Itron announced on June 30 that it had agreed to a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ambient Corporation. The collaboration will combine Itron’s smart metering solution with the Ambient Smart Grid communications platform. The integrated technologies will create a robust smart grid solution that the Itron and Ambient will both market to utility companies.Itron is a leading provider of metering devices to energy and water utilities around the world. There are currently more than 14 million OpenWay meters under contract. Itron serves more than 8,000 utilities worldwide. Ambient develops and markets smart grid technology, equipment, and services. The company’s technologies run over Verizon Wireless’ cellular network.The contractual terms call for Itron’s OpenWay smart metering platform to be closely integrated with communications technology from Ambient. The development will allow legacy equipment to be connected to the smart grid as well as the latest smart energy hardware and applications. “This is further proof that the OpenWay architecture is adaptable to multiple networks in support of smart grid deployments,” said Philip Mezey, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Itron North America. “Building the smart grid requires unprecedented collaboration. Our partnership with Ambient will help both our companies extend smart grid benefits to more energy users.”Multiple technologies will be included from both companies. Itron’s ERT technology, which is used for automated meter reading (AMR), will be used as will the OpenWay RFLAN and Fixed Network communications protocols. Ambient will contribute networking capabilities that utilise Verizon’s cellular networks and its X-3000 node and AmbientNMS smart grid components.
“This partnership brings together Itron’s core consumer and commercial AMI [advanced metering infrastructure] technologies with Ambient’s high-capacity communications network for a complete ‘utility to the home’ smart grid solution,” said John J. Joyce, president and chief executive officer of Ambient. “Ambient is connecting new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) back to the utilities to unify smart grid assets.”
“The way I see this is that Ambient has been working on this communication backbone, which is a non-proprietary, high-bandwidth network that enables advanced metering, so we have in the past worked with other advanced metering companies, and we look forward to working with others as well.”
As part of the Obama administration’s federal stimulus package, state regulators are expecting utilities to submit proposals for smart grid pilots, said Joyce. Not all utilities are waiting for the federal funding, however. For example, Ambient is working with Duke Energy to build out a major smart grid platform. Joyce believes the stimulus money will further encourage utilities to make the move from smart metering to full-blown smart grid rollouts.
“You might have many utilities planning on receiving those funds before proceeding, but there is a great deal of interest,” said Joyce. “There is no doubt the stimulus package will help to support the buildout of smart-grid platforms and many state utilities and regulators are looking to how that will play out in the next few months.”
Itron
2111 N Molter Road
Liberty Lake, Washington 99019
United States
http://www.itron.com
Ambient Corporation
79 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458
http://www.ambientcorp.com
Verizon
140 West Street
New York, NY 10007
http://www22.verizon.com
“The way I see this is that Ambient has been working on this communication backbone, which is a non-proprietary, high-bandwidth network that enables advanced metering, so we have in the past worked with other advanced metering companies, and we look forward to working with others as well.”
As part of the Obama administration’s federal stimulus package, state regulators are expecting utilities to submit proposals for smart grid pilots, said Joyce. Not all utilities are waiting for the federal funding, however. For example, Ambient is working with Duke Energy to build out a major smart grid platform. Joyce believes the stimulus money will further encourage utilities to make the move from smart metering to full-blown smart grid rollouts.
“You might have many utilities planning on receiving those funds before proceeding, but there is a great deal of interest,” said Joyce. “There is no doubt the stimulus package will help to support the buildout of smart-grid platforms and many state utilities and regulators are looking to how that will play out in the next few months.”
Itron
2111 N Molter Road
Liberty Lake, Washington 99019
United States
http://www.itron.com
Ambient Corporation
79 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458
http://www.ambientcorp.com
Verizon
140 West Street
New York, NY 10007
http://www22.verizon.com
