by Brendan Coyne
Atos is the latest company to withdraw from the bidding to run smart meter data contracts, Utility Week has learnt.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) is currently trying to whittle down its shortlist of data service providers (DSPs) to three. The departure of Atos takes the number to four. Utility Week understands that those left in the bid process are consortia led by CSC, HP, IBM and Logica, although some of those companies are questioning the resources required for the bid process.
Decc also wants three communications service providers (CSPs) for the formal comms tender.
The remaining firms in the comms bidding are understood to be consortia led by Airwave, Arqiva, Cable & Wireless, Telefonica and Vodafone.
Alcatel and Everything Everywhere (which exited the bid process in May) are understood to have joined Airwave’s bid.
Decc has broken the comms tenders into three regional areas. Although the tender document states that one provider could win all three regions, one supplier told Utility Week the department would “definitely split it into three regions”.
It is thought all the consortia, bar Airwave, are aiming for a national contract. Airwave is thought to be bidding for just the northern region.
Earlier this month the department invited industry and the shortlisted companies to a meeting where energy companies were given a short presentation by each DSP and CSP bidder. Utility Week understands questions were limited by Decc under the auspices of confidentiality, leaving some energy companies frustrated with the lack of meaningful information on which to make smart meter procurement decisions.
Alcatel, Airwave, Atos and Everything Everywhere were asked to confirm the above details but did not comment.
This article first appeared in Utility Week’s print edition of 31 August 2012.
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