Ameren Corporation and CellNet Data Systems Launch Ameren Abacus
30 July 1998
Ameren Corporation and CellNet Data Systems Launch Ameren Abacus(TM) For Energy Monitoring and Reporting
Ford Motor Company Among First Customers
ST. LOUIS and SAN CARLOS, Calif., July 30 -- Ameren
Corporation , a Fortune 500 energy company, and CellNet Data
Systems, Inc. , a market-leading provider of fixed-network
wireless information services, today unveiled Ameren Abacus(TM) -- an energy
information product that provides operations managers with frequent and
detailed energy consumption information on production processes, vital
machinery and equipment, facilities and other commercial and industrial
endpoints. Ameren Abacus delivers easy-to-use energy usage reports directly
to customers' computer screens via a secure World Wide Web link. The product
was unveiled with the advertising tagline, "Energy management made simple."
For CellNet, Abacus also represents the first market launch of a
Commercial Data Services product to emerge from a strategic alliance with an
important network customer.
Ameren Abacus offers both monitoring and reporting components. CellNet's
wireless technology monitors consumption at endpoints and provides data
management capabilities and the communications link to Ameren's central
monitoring center, sending information as frequently as required by the
customer. The energy information is then processed and reported in a
customer-tailored format via software developed by Ameren. Ameren Abacus
energy consumption reports are updated daily, or as often as needed. Because
Ameren Abacus is a wireless system, installation is simple and cost-effective,
and the network is "portable," giving the customer tremendous flexibility to
gather information for individual pieces of equipment.
The first field application of Ameren Abacus is in Ford Motor Company's
St. Louis, Mo. assembly plant, which assembles the popular Ford
Explorer sport-utility vehicle. Ameren Abacus is now monitoring and reporting
on energy consumption at more than 50 points in the Ford plant, such as the
paint shop, body shop and final assembly lines.
Vincent E. Kelly, plant engineering manager at Ford Motor Company's St.
Louis Assembly Plant, knows delivering quality depends on having measurable,
actionable data. Abacus provides plant and department managers with the kind
of timely, reliable, actionable data they need to continuously improve Ford's
processes while minimizing costs.
Detroit-based Jabil Circuit, Inc., the third largest designer and
manufacturer of electronic circuit boards and systems, is using Ameren Abacus
software and testing its remote monitoring capabilities over hundreds of
miles. Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., will soon be online,
using Ameren Abacus to monitor the energy load, demand and costs in its
dormitories.
Charles A. Bremer, Ameren's vice president, information technology, said,
"Ameren Abacus is an information product that can go a long way to making
business customers far more efficient consumers of energy, enabling them to
manage their energy consumption by department, division, process, machine, or
in whatever level of detail they may require. Ameren Abacus is an important
outgrowth of our strategic technology alliance with CellNet Data Systems.
With CellNet, Ameren also operates the world's largest fixed wireless network
for utility meter reading."
John M. (Mick) Seidl, CellNet chairman and chief executive officer, said,
"Abacus is a perfect example of how forward-thinking utilities like Ameren can
successfully develop new non-regulated businesses using CellNet's advanced
wireless data technology. We look forward to a successful product launch. "
The Companies
With assets of $9 billion, Ameren serves 1.5 million electric customers
and 300,000 natural gas customers in a 44,500-square-mile area of Missouri and
Illinois. For more information on Abacus visit http://abacus.ameren.com and
for more information on Ameren visit http://www.ameren.com.
CellNet Data Systems, Inc., with headquarters in San Carlos, Calif., is a
market-leading provider of fixed-network wireless information services. For
more company information visit http://www.cellnet.com.