ATLANTA, June 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The North American AMR industry has a new fixed network leader and the AMR industry remains healthy. Those are among the findings of the latest metering report from energy research leader Chartwell Inc.
St. Louis-based Distribution Control Systems Inc. (DCSI), a provider of two-way powerline carrier technology, continued its hot growth in 2003, shipping nearly 1.5 million modules. That was enough to surpass CellNet by Atos Origin as the shipment leader among fixed network AMR providers in North America, states Chartwell's AMR Shipments 2004 report. All told, the shipments of three leading AMR vendors -- DCSI, Itron Inc. of Spokane, Wash. and Hunt Technologies Inc. of Pequot Lakes, Minn. -- combined for 18.2% growth in 2003, states the report. The three vendors combined shipped 6.3 million modules in 2003, almost 1 million more than in 2002.
Thanks to its popular mobile system, Itron continues to lead the overall AMR pack. The Spokane, Wash.-based vendor shipped about 4.2 million modules in 2003 for 14.7% growth. AMR Shipments 2004 also details the growing interest among powerline carrier technologies, especially among investor-owned utilities.
AMR Shipments 2004 includes a full-length analysis of the industry and six vendor profiles. The report examines utility interest and usage of various technologies with specific chapters focused on the 2003 shipments of powerline carrier, mobile and wireless AMR systems. The vendor profiles provide detailed examinations of some leading AMR players' shipments, technologies and customers.
Chartwell is also developing research that will continue its long-running examination of the AMR industry based on actual deployments. Chartwell is currently surveying utilities regarding their AMR plans and that analysis will appear in The Chartwell AMR Report 2004, 9th Ed., which is slated for release in September 2004.
AMR Shipments 2004, which is part of Chartwell's Metering Research Series, is available for $350. Chartwell's Metering Research Series is the only unbiased and continuous research service devoted exclusively to the AMR industry. Annual series membership includes access to:
* more than 25 AMR-related reports; * 9 to 10 new AMR-related reports released during the membership term, most with at least two utility case studies; * monthly intelligence reports on AMR trends and technologies; and * past and current annual reports focusing on AMR surveys of 100-plus utilities.
Membership in The Metering Research Series is $2,995. For more information about AMR Shipments 2004 or The Metering Research Series, please contact Juli Collins at (800) 432-5879 or (404) 237-9099, or visit www.energylibrary.com.