Cellnet Announces UtiliNet ZigBee Gateway for Two Way In Premise Home Automation

ATLANTA, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellnet Technology, Inc. (CellnetŪ) announced today at The Exchange 2006, its annual customer conference, a new UtiliNetŪ ZigBee(TM) Gateway that will support two-way communication and control for ZigBee enabled in-home devices. Cellnet demonstrated a prototype of the gateway to several utilities during the smart metering west coast conference held in San Francisco August 28-30, 2006.

The ZigBee alliance is an association of companies working together to enable cost-effective, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard.

Cellnet UtiliNet networks support distribution automation, SCADA, and advanced metering infrastructure applications at over 200 utilities across the United States and Canada. Cellnet is developing the UtiliNet ZigBee Gateway to leverage this installed communications infrastructure and to support utility industry efforts to deliver in-premise customer networks that expand load control, energy management, and demand response programs.

Cellnet chief executive officer Mike Zito remarked, "This gateway demonstrates Cellnet's support for an open, cost-effective, two-way platform that enables in-premise demand response and direct load control programs."

Energy consumers, supported with a UtiliNet ZigBee Gateway and an in-premise network of ZigBee-enabled devices including control displays, thermostats, and appliances, will be equipped to automate their participation in demand response programs with utility service providers. Utility providers will in turn tailor programs for customers who have a combination of critical and non-critical peak load devices in premise.

With an automated approach to customer communication, control and verification, utilities will be positioned to take advantage of emerging demand response market incentives while also managing network reliability imperatives more effectively at the local distribution system level.

Cellnet chief technology officer Tommy Childress remarked, "An open design and open system standards support have driven the UtiliNet technology strategy for many years and this philosophy spans Cellnet's entire solution set. ZigBee support is in line with this longstanding strategy. Cellnet will also support the new ANSI 12.22 standard when it is complete and introduced to the market."

Cellnet is preparing for pilot testing of the UtiliNet ZigBee Gateway and will announce further product information in Q4 2006.

About Cellnet Technology, Inc.
Cellnet provides intelligent communication and automation solutions to energy and water businesses worldwide. The company's offerings include advanced metering infrastructure, in-premise networks, automated meter reading, SCADA and distribution automation. Cellnet's proven record of delivering customer value is supported by 13 million endpoints and contracted revenue of $2.3 billion over fifteen years. For more information visit www.cellnet.com.
 

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