The smart metering managed service will enable German utilities to adhere to recent and forthcoming European Union’s rules and will be implemented for the first time by Stadtwerke Pasewalk, a municipal utility that operates in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The new service offering is the result of matching the core competencies of the two companies. In this engagement Alcatel-Lucent, through its German subsidiary, is providing its Smart Metering Management System SMM 8617 as well as its services expertise to integrate all the components of the planned smart metering service into a seamless solution, including the connection to the operational management systems of energy suppliers (Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP and Energy Data Management – EDM).
Vodafone Germany provides a secure connection between the intelligent meters — installed in consumer households — and the Smart Metering Management System. This type of Machine-to-Machine-Communication (M2M) will be realized over a fixed-line DSL connection or a wireless GPRS connection and will be managed over a highly available M2M service platform.
“The Machine-to-Machine communications market is expanding and smart metering is one of the most promising segments in the future, not alone because of EU rules. We are present in this segment in Germany with strong partners like Alcatel-Lucent and our specialized M2M product portfolio,” says Thomas Strehl, Senior Business Development Manager Industry & New Business, Vodafone Germany.
Underlining the benefits of the partnership, Christof Hecker, Alcatel-Lucent’s head of the Global Vodafone Account and VP of Sales for Germany, Benelux, Eastern Europe says “The partnership with Vodafone and Alcatel-Lucent will enable our customers to shape energy demand patterns in the future and meet their "green agenda" by integrating our smart metering service offering”.
The German subsidiaries of Vodafone and Alcatel-Lucent intend to develop their cooperation beyond the energy supplier market and are working closely on innovative smart metering solutions that would apply to the health care field, specifically in patient monitoring or for applications in the development of electric cars.
Vodafone Germany is one of the largest and most modern telecommunications providers in Europe. It realises turnover of more than EUR nine billion and has 15,000 employees. As an innovative integrated communications technology and service provider headquartered in Düsseldorf, Vodafone Germany offers mobile communications, fixed network telephony, internet and broadband services for businesses and consumers. Continuous development, numerous patents and investments in new products, services and the modern network have made Vodafone an innovation leader in the German telecommunications market. Vodafone is also committed to CSR and it supports numerous projects through the German Vodafone Foundation.
The company is part of the Vodafone Group.
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris.
