Telecontrol STM metering team has recently completed all installation and configuration tasks for the deployment of IRIS Software Platform for the important utility EPRESA, located at south of Spain. This is a successfully case study due the cloud hybrid solution deployed and the architecture of the deployment adopted.

This project, aside all security mechanisms (both internal and external) provided by IRIS, has been reinforced with the configuration of an VPN (virtual private network) between IRIS instance deployed in the cloud with Microsoft Azure and the private and local network of EPRESA. A connection site-to-site has been established from end to end: from IRIS software platform and the data concentrators. This hybrid solution is the best one from a security and reliable perspective and the first metering project in all Europe with this safe and secured architecture.

The solution adopted with EPRESA is shown in the following and simple diagram:

With this deployment of IRIS and new customer, Telecontrol STM shows again the capacity and flexibility of IRIS Software Platform, able to be adapted to any posible deployment scenario, like these ones described below:

• IRIS can be deployed in local servers at customer facility (with more costs by software licenses of operating systems and database server, and the adquisition of hardware and its maintenance in the long run).
• IRIS can be deployed in the cloud with Microsoft Azure with data concentrators connected to the Internet with public IPs using 3G/GPRS modems (lower costs but worse security risks when accesing to data concentrators).
• Deployment of Azure with VPN access to the private and local network of the customer (like this case with EPRESA). In this scenario, software license and maintenance costs get dropped drastically and the security is guaranteed between both sides. To do this, a CISCO router has been used to connect each end-points.

On the other hand, during next weeks, about 2000 meters of PLC800 technology of Circutor manufacturer (no PRIME) used by the utility since some years ago, will be installed and managed by IRIS as well.