touch at andreas.walter@HEXstream.com