Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) shares rose about 5% after the company said it is strengthening its strategic collaboration with Microsoft, deepening its focus on artificial intelligence solutions for utility providers.
The energy and water management specialist announced the launch of the Itron Intelligent Edge Operating System (IEOS) Connector for Microsoft 365 Copilot. The new tool will allow utilities to query Itron’s systems using natural language, making it easier to retrieve insights on energy usage trends, outage records and other key operational data.
Under the expanded partnership, the two companies will work more closely on deploying AI-driven capabilities across areas such as predictive maintenance, demand forecasting and grid optimization. Itron also said its solutions will be offered through the Microsoft Marketplace, simplifying access for utility customers and ecosystem partners.
“Utilities are under increasing pressure to modernize infrastructure, reduce operational costs and improve reliability. By building on our established relationship, we are delivering new AI capabilities that help utilities address these challenges head on,” said Don Reeves, senior vice president of Outcomes at Itron.
Itron and Microsoft plan to present their joint innovations at the DTECH conference in San Diego, scheduled for February 2–5, 2026. The collaboration is aimed at helping utilities improve efficiency, resilience and customer engagement by deploying AI-powered solutions at the grid edge.