Itron Inc. (ITRI) won the first phase of smart metering contract of Iberdrola, a premier energy group of Spain providing electricity utilities and wind power. As per the agreement, Itron will be engaged in the development and integration of advanced meter management system, which includes head-end and meter data management software and smart meters for the Smart Grid project.
 
The metering program engaging Itron focuses to build a new open and interoperable solution based on the PRIME telecommunications protocol. This first phase of the project is expected to start from July and continue till the end of 2010.
 
The initial implementation of the project will mark the delivery of 100,000 meters to the city of Castellón, Spain. Besides, it has the potential to expand to 10 million meters countrywide.  Iberdrola expects the project to support smart metering functionalities and help in the execution of smart grid.
 
Itron offers an absolute solution providing a flexible and robust data infrastructure, which will help Iberdrola to optimize network management, reduce operational costs and enhance its quality of service for the benefit of consumers.
 
We believe employing Itron for the project was a wise decision by Iberdrola as the former holds a market share of 50% in North America and a stable outlook, given a strong backlog and huge potential for advanced metering technologies.
 
Itron is leveraging its current market position to sell its products and services, particularly to the existing customers as they upgrade from older technologies to new advanced meters.
 
Itron is a technology provider of products and services for the energy and water industries. The company’s products include electricity, gas, water and heat meters, data collection and communication systems, comprising automated meter reading and advanced metering infrastructure; meter data management and related software applications; as well as project management, installation, and consulting services.
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