If you browse industry publications, scroll through LinkedIn, or sit through major tech keynotes, the narrative is almost always the same: a relentless push for automated innovation, rushing to deploy technology for the sake of being first. For smaller teams supporting the utility sector, it’s easy to feel the pressure of this race.
But at Tri-Global, our history has taught us a different lesson: true innovation isn’t about being first to the market, but being right for the person holding the device in the field.
The theme of this year’s NISC MIC centers on a fundamental truth: the best solutions arise from collective effort. Innovation doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and one-size-fits-all software architectures frequently break down when faced with the daily realities of the field. True technological advancement requires a partner that stands right beside you, ready to work, translating the challenges of the field into intuitive technology.
At Tri-Global, we’ve spent decades operating as an extension of our clients’ teams. Our entire product ecosystem has been co-created from the ground up and begins with a single, simple step: a conversation. When a utility crew encounters an operational bottleneck, they call us. We work side-by-side with them to build a targeted solution; and then we roll that solution out to our entire user base, improving operations for everyone.
Here’s what innovation through conversation looks like in practice at Tri-Global:
In 2024, one of our neighboring EMC’s in Georgia approached us about a need to perform an inspection on their electric utility meters being swapped out for SCADA-compatible meters – tracking the serial numbers was critical for them. To solve this, we created a control type that allows any Orbitas User to utilize their iPhone or iPad’s built-in camera to scan and read nearly any barcode or QR code format.
When an electric cooperative in Kentucky needed a more efficient way to audit pole attachments and verify rental fees from third-party utilities, they turned to us. By listening to their specific pain points, we integrated 360-degree photo capture directly into Orbitas, allowing the cooperative to virtually revisit sites without the time commitments of manual field inspections. By simply driving their routes with an Asteri receiver and a 360-degree camera mounted to their vehicle, they transformed a manual, labor-intensive bottleneck into an automated, intuitive workflow.
Innovation often means replacing outdated, manual workarounds with intuitive digital tools. Originally developed for Wheatland REA to replace the imprecise, manual “hand method” commonly used in the field, the angle bisector tool allows Orbitas users to divide an angle with absolute precision and remains one of our most popular tools today.
Innovation through co-creation at Tri-Global continues today. As the industry standards for accuracy evolve and become more precise, we’re seeing an increased demand for accurately displayed and modeled Z values. Specifically in the electric utility sphere, there is a need to model elevation as they cross roads and other utility intersections to make sure there is proper clearance on their lines. Because of this demand, we’re working on elevation profiling tools not just for the electric utility sector, but gas, fiber, and water as well.
Listening to our users doesn’t just dictate the individual features we build; it dictates our core philosophy on data interoperability.
A tool is only as valuable as its ability to communicate with the rest of your utility enterprise. This is why we design our platforms to remain robustly interoperable with major industry systems, including Futura FieldPro, Milsoft FieldSyte, ArcGIS Field Maps, Partner Software Field Design, and Diamond Maps. Your field data shouldn’t live in an isolated silo. By keeping our systems cooperative, we eliminate friction for crews handling the data and the engineering teams managing the system.
Technology will continue to shift, but the foundational need to solve practical user problems remains unchanged.
We’re heading to NISC MIC 2026 in Las Vegas this September 14-17 explicitly to listen. We want to know what operational hurdles are slowing down your field crews and what custom tools and integrations would make your utility feel truly future-ready tomorrow.
Come find the Tri-Global team at Booth 506. Bring us your toughest field challenges so we can build the solution together. Plus, walk away with a free 10,000 mAh power bank when you complete a brief consultation with our Director of Operations, Michael Bellrose. Limit one per assessment.
Ready to take the next step? Upload your resume and share any relevant work or project links. If there’s a role for you now, or in the future, we’ll be in touch.
