Industry Leaders Establish Alliance for Wireless Smart Utility Networks

TOKYO, April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Today, a group of major companies involved in smart utility network products and technology announced the creation of the Wi-SUN (Wireless Smart Utility Network) Alliance to support certification and promotion of an interconnect standard for wireless smart grid devices to better communicate from remote locations and with home appliances. The Wi-SUN Alliance is supporting the emerging IEEE 802.15.4g standard for wireless communications of battery-powered equipment, and its supported MAC layer protocol, as a means to ensure the compatibility of low-power smart meters and remote wireless sensor networks. Similar in nature to other industry alliances, the Wi-SUN Alliance is committed to establishing common standards for the global smart grid build-out.

The Wi-SUN Alliance's founding members are Analog Devices, Inc., Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Omron Corp., Osaki Electric Co. Ltd., Renesas Electronics Corporation and Silver Spring Networks, Inc.

"We are excited by the strong industry interest we've seen," said Wi-SUN Alliance Founder co-Chairs, Hiroshi Harada, Director, Smart Wireless Laboratory, NICT and Raj Vaswani, Chief Technology Officer, Silver Spring Networks, Inc.  "World-class companies are coming together to define common technology, certification, and promotion programs which will provide a true global standard for wireless Smart Utility Network expansion and the interoperability of devices."

"Analog Devices is honored to be among the founding members of the Wi-SUN Alliance," said Ronn Kliger, director, Energy Segment, Analog Devices.  "This complements our technology development activities as well as our involvement in the IEEE 802.15.4g standards committee. The Wi-SUN Alliance enables the smart meter industry to have, for the first time, the means to ensure standards compliance and interoperability to facilitate the rapid adoption of smart meter technology."

"Fuji Electronic feels great honor to be a founding member of Wi-Sun Alliance," said Shinichi Souma, General Manager, Measurement Technology Development Center, Fuji Electronic. "The Wi-SUN alliance is expected to provide world-class and globally certificated wireless devices for smart metering not only to Japan but also worldwide". 

"Osaki Electronics has waited for a system like the Wi-SUN Alliance for a long time," said, Ikuo Fukuzaki, General Manager, Osaki Electronic.  "The Wi-SUN Alliance enables to reduce the burden of interoperability tests among suppliers of wireless module and provides high quality modules to the market stably."

The Wi-SUN Alliance's founding members appointed Phil Beecher, who is Chair of the IEEE 802.15.4g Task Group, as Chair of the Alliance. Among its goals, the Wi-SUN Alliance will establish a system to certify the connectivity and interoperability of devices in the global Smart Utility Network. The alliance aims to establish test specifications by the summer of 2012.

The Wi-SUN Alliance will hold an Open House on Friday, April 27th 2012 at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. All companies interested in finding out more about the Alliance are welcome to attend.  Pre-registration is required: please register at the Wi-SUN Alliance website.

For more information about the Wi-SUN Alliance or how to become a member, please visit the Wi-SUN Alliance website at www.wi-sun.org.  

About the Wi-SUN CERTIFIED™ Program

The Wi-SUN CERTIFIED™ program will be launched in the summer of 2012 to provide a widely-recognized designation of interoperability to help Wi-SUN-certified products deliver the best user experience. The Wi-SUN Alliance is also working on the development of a Golden Test Suite to ensure the best user experience relative to Smart Utility Networks.

About the Wi-SUN Alliance

The Wi-SUN Alliance is a global industry association of leading companies devoted to seamless connectivity. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, the Wi-SUN Alliance is committed to promote widespread adoption of Wi-SUN certified standards-based technology for Smart Utility Networks worldwide.

Remarks

Wi-SUN is a registered trademark of the Wi-SUN Alliance.

All product and service names that appear in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT:
Bhupender Virk
[email protected]

SOURCE Wi-SUN Alliance