SpatialNews Press Release
New Zealand Utility Company Implements ESRI GIS Solution
ESRI, Eagle Technology Group, and Miner & Miner Provide Software, Data
Conversion, and Consulting Services
Redlands, California-DELTA Utility Services Limited of Dunedin, New Zealand, has selected
Eagle Technology Group to provide an ESRI geographic information system (GIS) and Miner &
Miner’s energy applications. The solution will unify and modernize DELTA’s systems, ensuring
cost savings and improved customer service.
DELTA is an asset management company that manages the electrical networks of Dunedin
Electricity Ltd. With a customer base of nearly 70,000, Dunedin Electricity is one of New Zealand’s
largest electricity distributors. Rated as New Zealand’s most effective network company with a
delivery reliability of 99.99 percent, Dunedin Electricity manages more than 5,200 transformers and
approximately 4,300 km of line, of which 20 percent are underground.
In 1999, Dunedin Electricity purchased the line business assets of another New Zealand utility,
Central Electric Limited. This purchase resulted in DELTA acquiring a significant increase in assets
to be managed, a larger area to cover, and a second GIS that was not compatible with its existing
system. As a result, DELTA issued a request for proposals for a GIS vendor to develop an
enterprisewide solution that integrated with asset management information systems, supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA), field data access, and database management systems.
Additionally, the system had to centralize information presently gathered at four locations across
New Zealand-Dunedin, Cromwell, Queenstown, and Winton.
“The existing systems were fragmented, costly to maintain, and did not provide a single
expansion path. Some of the GIS software was outdated and not compatible with our extensive
Oracle based asset information database. Also, our remote capability was very limited,” says
DELTA’s Business Services Manager Lindsay McLennan.
Facing all these problems was a tremendous challenge for DELTA, and they began a search for a
vendor who could supply compatible software, hardware, data conversions, application
implementation training, ongoing support, and project coordination.
“We wanted to establish a relationship with a GIS vendor who was committed to providing
solutions to meet our future GIS requirements. Also, we needed a system that could be expanded to
cope with other utility assets such as gas or water,” commented McLennan.
Eagle Technology Group, ESRI’s New Zealand distributor, approached DELTA with a solution.
“We recommended ArcInfo 8, which will enable DELTA to make use of a single, integrated
environment to manage and map multiple utilities. The software takes advantage of new standards in
geographic data models, tools, and applications,” says Eagle Account Manager Peng Aik Lim. “As
well as providing a platform for shared information, the database software enables utilities to
integrate asset management with business processes. We sought assistance from United States
software development and consulting company Miner & Miner to modify the ArcFM Energy and
Designer products that suit DELTA’s requirements.”
Eagle proposed a GIS solution that implemented ESRI’s ArcInfo, ArcSDE, ArcPad, ArcView,
and ArcFM along with Miner & Miner’s Designer software products. “When Eagle Technology
demonstrated the ESRI solution, we could see immediately that it had potential. ArcFM provided a
complete, out-of-the-box solution geared to the needs of utility end users. The software had good
support, and Eagle has an extensive GIS client base in New Zealand,” stated McLennan.
Future plans include DELTA utilizing ArcIMS to make online business-to-business transactions
with suppliers and contractors. Currently the project is well under way and, according to Eagle, the
new system is expected to be operational by the middle of next year.
Eagle Technology Ltd was established in 1969 and the Group was formed in 1984. The privately
owned company has more than 170 employees with offices and service centers throughout New
Zealand and a wholly owned subsidiary in Sydney. Eagle offers a diverse range of information
technology solutions, and its customers include many of New Zealand’s leading corporations, local
authorities, and government agencies, as well as international companies with sites in Australia and
Asia. Eagle is the New Zealand distributor for ESRI and ERDAS GIS software products. For more
information visit www.eagle.co.nz.
For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than
300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support
services. Headquartered in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States,
international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,050 business partners. ESRI’s
goal is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and
use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them. For more
information visit www.esri.com.
Miner & Miner (M&M) is a world leader in the development and implementation of GIS software
for utilities. M&M products and services assist electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities in
increasing productivity, lowering costs, and improving services by allowing them to effectively
manage spatial information. Founded in 1946 as a full-service electrical engineering firm, M&M
has been an equity partner of ESRI since 1987. This partnership has enabled M&M to become the
world’s leading developer of ArcInfo GIS applications for the utility industry. M&M services
include implementation and customization of software to fit the needs of individual utilities. For
more information visit www.miner.com.
ESRI, ArcView, and the ESRI globe logo are trademarks of ESRI, registered in the United States and certain other
countries; registration is pending in the European Community. ArcInfo, ArcIMS, ArcSDE, ArcFM, ArcPad, and
GIS by ESRI are trademarks and www.esri.com and @esri.com are service marks of ESRI. Other companies and
products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.
Return to Today's News Index
|
