• Next generation GIS delivers improvements in operational efficiency to support gas, water, and electricity networks
SAN DIEGO, CA, Feb. 3, 2009 -- Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for the infrastructure that sustains our world, announced that Huntsville Utilities, a multi-utility serving more than 300,000 people in Madison County, Ala., has implemented a new geographic information system (GIS) using Bentley Water, Bentley Electric, Bentley Gas, and Bentley Geospatial Server. The new GIS will support design, asset management, and other geospatial workflows and replace a legacy system that was never fully deployed. The new system will be used by Huntsville engineers to substantially improve the productivity of more than 25 engineers, designers and technicians in the water, gas, and electric utilities. Huntsville Utilities will also use:
• Bentley Expert Designer Electric to increase productivity and better estimate costs in the electric distribution design department,
• Bentley Geospatial Server to deliver enterprise access to Oracle spatial data,
• WaterGEMS to model and analyze the utility's water network to better manage water distribution and minimize water loss.
Commenting on the deployment, Jay C. Stowe, vice president of operations, Huntsville Utilities, said, "We have long recognized the need for a powerful GIS to support our business. The Bentley products, however, bring to the table a GIS capability designed specifically to support engineering workflows within a multi-utility. That means there is no trade-off between GIS functionality and the accuracy of CAD technology, and that we can manage all classes of infrastructure with the same GIS platform."
Stowe continued, "Because the new technology supports project-based workflows through Bentley Geospatial Server, we will be able to link the work of our varied design teams and sub-contractors much more easily. Our goal is to speed our response to developers requesting utility services for new subdivisions and commercial developments. Bentley products will enable our teams to turn designs around more quickly and explore network design and cost options more easily."
By employing Bentley technology, Huntsville Utilities expects its new GIS to substantially improve not only engineering productivity, but also as-built data integrity and access to up-to-date engineering documentation through Bentley Geospatial Server. In time, the Bentley GIS will be integrated with the concurrent implementation of SAP.
Huntsville Utilities is three separate systems operating under three boards appointed by the City Council and owned by the City of Huntsville. The gas, water and electric systems share top management, customer services, billing, meter reading, accounting and purchasing, which saves customers money.
Bentley Systems, Incorporated is the global leader dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure.
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