Press Information:
Jessica Vendegna
Telvent Miner & Miner
Telephone: +1 970 223 1888 x218

General Information: info@miner.com

Telvent (NASDAQ: TLVT), the IT company for a sustainable and secure world, hosted its 8th annual Telvent Utilities User Group Conference March 3-5, 2009, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Conference registrants represented 64 electric, gas, and water utilities, as well as 27 partner companies, from around the world.

Throughout the three days, attendees previewed upcoming product releases; attended their choice of beginner-to-advanced software functionality demonstrations, technical and best-practice sessions, and case studies; and shared their product and service experiences among themselves and with Telvent Utilities staffers.

One of the most popular tracks of the conference was a series of sessions describing Telvent’s Smart Grid Solution (SGS). Jeff Meyers, head of the SGS initiative, emphasized that the proven ArcFM GIS provides a reliable, single representation of an electric transmission and distribution network, a primary requirement for an integrated grid solution targeting improved efficiency. In his sessions, he spelled out how a utility would establish its particular smart grid roadmap and develop a business case. Other SGS sessions addressed smart operations, meter data management, advanced meter infrastructure, and distribution management.

Jared Weeks from United Power, Inc. paid close attention in these Smart Grid sessions. As an electrical engineer at the northern Colorado rural electric cooperative, he might not have attended this conference a few years earlier, when it primarily addressed the use of GIS in network asset management. “The materials presented on defining the smart grid will be of great use when creating a concise business case and staying ahead of the looming technical curve,” Weeks commented. “The utilities and cooperatives of today have a massive amount of technology that can be implemented and must make sound judgment calls on which pieces are imperative to succeed in the new energy economy of tomorrow.”

Many attendees were users of Telvent’s ArcFM™ Geographic Information System (GIS) Solution, designed for utilities and built on the industry-leading ESRI ArcGIS® platform.

In his welcome address, Andy Bennett, Telvent Utilities vice president, introduced the newly formed Utilities Group as a consolidation of Telvent Energy’s expertise in SCADA, GIS, and Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) as they relate to utility operations. Telvent Utilities addresses the growing trend in electric, gas, and water services to move away from standalone - or 'silo' - structures and functions, toward unified business and operations applications.

“In a tough economy where it is difficult to fund new projects, our focus is to maximize the impact of your maintenance dollars,” Bennett told the opening-day audience. “That means adding business-driven functionality to the product to help reduce operational costs and make the upgrade process practical.”

Perhaps most notable at this unique conference was the specific time devoted to interaction between Telvent product experts and users, and among users themselves. A participant from Denmark, noted, “It was especially valuable to meet with Telvent staff, who knew the products thoroughly and who took the time to address our questions fully. The Smart Grid Solution track was excellent, along with the overview of all the new product releases.” A representative from DONG Energy in Denmark added, “Telvent created an informal atmosphere in which it was safe to communicate with other users and expand one’s network of associates.”