Cellnet and Comverge Announce Strategic Alliance

Oct. 6, 2005
At the AMRA Autovation conference in Long Beach last month, Cellnet Technology, Inc. and Comverge, Inc. announced that they have formed a strategic alliance to provide additional options to utilities seeking to implement AMI solutions. Comverge provides ...

At the AMRA Autovation conference in Long Beach last month, Cellnet Technology, Inc. and Comverge, Inc. announced that they have formed a strategic alliance to provide additional options to utilities seeking to implement AMI solutions. Comverge provides automated demand response and energy intelligence, and Cellnet offers real-time fixed network solutions to the utility industry.

Under the agreement, Cellnet will integrate and resell Comverge's solutions for smart thermostats, load control, and submetering, and Comverge will in turn deploy solutions that use the Cellnet mesh network radio technology. The companies are working collaboratively on R&D projects to bring the first components of a combined solution to the utility market.

Mike Zito, Cellnet president and CEO remarked, "The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the utility market a clear mandate to act on the full spectrum of opportunities available from the deployment and expansion of automated metering infrastructures. Together, Cellnet and Comverge will deliver an increased return on network assets to utilities while helping them improve service quality and reduce operating costs."

Section 1252 of The Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed into law by President Bush on Aug. 9, 2005, includes provisions that require state public utility commissions and individual utilities to rapidly investigate the deployment of smart metering technology to support time of use rates, demand response and price signalling programs to all customer types. Comverge and Cellnet are working in partnership to ensure that reliable, real-time solutions are available to support utility AMR, load management and demand response programs for commercial and industrial and residential customers alike.

"Integrating our two technologies will offer utilities a compelling business case for implementing full-scale AMI and demand response systems over a fixed network," said Robert M. Chiste, Comverge chairman and CEO. "Fixed networks make good sense for many utilities, and Comverge is excited to partner with the industry leader in deploying these solutions. We are confident that this partnership with Cellnet will enable both companies to generate significant value by enhancing both companies product offerings and providing utilities more options in deploying truly end-to-end energy intelligence solutions."

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