Landis+Gyr is one of the leading smart meter and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) companies in the world. The company offers a broad portfolio of networking products and services. Landis+Gyr has installed over 300 million meters (this number includes both smart meters and older equipment), with operations in 30 countries. The company was recently acquired by Toshiba for $2.3 billion in cash.
Landis+Gyr calls its networking platform Gridstream. It is capable of being deployed over a variety of channels, including dynamic radio frequency (RF) mesh, ultra-narrow-bandwidth (UNB) powerline communication (PLC), GPRS (2G/3G), 3G, and WiMAX. The company has a substantial focus on distribution automation (DA) and has launched the SCADA Center software application suite in conjunction with DC Systems. Landis+Gyr also has a partnership with broadband communication software company Grid Net to resell their software for meters, switches, and other devices in Australia and New Zealand. (Landis+Gyr has an option to expand the relationship globally.) While RF mesh has been the most popular smart grid networking platform, Landis+Gyr’s capability to scale over various communication channels allows them to market a champion of WiMAX like Grid Net.
Recently, the company landed a grid contract for 10,000 smart meters with the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). While 10,000 may sound like a small number, the market in China has vast potential; SGCC covers 80% of the country’s mainland population. If this initial phase is a success, Landis+Gyr and Toshiba are primed to make a major impact on the Chinese market. Another recent announcement concerned a partnership with Itron, where the two companies will integrate each other’s communication technology into the other company’s advanced meters.
Primary competitors: GE, Itron, Silver Spring, Trilliant
Analyst Note: The news of Landis+Gyr being acquired by the Japanese electronics multinational Toshiba made big headlines this year, and not without reason. The acquisition was the largest out of all 226 acquisitions in cleantech in the first half of 2011; it also underscores Toshiba’s commitment to making a splash in the electric power sector, coming just a few short years after its $5.4 billion acquisition of the Westinghouse Electric Co. in 2006.
In this report, we have decided to profile Landis+Gyr, as the brand name will continue exist, and because to date, Toshiba has shown a very light touch with the business operations of its new entity.
Apart from the acquisition news, we have been very impressed by Landis+Gyr’s recent successes and product offerings over the past two years. Projects including Hydro Quebec, JAE, and Nashville Electric Service will utilize technologies in AMI, MDM, managed services, DA, and demand response/load management.
Further, the company has an advantage over several fellow vendors in that its networking platform can function over several different communication infrastructures: powerline carrier, cellular, and RF mesh. As such, the company is less dependent on which communication technology is selected by a given vendor. Landis+Gyr is also positioned at the forefront of the coming AMI/DA convergence, expanding grid communications to all critical devices on the distribution grid.
To learn more about The Networked Grid 150 report in its entirety, visit http://www.greentechmedia.com/research/report/the-networked-grid-150
Tags: abb, aclara, business strategy, competitive, emeter, ibm, itron, landis & gyr, landis + gyr, landis+gyr, landisandgyr, landisgyr, market report, market research, networked grid
