Vector, already one of EDMI’s largest customers, has announced that its 100% owned subsidiary Advanced Metering Services (AMS) has been contracted to deploy smart meters for up to 150,000 Contact Energy customers across Auckland, Wellington, Waikato, and the PowerCo regions in New Zealand. On the back of this agreement, EDMI has in turn been selected to provide the meter and communications hardware for this deployment, as well as the software for the reading and management of these smart meters. This extension of the existing agreement with Vector further expands the already significant market share for EDMI in New Zealand.
Vector Chief Executive, Simon Mackenzie said “The meters represent the latest smart metering technology and add further to the largest deployment of smart meters in New Zealand, laying the foundation for future customer requirements, innovative retail solutions, intelligent networks and the ability to provide these services to multiple infrastructure services such as electricity, water and gas.”
About Vector
Vector is a leading New Zealand infrastructure group that owns and manages a unique portfolio of energy and fibre optic infrastructure networks in New Zealand. Vector’s assets perform a key role in delivering energy and communication services to more than one million homes and businesses across New Zealand. They are a significant provider of electricity distribution, gas transmission and distribution, electricity and gas metering installations and data management services, natural gas and LPG, including 60.25% ownership of bulk LPG distributor Liquigas, fibre optic networks in Auckland and Wellington, delivering high speed broadband services. Vector is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, with the majority shareholder as the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust (AECT), with a shareholding of 75.1%.
For more information, visit www.vector.co.nz
EDMI has announced that they are to begin its first deployment of ZigBee technology in New Zealand. The technology will be deployed in conjunction with its Atlas Series advanced meters over the next 12 months and it is believed to be the first commercial deployment of ZigBee technology in New Zealand. EDMI is working with Generation and Lines Company, NZ Energy, to install the ZigBee technology at 100% of NZ Energy customer premises throughout the Haast Network starting with the pilot deployment in the township of Okuru. This deployment will arguably turn NZ Energy’s Haast network into the “Smartest” network in New Zealand with the
ability for NZ Energy to talk in real time to all of its customer’s meters via 2-way RF communications. At the same time NZ Energy will be able to manage the peak load on its network to ensure reliable supply of electricity to its customers whilst minimising the need to run its more expensive back-up diesel generator during high electricity demand periods. Reducing the use of diesel has the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly.
EDMI’s Anak Lumb, Sales Manager for New Zealand, believes that “although this is a modest-sized deployment, the benefits from this emerging technology are transferable to all electricity network companies in New Zealand and that this deployment will ensure EDMI’s Atlas series meters continue to be known as one of the most versatile AMI Smart Meters in the world”.
NZ Energy’s Operations Manager, David Inch has noticed that “many companies who have embarked on deploying smart metering are not fully utilising the “Smart” metering technology and in a lot of cases they are only using the remote reading functionality. In our case, however, we will be fully integrating the smart metering capabilities into our power system network operation, our generation facilities and our retailing customer base – it will become an integral part of our complete power system. We have been working on this project for several years now and we have found that EDMI provides the best solution for our requirements”.
About NZ Energy
NZ Energy is a company that operates small hydroelectric power stations in Haast, Fox and Raetihi and also operates the distribution network in the Haast area. The area around Haast and extending south to Jackson Bay is not connected to New Zealand’s National Grid. It operates from a hydroelectric scheme on the Turnbull River with diesel generator backup. The stations at Fox and Haast are operated on Department of Conservation land under Department of Conservation concessions. New Zealand Energy proposes to complete a long planned installation to generate 4.6MW of electricity from lake Matiri located in the upper South Island north of Murchison and has recently been granted a concession from the Department of Conservation for parts of a hydroelectric scheme on public conservation land. NZ Energy Head office is based in Motueka, New Zealand. For more information visit, www.nzenergy.co.nz
About ZigBee
For more information visit www.zigbee.org
The increases in revenue include:
1. An increase of $2.6 million from $4.4 million for Apr – Dec 2009 to $7.0 million in FY2010 from our subsidiary, EDMI Gas Pty Ltd (EDMI Gas), which was acquired in April 2009
2. An increase of $2.2 million for Aug – Dec 2010 from our subsidiary, EDMI Shenzhen Co Ltd (EDMI Shenzhen), which was acquired in August 2010
3. An increase in the demand for meters in Australasia and Europe which account for 49.5% and 57.1% respectively
4. An increase of sales to ASEAN mainly to Indonesia and Malaysia; partly offset by
5. A lower increase contributed from Africa and Middle East
Total electricity and gas meters delivered increased from 257,000 in FY2009 to 439,000 in FY2010.
EDMI smart metering modem with Sierra Wireless AirPrime embedded module hailed as “Best Mobile Innovation for Utilities”
Barcelona, Spain – February 16, 2011 – EDMI and Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR; TSX: SW) are pleased to announce that the two companies were awarded the GSMA Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Innovation for Utilities at the 2011 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The award, judged by an independent panel of industry experts, recognized EDMI’s EWM100 modem for smart metering applications, which uses Sierra Wireless AirPrime embedded modules to provide robust cellular communications. The jury commented: “A fantastic product concentrating on solving the issues presented to utilities in gathering meter data using wireless technology.”
The EWM100 is an industrial-grade machine-to-machine communications solution designed specifically for smart metering applications. It provides robust GSM/GPRS connectivity between a utility’s operations center and individual power meters in the field. With secure, real-time communications, utilities can manage grids more efficiently, remotely control services, and support in-home energy management applications that empower consumers to change their consumption behavior and lower their costs.
As energy suppliers worldwide expand their investments in smart metering technologies, solutions like the EWM100 provide a powerful platform to enhance energy distribution and optimize legacy grids. By enabling end-to-end, two-way communications down to the individual power meter, utilities can enhance electricity generation and distribution, reduce peak consumption by shifting demand loads and, ultimately, create a “greener” power grid that serves more customers with less energy supply.
“Cellular connectivity offers a compelling option for smart metering communications infrastructures, enabling energy suppliers to radically reduce installation costs and implementation times,” said Graeme Lees, Chief Operating Officer, EDMI. “We are very proud to be recognized among such an impressive field of candidates, and the award is a great inspiration for our team to continue our drive toward innovation.”
Didier Dutronc, Senior Vice President and General Manager, M2M Embedded Solutions for Sierra Wireless, said: “Smart metering is the future of the energy sector, and EDMI is at the cutting edge of this fast-growing market. We are thrilled to have contributed to this solution, and to have played a role in demonstrating how cellular communications can help transform an industry. We offer our warmest congratulations to EDMI.”
About EDMI
EDMI is a market leader in the provision of smart energy meters and advanced metering solutions with its headquarters and manufacturing based primarily in Singapore. Its research and development facilities are strategically situated in Brisbane, Singapore and Shanghai to provide continuous product development and support to its growing global customer bases in Europe, the ASEAN region, Middle East, South Africa and the rest of Asia. EDMI has established marketing offices and regional hubs in Singapore, Australia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, the Philippines, France and the UK. These centers serve as regional customer service and technical support hubs responsible for supporting specific local market requirements for our metering products. For more information visit, www.edmi-meters.com
About Sierra Wireless
Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR – TSX: SW) offers industry-leading mobile computing and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications products and solutions that connect people, devices, and applications over cellular networks. Wireless service providers, equipment manufacturers, enterprises and government organizations around the world depend on us for reliable wireless technology. We offer 2G, 3G and 4G wireless modems, routers and gateways as well as a comprehensive suite of software, tools, and services that ensure our customers can successfully bring wireless applications to market. For more information about Sierra Wireless, visit www.sierrawireless.com.
“AirPrime” is a trademark of Sierra Wireless. Other product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply conditions, channel and end customer demand conditions, revenues, gross margins, operating expenses, profits, and other expectations, intentions, and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact. Our expectations regarding future revenues and earnings depend in part upon our ability to successfully develop, manufacture, and supply products that we do not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words “plan”, “expect”, “believe”, and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in the wireless data communications market. In light of the many risks and uncertainties surrounding the wireless data communications market, you should understand that we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will be realized.
{Sierra Wireless News Release}