Elster and Landis+Gyr Announce Agreement to Jointly Develop Integrated Advanced Metering Products for the Smart Grid

ATLANTA and RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Elster (NYSE: ELT) and Landis+Gyr announced today that the two companies have signed an agreement to jointly develop integrated advanced metering hardware for smart grid applications.  

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Under this agreement, each company will work to integrate communication functions into advanced meters with the purpose of providing utility customers with meter platform choice. Both companies are working to develop firmware that will make advanced meters function within each company's respective communication systems.  

Landis+Gyr is developing Gridstream™ communications firmware that will operate within Elster's integrated residential REX meter platform, and enable the meter to operate within the Gridstream network without the need for a Landis+Gyr-specific communications module.  

Likewise, Elster has agreed to develop EnergyAxis® communications firmware that will operate seamlessly within Landis+Gyr's integrated residential FOCUS meter, without the need for an Elster-specific communications module.

Unlike traditional second source agreements which require network-specific communications modules, the anticipated outcome of this agreement is an integrated meter and communications platform for use within EnergyAxis or Gridstream smart grid networks.  Utilities will be able to accommodate technology advances simply by updating the radio firmware in their meters.

"We know that utilities want flexibility and future readiness from their advanced metering systems," said Jerry Figurilli, Chief Operating Officer at Landis+Gyr. "By enabling hardware interoperability, we will be able to provide utilities more choice in the selection of advanced meters. The use of a firmware-based solution for communications upgrades in the future is standard practice for Landis+Gyr and it makes sense to further proliferate this approach in the market."

"As a smart grid solutions industry leader, Elster is committed to developing open interface products. This pioneering agreement builds on Elster's track record of collaboration and innovation to deliver the interoperability utility customers are demanding," said Mark Munday, President of Elster Solutions.  

"Elster and Landis+Gyr both understand the benefits of complete interoperability and the value it brings to the utility segment. We look forward to continuing to expand these types of innovative smart grid initiatives for the benefit of all our utility customers," Munday added.

About Elster

Elster (NYSE: ELT) is one of the world's largest electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced smart metering, demand response, networking and software solutions, and numerous related communications and services – key components for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets.  

Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. With more than 7,000 employees and annualized sales of more than $1.7 billion, it sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and distribution applications.

For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.

About Landis+Gyr

Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management products tailored to energy company needs and unique in its ability to deliver true end-to-end advanced metering solutions. Today, the Company offers the broadest portfolio of products and services in the electricity metering industry, and is paving the way for the next generation of smart grid.  With annualized sales of more than US$1.5 billion, Landis+Gyr operates in 30 countries across five continents, and employs 5,000 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better.

SOURCE Elster