The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) recently inaugurated its most advanced command and control center to date which is capable of managing all information, communication and technology (ICT) systems across the company.
Meralco’s Operations Platform and Telecommunications Integrated Command Center (OPTIC) is the first of its kind among electricity distribution utilities in the country and can reduce unplanned downtime of critical ICT systems, among others.
Meralco said OPTIC is expected to increase productivity of employees and enhance service delivery to customers as it provides a centralized monitoring system that allows faster fault detection and restoration of technology services with the use of a platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze systems logs to provide insights and enable a proactive maintenance.
Meralco added OPTIC is is operational 24/7.
OPTIC is equipped with an industrial grade and energy-efficient LED display wall as well as a smart and audible alarm system for alerts and incidents.
The command center has a physical security system and CCTV monitoring by using computer-vision AI not only to check compliance with health and safety protocols but also to ensure that only authorized personnel can enter the premises.
“Meralco’s OPTIC revolutionizes the way data is harnessed and used to closely monitor our mission critical systems in real-time, proactively identify and address issues, make intelligent operational and business decisions and eliminate barriers to heighten collaboration. We are excited as the launch of the command center lays the groundwork upon which we will expand technologies and enable more innovations, ultimately leading to excellent service to delight our customers,” said Ray Espinosa, Meralco president and chief executive officer, in a statement. – Jed Macapagal
