NiSource is Recipient of Industry-Leading ERT®
Device
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that it has shipped its 35
millionth gas communication module for the North American utility
market. The recipient of the milestone device is NiSource Inc., whose
companies deliver natural gas and electricity to 3.8 million customers
throughout the U.S., including customers in seven states.
Itron's facility in Waseca, Minn., is the birthplace of radio-frequency
gas automated meter reading (AMR) technology. Itron shipped its first
encoder receiver transmitter (ERT®) module from
the facility in 1986. Utilities identified a need to obtain meter reads
from indoor gas meters via automation, and Itron answered the call with
the industry's first—and since most trusted—gas solution. Itron has
since evolved the technology to include advanced data logging
capabilities and two-way communication, making advanced metering
infrastructure (AMI) a reality for gas providers.
Itron's two-way 100G Datalogging ERT module includes storage for 40 days
of time-synchronized hourly data. This feature has been proven valuable
to the industry because it can act as a "black box," providing
investigators with flow rates through the meter in times of catastrophic
events. The solution allows both mobile and fixed network customers to
cost-effectively obtain data. In the past, mobile customers could only
benefit from advanced functionality by upgrading to a fixed network.
"Our gas distribution companies realized the customer and organizational
benefits of AMR immediately following our initial deployments," said
Shawn Patterson, Senior Vice President and Senior Operations Officer at
NiSource. "The transition to the 100G allows us to expand the benefits
across our customer base and will prepare us for future opportunities
with AMI."
"Itron is proud to partner with companies like NiSource, who have been
long-time customers and have trusted Itron to deliver on their current
and future needs, and have helped us reach this important delivery
milestone," said Carl Porter, vice president of gas product marketing
for Itron. "We are listening to and anticipating customer needs,
including solutions for a smart gas distribution network. We are busy
integrating safety features, such as shut-off valves into the gas meter,
and continuing to grow the value of AMR and AMI."
About Itron:
At Itron, we're dedicated to delivering end-to-end smart grid and smart
distribution solutions to electric, gas and water utilities around the
globe. Our company is the world's leading provider of smart metering,
data collection and utility software systems, with nearly 8,000
utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery
and use of energy and water. Our offerings include electricity, gas,
water and heat meters; network communication technology; collection
systems and related software applications; and professional services. To
realize your smarter energy and water future, start here: www.itron.com.
Itron Inc.
Ranny Dwiggins, 509-891-3443
Vice President,
Investor Relations
ranny.dwiggins@itron.com
or
Sharelynn
Moore, 509-891-3524
Director, Itron Marketing & Communications
sharelynn.moore@itron.com
Source: Itron Inc.
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