SINGAPORE, 30^th June, 2020 – EDMI Limited, a global smart metering solutions leader, is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Dubai which aims to strengthen company’s presence in Middle East and the neighbouring regions.

EDMI’s Dubai office will serve as the centre of sales activities in the Middle East and broader Eastern Europe and African regions, supporting EDMI’s continued growth while maximizing the company’s ability to serve both new and existing clients in the regions.

Like all regions, the Middle East has been impacted by COVID-19, with many countries introducing lockdown measures in the past few months. The utility industry has also been affected with increasing demands for smart grid technologies and smart metering solutions in the region to support improved grid management.

“EDMI is taking a strategic decision to invest in expanding our business in this growing market,” said How New Seng, Chief Executive Officer at EDMI. “Dubai is a prime location with great accessibility and connections to not only the countries within the Middle East region, but also Africa and even Eastern Europe, which enables us to respond to regional market needs more efficiently,” he added.

“The opening of EDMI’s new Dubai office is an important step towards realizing an expansion of our footprint. EDMI has been delivering smart metering solutions in the region for many years, and now with this new office, we are excited to engage more closely with our clients and partners to deliver better services in more timely manner,” said Mehdi Arian, Vice President of Sales EMEA at EDMI.

EDMI’s Dubai office is in the Jumeirah Business Centre, primarily located within the emerging free zone district in Dubai.

• Trial of polyphase SMETS 2 smart meters aimed at giving Drax’s larger business customers better control of their power use, making them more sustainable
• The trial is the first of its kind to develop technology that will pave the way for more sophisticated smart metering solutions

Energy company Drax Group is working with the Data Communications Company (DCC), smart meter manufacturer EDMI and software company Utiligroup, on a ground-breaking polyphase SMETS 2 smart meter which will give large industrial and commercial businesses greater control of their energy use.

The technology needed to install the newest smart meters in businesses with larger and more complex electricity supplies, such as schools or large commercial premises hasn’t been available, so some of the largest energy users have been unable to benefit from the smartest technologies.

Polyphase SMETS2 smart meters will allow larger businesses to track their energy usage, and use the same software used by the millions of single-phase smart meters installed in homes and small businesses across the UK.

The new technology could enable Drax’s energy supply businesses, Haven Power and Opus Energy, to offer large business customers access to smart metering technology, giving them greater control over their energy use with the potential to operate more sustainably.

Paul Sheffield, Managing Director of Drax’s customers business, said: “We’re confident that this new smart meter technology is going to be a game changer for thousands of our larger customers.

“This technology will enable them to enjoy greater flexibility and control over their electricity use, making them more sustainable, which will be good for both the environment and their bottom line.”

The meters will be field tested with selected Drax business customers, such as utilities and large NHS Trusts, in the autumn.

The work by Drax, the DCC and EDMI has continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic with all partners working remotely to develop and test the technology.

The project has included establishing a new polyphase smart meter testing lab, where the new technology is being developed within the DCC’s Manchester facility, the operational headquarters of Britain’s smart meter network. The facility can test 2,400 smart meters simultaneously and has a technical operation centre which can monitor the install and operation of every smart meter across the country.

The new smart meters will operate securely on the network, using a specialist software platform from Utiligroup, a key technology-services partner of Drax.

Dan Lambert, Chief Operating Officer for the DCC, said: “The DCC’s network is the digital backbone of the energy industry, and our customers like Drax are constantly working to help us extend its reach to more homes and businesses. Polyphase smart meters will make it available to even more businesses, from farms to tech start-ups.

“It’s been impressive how well the whole sector has collaborated throughout lockdown on this complex work. With our customers, we’re making Britain more connected so we can all lead smarter, greener lives.”

Alan Masterman, Managing Director of smart meter manufacturer EDMI Europe Limited, said: “We are incredibly proud of the work this partnership is achieving. Smart meters are the foundation of the energy revolution and are therefore an essential component for large businesses that have previously not had access to smart technology.

“At EDMI we are committed to the development of products that best meet market demands, for our customers. The close working of both Drax and the DCC has resulted in the development and creation of a meter that supports the continued expansion of the smart meter programme.”

New Gas Meter Leverages Intelis Gas Meter Platform and EDMI Firmware

Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, today announced a collaboration with EDMI Limited, a global smart metering solutions leader, to develop and launch a SMETS2-compliant gas meter for the United Kingdom. Taking advantage of Itron’s Intelis ultrasonic platform and EDMI’s SMETS2 compliant firmware, this meter will address the growing demand in the region by bringing to market a complete solution to safely and reliably manage natural gas delivery.

The collaborative solution meets the SMETS2 specifications, which regulates advanced electricity and gas meters in the UK. Taking advantage of Itron’s Intelis platform and ultrasonic metrology, the meter integrates EDMI’s SMETS2-compatible firmware. Dramatically increasing coverage to the UK market, this joint initiative will bring together Itron’s established gas expertise and EDMI’s SMETS2 accredited firmware.

“Through this collaboration, we have combined Itron’s innovative metrology with EDMI’s industry leading SMETS2 compliant firmware, giving utilities an additional choice for their gas meter provider,” said Justin Patrick, senior vice president of Device Solutions at Itron. “Itron is committed to supporting the smart metering roll out in the region. This collaboration, together with our SMETS2 electricity offering, demonstrates our continued efforts to deliver proven smart solutions.”

“EDMI is excited to collaborate with Itron on their UK Gas Meter, building on EDMI’s strong focus on security, quality and reliability of its proven SMETS accredited firmware, which will enable Itron to produce a SMETS2 compliant gas meter for its UK customers to safely and securely manage gas delivery while supporting efficient energy usage,”  said Alan Masterman, Managing Director of EDMI Europe Limited.

 

Dear Valued Customers,

EDMI is focused on serving our customers safely, reliably and flexibly during the unprecedented situation of the COVID-19 global pandemic.  First and foremost, we have robust plans in place to keep our employees safe and to help the ‘All of Community’ effort to contain the spread of the virus across the globe. Importantly, these plans, as well as our technology and systems, will also ensure we manage our service levels during the COVID-19 global pandemic and continue to deliver the best possible outcomes for you.

Different communities around the world are facing a range of unique impacts from COVID-19. Given the fluidity of this situation, we have empowered each of our regional businesses globally to implement appropriate actions specific to their customers and local situation.  At a high level, EDMI is taking the following approach:

• Defer non-essential travel until further notice
• Mandate or promote (depending on jurisdiction) working from home to enforce social distancing, while ensuring customer engagement via video conference or phone. Customer visits can be completed for urgent business if deemed appropriate and in line with all government and company policies
• Business Continuity Plans are in place and being executed to limit impacts to our all meter, software and solution operations, including extensive contingency planning with our supply chain partners to ensure meter delivery capability remains strong
• All customer’s queries, questions, issues, and incidents continue to be managed as usual, in line with contractual obligations
• Local EDMI teams will engage with customers regularly throughout the pandemic

We are working diligently to maintain strong business continuity and are focused on ensuring all services are delivered to customers as well as to protect our employees, our customers and our society.

EDMI understands that the fluidity of the pandemic situation is not only impacting EDMI, but your businesses as well. With this in mind, EDMI’s local teams will continuously work with you to update your future forecasted needs in line with the changing landscape.  This visibility will enable EDMI to plan and deliver to your needs through these unprecedented times.

We appreciate your support to enable EDMI to serve you better.

How New Seng
Chief Executive Officer
EDMI Limited