Customer Success Story: Loudoun Water
Company Size
1,000+
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- GENESIS32™
- GENESIS64™
- Windows Vista Ultimate
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Tech Stack
- Windows XP
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Vista
- Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.0
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Digital Expertise
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
Applicable Industries
- Utilities
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Process Control & Optimization
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Loudoun Water, also known as Loudoun County Sanitation Authority, is a utility company established in 1959. It provides dependable, high-quality drinking water and wastewater reclamation services to the unincorporated areas of Loudoun County, Virginia. The company controls and monitors its water distribution and wastewater treatment systems using HMI/SCADA applications. These applications are graphically rich, Web-enabled programs that allow Loudoun Water to view everything from flow animations and representations of pipes and valves to dashboards and control panels. The utility’s HMI/SCADA system has been based primarily on GENESIS32™ by ICONICS, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that develops industrial automation and manufacturing-intelligence software.
The Challenge
Loudoun Water, a utility company in Virginia, was seeking ways to improve its industrial processes. It determined that high-performance 64-bit computers and applications, including a feature-rich, easier-to-use, 64-bit version of its ICONICS software, GENESIS64™, would increase efficiency. However, the utility would need a newer operating system to support the upgrade. The utility’s HMI/SCADA system was based primarily on GENESIS32™ by ICONICS, installed in an environment with 15 client computers running the Windows XP operating system connected to servers running the Windows Server 2003 operating system. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 data management software supports the HMI/SCADA applications by supplying them with information gathered in real time from the utility’s industrial environment.
The Solution
In February 2008, Loudoun Water began deploying the Windows Vista Ultimate client operating system and upgrading its HMI/SCADA software to include the GENESIS64 suite. By upgrading to Windows Vista, Loudoun Water can run versions of its mission-critical industrial applications that fully support the newer operating system’s advanced 64-bit architecture and richer graphical environment. As a result, these third-party applications are more flexible and easier to use, and they can be customized much faster. The utility’s HMI/SCADA applications running on Windows Vista include sophisticated features that would be more difficult to implement in a Windows XP–based environment. For example, the GENESIS64 suite uses Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets as gauges, alarms, sliders, and other controls that utility employees can access more easily.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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