Arc Innovations Expands Into International Markets

Arc Innovations Expands Into International Markets

New Zealand ‘smart metering’ company Arc Innovations (Arc) announced today that it has entered into a heads of agreement with Calgary-based energy utility ENMAX to begin exclusive discussions towards an agreement to deploy Arc’s smart metering technology to ENMAX’s Calgary customer base, totaling over 400,000 customers.

Also known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), smart metering is an exciting new technology being introduced around the world as the key to enabling more innovative and efficient energy management and customer service delivery.

Arc Chief Executive Helen Bremner sees significant business opportunities coming from international markets where utilities are seeking feature-rich AMI capabilities.

"While continuing to successfully deploy our AMI technology in New Zealand, Arc is also gearing the business to meet international opportunities,” said Ms Bremner.

“We believe ENMAX are showing visionary leadership by considering a highly functional smart metering solution, which will transform their business and the customer experience. We are delighted that they have chosen Arc as their preferred supplier.”

“Arc's overall approach to smart metering makes intelligent use of new and established technologies, many of which have been designed and built by the company’s New Zealand-based team. A key feature of Arc's smart metering is that it has significantly greater intelligence at the customer’s site combined with two-way communications, which means that a wide range of information can be sent to and from people's homes and businesses in near real-time," said Ms Bremner.

After an internationally competitive RFP process, ENMAX Chief Executive Gary Holden sees Arc as the best placed AMI provider to support the outcomes it is seeking to achieve.

“We are excited to be working with Arc towards an agreement which would deliver smart metering to our customers. Arc has proven itself in its home market of New Zealand and they are an innovative and experienced AMI provider,” said Mr. Holden.

“For Arc, the ENMAX success positions us well to look at other business opportunities in the significant North American market which has around 310 million electric, gas, and water meters,” said Ms. Bremner.

Subject to regulatory approval, Arc and ENMAX intend to start deploying the advanced meters towards the end of 2008.

ENDS

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