Release of 07.11.2013
- Software for the central management and administration of smart electricity meters
- Designed as a SaaS (software as a service) solution
- Highest data security standards
- IT-Platform specially tailored to the demands of the Austrian market
The new solution, ‘SMARTify’, rounds off the Telekom Austria Group’s portfolio in the area of smart metering, i.e. the introduction and operation of smart electricity meters. SMARTify has been designed as a SaaS (software as a service) solution: the Telekom Austria Group will be responsible for the IT infrastructure, the software and the maintenance work. Electric utility providers will use the platform as a service by paying a monthly flat fee, while reducing investments, minimizing risks and achieving economies of scale.
“SMARTify delivers a risk-free entry into the smart metering market without requiring one-off investments. Customers can therefore concentrate on their core business and rely on the professional support of the Telekom Austria Group, which provides secure networking solutions. SMARTify was specifically designed to meet the demands of the Austrian market, is the most cost-efficient solution currently available on the market and complies with all legal requirements. The introduction of smart metering allows for great synergies between telcos and power supply companies, enabling unparalleled cooperation between these two industries,“ explained Bernd Liebscher, Managing Director Telekom Austria Group M2M.
High Security Standards The Telekom Austria Group operates high-security data centers, which are extensively available across the country. The company is ISO 27001 certified and provides an integrated IT security concept, supporting customers in highly sensitive sectors such as financial services, health and public administration with hosting, housing and IT services. The ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) concept has already gained widespread acceptance in these highly sensitive industries, such as the banking sector. In the area of smart metering, power supply companies can profit from the Telekom Austria Group’s longstanding experience and proven track record in customer projects with focus on data security. In addition to automated meter reading (AMR) and management of both meter data and metering devices, the platform also offers comprehensive operational management and alarm functionalities.
In addition, the platform guarantees a strict separation between the single utility providers and their data. This ensures that the power supply companies only have access to data generated by their end-customers. Power supply companies can make power consumption data available to their end-customers via an integrated web portal. In the case of potential changes to the legal provisions, corresponding IT adjustments are carried out centrally for all customers.
Solution Specially Tailored to the Austrian Market
The Austrian energy market is characterized by a relatively low number of meter points per power supply company. In order to achieve long-term cost efficiency, SMARTify was specifically designed to meet these conditions. Through this platform, synergies can be leveraged both in the initial rollout phase as well as during operations: utility providers can keep costs per meter point low by sharing the underlying infrastructure among them, while, however, managing customer data separately. Moreover, the platform is technologically neutral, supports different metering device suppliers and access technologies (mobile transmission, PLC, mesh radio) and can be applied also to gas, district heating and water.
SMARTify was jointly developed with the Austrian subsidiary of the German company GÖRLITZ AG, which offers software and hardware solutions for remote meter reading, smart metering and meter data management, supporting customers from the industry, transportation and traffic field.
GÖRLITZ is market leader in the German-speaking area and can rely on extensive hands-on experience in meter data management of more than 30 year. Current reference customers such as the Danish energy company SEAS-NVE, where data from over 400,000 smart meters is collected, administered and stored, prove the performance of the solution.
About the Telekom Austria Group and Telekom Austria M2M GmbHTelekom Austria Group M2M GmbH was set up in 2011 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Telekom Austria Group, the leading convergent telecommunications provider in Central and Eastern Europe with more than 23 million customers. The Telekom Austria Group is headquartered in Vienna and operates in eight markets with strong local companies and brands: Austria (A1), Slovenia (Si.mobil), Croatia (Vipnet), Republic of Serbia (Vip mobile), Republic of Macedonia (Vip operator), Bulgaria (Mobiltel), Belarus (velcom) and Liechtenstein (mobilkom liechtenstein). Telekom Austria Group M2M GmbH can therefore build upon a strong regional footprint in the Group’s operating markets, a wide international network of strategic partners and on roaming agreements in approximately 200 countries worldwide. The spin-off combines the M2M business units of the eight local mobile operators of the Group, thus consolidating 10 years of proven know-how and hands-on experience in a specialized and dedicated organization.
With a view to serving the rapidly growing and dynamic M2M business field, Telekom Austria Group M2M GmbH not only offers data communications services, it also provides its international customers from a highly diverse range of industries with advice and specialist expertise along the entire value chain - from project design and implementation to the marketing of M2M applications. The newly established company enables completely new business models, which - based on process optimization - allow for a more efficient use of resources and a reduction of costs.
More detailed information is available at m2m.telekomaustria.com