Smart grid's big promise lures blue chips

After the Internet, the power grid is seen as the new frontier for many big companies.

The lucrative challenge of converting the antiquated electrical transmission system into an

intelligent network is attracting heavy investment from technology giants, telecommunication companies

and industrial conglomerates.

From Cisco, IBM, Motorola, Sprint to industrial conglomerates GE and Siemens, companies are vying for

contracts with utilities that own the power lines and racing to stake claim on the opportunities in the

emerging market.

$200 bn smartgrid market the next 5 years

Modernizing the aging grid and deploying smart grid technologies is a market that is forecast to

grow to $200 billion over the next five years, according to Pike Research.

The market was valued at $21 billion last year.

Google and Microsoft.....home energy management systems

are two of the big companies looking into this part of the sector.

"When you start looking at home energy management systems ...

the potential market is every single home,"

source: reuters.com