It's not often that SAP American, IBM and Oracle Utilities share the same podium, but they were all present at K2007 to give their respective visions on Enterprise Solutions -- Perspectives from the Market Leaders during the first afternoon of the conference.

In the short term, SAP is responding to the burgeoning demand in the AMI market, says Henry Bailey, vice president of the industry solutions group. SAP is already refocusing on the United States, as its development teams are moving from Europe to the U.S., working with co-developers to enable its software data from the metering side. Environmental and risk management solutions from Europe are also moving here, as greater interest is shown in the market. And the company's new American headquarters under construction in Newtown Square, Pa. is a totally green building, even being used as a testing area to integrate SAP AMI solutions.

Gerry Metzler, a partner in IBM Global Business Services, expects the electric utility market moving over the next 10 years from the "passive persistence" model currently in vogue, to a "participatory network" in which the customer is involved in the decision-making, becoming the trailblazer in determining energy consumption. One question that remains to be answered is if the changes will derive from operational concerns or customer decisions. But there will be massive capital expenditures, whcih the industry's perceived slow pace in decision-making, as opposed to say, telecom, may provide some benefit.

Environmental imperatives and a changing business climate are only two of the many influences that are affecting how Oracle Utilities performs, says Guerry Waters, vice president -- industry strategy and marketing. As it links its business and IT strategies, Oracle is looking to build its partnerships with operations and technology groups. Its goals include: providing a complete utility IT solution that provides a response to its customers, controls costs and provides timely information; accelerates the adoption of standards-based technology and interoperability; and provides industry expertise and strategic support.