Itron, Inc. has a new OEM distribution agreement with Trilliant Networks, Inc. (formerly NERTEC) that enables Itron to augment the Sentinel meter product line with Trilliant’s cellular device technology.
Using the Sentinel meter’s advanced meter technology, Trilliant’s cellular solution will permit more complex networks to meet the demands of the C&I market by allowing remote reads of Itron Sentinel solid-state meters with exceptional scale and coverage for utilities. Under the agreement, Itron will offer Sentinel meters equipped with Trilliant CellReader (NCXR801, GSM/GPRS, NXGR801 CDMA/1xRTT, and NCiR801, iDEN) advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communications technology.
“Itron and Trilliant are working together to ensure that utilities can easily acquire data from the Sentinel meters using the existing MV-90 system and PC-PRO+ programming software, with the flexibility of public cellular networks,” said Richard A. Coblens, Itron solid state business development manager. “This agreement enables utilities to have a single point of contact for purchasing Sentinel meters with factory-installed wireless modem technology.”
Rapid integration, operations efficiency, and faster data acquisition is driving purchasing decisions for utilities to address the unique needs of C&I markets. The partnership between Itron and Trilliant allows utilities reliable options to maximize economic benefits while keeping costs at a minimum.
“The combination of Itron and Trilliant advanced metering infrastructure capability is already in use at several major U.S. utility partners with several thousand meters installed and many more planned,” said Bill Vogel, president and CEO at Trilliant. “By focusing on industry standards and interoperability, Itron can leverage the full value of advanced metering and communication capability offered by Trilliant, supporting a wide variety of complex and challenging meter requirements.”
