ST LOUIS – June 22, 2008 – Aclara, a leading supplier of Intelligent Infrastructureâ„¢ products to electric, water, and gas utilities, is the newest member of the Wi-Fi Alliance®, a global, non-profit association devoted to the proliferation of interoperable Wi-Fi® technology across devices and market segments. Aclara is part of the Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE) and the first supplier of utility-specific networks and advanced metering infrastructure to participate in the organization, which boasts more than 300 member companies in 20 countries.
The Wi-Fi Alliance supports Wi-Fi, with baseline functions defined in the IEEE 802.11 LAN standards, as the global wireless local-area network for homes, small and large businesses, government, and public access points. It tests and certifies products produced by members to ensure they meet internationally recognized criteria for security and interoperability. Members work together through a series of task groups to improve testing and certification processes.
“Aclara believes the mature standards promoted by the Wi-Fi Alliance are an excellent solution for utilities in part because they support the latest generation of federally-specified standards-based security,” said Mark Thompson, Aclara's Vice President of Strategic Communication Networks. “In addition, the rigorous testing done by the organization's certification program guarantees that compatible products from different vendors will function in an open and interoperable manner.”
By participating in the organization Aclara hopes to promote Wi-Fi technology and certifications in smart-grid solutions. The Wi-Fi Alliance also offers a rich ecosystem of partner companies that bring innovative, proven technologies and solutions that will enable the implementation of the smart grid.
“In becoming a member of the Wi-Fi Alliance, Aclara joins hundreds of companies from around the globe who are committed to delivering interoperable Wi-Fi solutions and ensuring a positive user experience through our Wi-Fi CERTIFIEDâ„¢ programs,” said Wi-Fi Alliance Executive Director Edgar Figueroa. “We are pleased to have them become a part of the organization.”
The organization's Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program was launched in March 2000 to help ensure that Wi-Fi enabled products work together properly. Under the program, the alliance has completed more than 5,000 product certifications to date, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in both new and established markets.
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Nancy E. Talley
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About Aclara
The Aclara brand represents the industry's leading Intelligent Infrastructureâ„¢ technologies for providing device networking, data-value management, and customer communications to water, gas, and electric utilities globally. Over 500 utilities in nine countries rely on proven Aclara solutions to connect with their customers. Aclara is part of the Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE), St. Louis. Capturing data. Liberating knowledge.â„¢ www.Aclara.com.
