IBM executive criticises utilities for slow IT adoption

UK utility companies are lagging behind other industries in terms of technology adoption, according to Simon Dyson, general manager of IBM Global Utility and Energy Services.

In an exclusive video interview with Silicon.com, Dyson said utilities are struggling to cope with deregulation, and are simultaneously being forced to embrace the ebusiness revolution.

"As competition has arrived, so the companies have reacted... but they are towards the back of the queue in terms of industries embracing technology," he said. He stressed that utilities need to invest a great deal more in systems and processes to catch up with other markets.

Patrick Doherty, partner in Energy Practice at Deloitte Consulting, agreed, and noted the development of IT systems has been much slower in utilities such the water industry that are still undergoing deregulation.

Adoption of technology has also been put back by companies focusing on
Y2K-compliance issues. "Companies have put off reinventing their customer service systems end-to-end until they get past the Y2K horizon," said Dyson.

You can see the full video interview with Simon Dyson on Silicon.com's Utilities Channel (http://www.silicon.com/a33753 ).