HCL Infosystems Limited, India’s premier information enabler and country’s leading ICT system integrator and Distribution Company announced a tie up with Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) of US to bring Echelon’s Networked Energy Services (NES) advanced metering systems to India. The tie up will also strengthen HCL position as a leading system Integrator in the field of power, and also highlights HCL’s capabilities of providing diversified services beyond its core capabilities of ICT products and services.
With an estimated 56 percent rural households and 12 percent urban households still without adequate access to electricity and peak power shortage of around 15 percent, availability of power is viewed as critically linked to the ability of India’s economy to maintain its current nine percent annual growth rate. India’s power ministry plans to provide electricity to every household by 2012 – at an investment of over $100 billion in new generation, transmission, distribution and rural electric infrastructure. To achieve this goal, electricity generation and distribution capacity will need to be increased by an amount greater than what has been available in India for the last fifty years. India’s top analysts are predicting that power deficits could cap the country’s growth in coming years.
Advanced metering infrastructures like Echelon’s NES System will make the energy grid more efficient by enabling utilities to implement direct load control and demand/response programs, limit maximum energy consumption during times of peak demand and detect and reduce meter tampering and energy theft. HCL plans to market the solution to utilities looking to improve power delivery while reducing operation costs, and to provide revenue recovery and protection.
“Concerns over India’s infrastructure are a threat to its economic growth, and India is spending billions to bring its infrastructure to levels of other developed Asian nations. Modernizing the electricity grid is an essential component of this plan, given daily electricity shortfalls during peak hours is projected to grow unless steps are taken,” said Mr. George Paul, Executive Vice President, HCL Infosystems Limited “We chose to partner with Echelon because its NES system is the most advanced smart metering solution available and provides a platform for growth into the future. The system can bring many benefits to both grid operators and end-users, making it an ideal solution for the fast-changing needs of India.”
The NES advanced metering infrastructure from Echelon consists of a family of highly integrated, advanced electronic electricity meters accessed via a web services based network operating system over an IP networking infrastructure. The system provides an open, bidirectional, and extensible infrastructure that enables a comprehensive range of utility applications that can bring benefits to every aspect of a utility’s operation, from metering, to customer services, to distribution operations, to value-added services. Unlike systems with a dedicated radio per metering point, multiple NES meters can share a single IP connection through the use of Echelon’s proven standards-based power line networking technology, driving down the per-point connection cost and enabling the system to easily and cost-effectively incorporate new wide area networking technologies over time.
“We are excited about the opportunities in India and are pleased to partner with HCL, an experienced and knowledgeable information and communication technologies company,” said Frits Bruggink, Echelon’s senior vice-president, utility solutions. “With over 100 Million meters and significant energy challenges, India represents an exciting opportunity for advanced metering systems. India is in position to make substantial changes to its infrastructure in the coming years and by partnering with HCL we look to play an important role in the market.”
The NES Value-Added Reseller (VAR) program is designed to establish Echelon’s NES system as a global standard for intelligent metering systems. The program enables companies to provide utilities with optimized, end-to-end solutions under the NES Powered by EchelonTM brand. More information about Echelon’s NES system can be found at http://www.echelon.com/metering/.
About HCL Infosystems
HCL Infosystems Ltd, with revenue (LTM) of US $ 3.1 billion (Rs. 12,558 Crores) is India’s premier information enabling and ICT (information and communication technologies) system integration company. HCL offers a wide spectrum of ICT products for the computing, storage, networking, security, telecom, imaging and retail industries. As India’s leading system integration and infrastructure management services organization, HCL has expertise across many vertical markets including the telecom, BFSI, e-Governance and power industries. More information about HCL Infosystems can be found at www.hclinfosystems.in
About Echelon Corporation
Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ:ELON) is a networking company that provides products and systems that can monitor and save energy, lower costs, improve productivity and enhance service, quality, safety and convenience by networking together everyday devices in utility, building, industrial, transportation and home control systems. Tens of millions of smart devices based on Echelon’s LonWorks® products and Networked Energy Services systems are in use around the world today bringing benefits to consumers and industry. More information about Echelon can be found at http://www.echelon.com.
