MoreTrimble announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Tripod Data Systems (TDS) of Corvallis, Ore., has been awarded a contract from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to supply a Pole Asset Management System (PAM) for mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. The contract is valued at $760,000.
Using TDS-customized PAM software, PG&E has developed a sophisticated database of its distribution power poles. Using this information, PG&E has undertaken a test and treat program, which allows workers to test the condition of every pole and then track the applications of chemicals which prevent decay from fungus and insects.
"PAM allows PG&E to effectively map and record data regarding the location, condition, and treatment of our poles and other structural assets," said Jim Campbell, PG&E programmer/analyst. "This may not seem like such a big undertaking, but when you realize that we monitor more than 2 million different poles over more than two-thirds of California, you can see that the program that TDS has developed gives us a tremendous advantage."
The PAM system was originally developed for PG&E by PenMetrics, which is now part of TDS. The new contract was awarded to redevelop PAM from a 16-bit application to Microsoft Windows 2000 standard, which requires a 32-bit application for optimal performance using Microsoft .NET technology. The original PAM consisted of three parts: PAM Desktop, PAM Fieldnotes Manager and PAM FDU (Field Units). The new PAM will be streamlined into two main components, PAM Fieldnotes Manager and PAM Fieldnotes, and will include Global Positioning System (GPS) and Bar Code Scanning capabilities.
