Utilities are at the forefront of a data analytics challenge many industries may soon face: making sense of data from millions of connected devices, such as connected smart meters, thermostats and sensors.

Machines that weren’t traditionally considered computers are increasingly being equipped with controllers and networked, a trend some call the Internet of things. Cars, for example, are instrumented to send diagnostic data back to engineers, consumers can remotely control home alarms and thermostats, and medical devices report patient data to doctors off-site.