Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke (LKW) has outsourced data and software hosting for its smart metering system. Hosting in connection with the software-as-a-service (SaaS) contract covers data from more than 45,000 metering points and complies with the strictest security and availability criteria. After more than a year of productive operation, the verdict is positive: Data protection and system stability benefit from the externally operated technology platform; the cost-efficiency of smart metering has been optimized through the shift from capital to operating expenses. SaaS clearly represents a sensible path towards digitization, particularly for public utilities and smaller companies with fewer financial and human resources, which already operate a smart metering infrastructure or are about to roll one out.
