Telenor Connexion’s Dean Woods and the OnStream team at the European Smart Metering Awards 2011 in London.

The European Smart Metering Awards, which takes place in connection with the Smart Metering UK & Europe Summit, recognises achievements and innovation from utilities and technology providers involved in the European Smart Metering roll-out.

National Grid company and Telenor Connexion customer OnStream was nominated for both, “Metering Manufacturer & Technology of the Year” and “Innovation of the Year”, for its connected Smart Meters and won both awards.

Telenor Connexion has been working alongside OnStream for over 18 months, providing the connectivity for the new OnStream Smart Meters. The unique solution designed by Telenor Connexion allows each meter to connect to any UK mobile network without network bias, ensuring the highest quality of connectivity for the solution.   
OnStream’s mobile communications-based meters use low levels of electricity, enabling low levels of power consumption. The meters also include the ability to accommodate communication with smart appliances as they become more widely available, leading to the formation of the Smart Grid.

− Congratulations to OnStream and all of the other partners involved in the delivery of this top quality solution, that is sure to play a major part over the coming years of smart metering deployment in the UK, says Dean Woods, Head of Region UK & Ireland at Telenor Connexion. 
 
− We are delighted to win these awards. Not only do they recognise the hard work we have put into our product development, but are also confirmation from the industry that OnStream is seen to have the leading smart products and are at the forefront of driving forward innovative solutions to support the wider industry smart roll out, says Keith Hawkins, Strategy & Smart Development Manager at OnStream.

The UK government has unveiled plans for every home in Britain to be equipped with Smart Meters. Some 22 million gas meters and 26 million electricity meters need to be fitted at a cost of £7 billion. (Source: Smart metering UK & Europe 2011 Summit)

All award entries were assessed and judged upon by an independent panel of industry experts. The awards were presented on January 27th at an exclusive gala dinner at the Smart Metering UK & Europe Summit in London, UK.

About OnStream
OnStream offers smart metering services aimed at improving service provision and reducing environmental impact. The company provides a flexible and professional range of meter management services to UK energy suppliers. To date, OnStream has installed in excess of two million gas meters and one million electricity meters. OnStream is a National Grid company, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.
National Grid plays a vital role in providing energy to millions of customers across Great Britain and the Northeast US in an efficient, reliable and safe manner.
www.onstream.co.uk

This directive is paving the way for a European-wide market of services in the transport business focusing on the 4 priority areas defined as follows:

• optimal use of road, traffic and travel data (real traffic information service)
  • priority actions: EU-wide multimodal travel and real-time traffic information services as well as road safety related minimum universal traffic information services
• continuity of traffic and freight management ITS services (enabling better fleet management services)
  • actions: e.g. ensuring information flow; tracking and tracing of freight
• ITS road safety and security applications (eCALL and parking services)
  • priority actions: EU-wide eCall services as well as reservation and information systems services for safe and secure parking places for trucks and commercial vehicles
• linking the vehicle with the transport infrastructure (enabling Car2Car and vehicle2infrastructure services)
  • actions: e.g. systems for exchange of data or information between vehicles, infrastructures and between vehicle and infrastructure

The new directive is the result of a long-awaited European process of negotiations between Parliament and Council since the first draft was proposed by the European Commission (EC) in December 2008ⁱⁱ. In 2008, EC was pointing out the real challenges of the growing transport needs for all Europe. EC called for the adoption of ITS applications and alerted on the lack of an existing standard and coherent organization between countries for making the deployment of such technologies economically viable. Most of the action plan has been transposed into the directive, except for the timing where member states will benefit of longer periods of time between every report (every 3 years versus 1) and for the safe keeping of existing ITS applications deployed in one member state.

This is to say that in Europe, every new application requires a consensus from all of the members and always takes into consideration every existing set up. As an example, the investment in the emergency call services made by some European car OEM:s (seen as real pioneers a decade ago) will therefore be protected for tomorrow and stay compliant with the future pan-european eCall standard.

The new directive establishes a framework and planning of actions to support a coordinated and coherent deployment of ITS within the EU, in particular across the borders between the member states, and it sets out the general conditions necessary for that purpose. For example the reuse of existing technologies like EGNOS/Galileo and RFID, the creation of a new ITS Advisory Group (similar to the eSafety group which was created in 2002 for eCall and lead by ERTICO), regrouping delegates of industry, associations and European Member States – for those who want to work on the future specifications of ITS applications it will most certainly be very interesting to join – and an ITS Committee (parallel to other existing committees for road tolling, recording equipments, use of spatial information, etc.), which with its expertise will help the EC to drive the specifications and the global action plan.

A two-step approach for a swift introduction of ITS through EU legislation has been agreed: the Commission will prepare and adopt the necessary specifications for the ITS applications and services concerned. Their aim is to be ready by February 27, 2013 for a minimum of one or more of the priorities. Then, within 12 months and, where appropriate, after an impact assessment, the Commission will present a proposal for deployment of those ITS to the European Parliament and the Council, which will jointly decide for or against the proposal. In any case, member states will have the final say on whether or not to deploy an ITS application or service in their territory. However, if they do so, they must respect the specifications adopted under the directive. There are some additional key milestones to keep in mind: in August 2011, member states will report their ITS activities and projects to the Commission. In August 2012, the member states will report about the national deployment of ITS application and their actions for the next 5 years. A report of progress will be updated every 3 years by the Commission for the Parliament.

In conclusion, this is a necessary and constructive framework for preparing and organizing the conditions of an interesting market for ITS services on a European scale.

This directive does not hide the complexity of delivering telematics services for all Europe. Indeed, we are talking about providing some connected services in a fragmented mosaic of countries for more than 230 million passenger cars, 30 million light commercial vehicles and 6 million trucks. Having a portion of this market, we at Telenor Connexion have an understanding of how complex it can be. Therefore, I am expecting a long process for assessing the existing implementations, taking into consideration every report and finding specifications good enough to be approved by the larger number.

Finally, coming back to the business reality, I believe that this is a good time for automotive OEMs to make decision whether to start a venture or wait longer (but do not expect a reliable specification before 2013). It’s worth keeping a serious eye on this.

Footnotes
i Directive 2010/40/EU adopted on July 7, 2010 by the Parliament, can be downloaded on the web site: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:207:0001:0013:EN:PDF

iiThe draft document from the European Commission dated of Dec 16.2008, with reference 2008/0263, is available on web site: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0887:FIN:EN:PDF

Axeda Corporation and Telenor Connexion today announced an alliance that will make it easier, cheaper, and faster for companies worldwide to build and deliver connected products. Telenor Connexion is a company within Telenor Group – the world’s sixth largest mobile network operator (MNO). Axeda is the leading Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) company for connected products.

The alliance brings together Telenor Connexion’s worldwide wireless mobile network and Axeda’s on-demand platform for building enterprise-scale M2M solutions. Provided with a complete communication-optimized platform, joint customers can rapidly develop connected products – focusing on strategic business solutions, not the enabling technology. Easy deployment through cloud-based services provide for faster time to market with no infrastructure costs.

“Over the next few years, the application opportunities for wireless M2M connectivity are huge – from the smart grid, to transportation, to networked homes and mobile consumer devices like eReaders. We believe the base of connected mobile M2M devices should exceed 200m by 2014 with an annual growth rate of more than 35%”, said Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO of worldwide M2M analyst firm Beecham Research. “The Axeda Platform reduces the time to market for new M2M applications and services, and with Telenor Connexion these applications have global reach.”

Over 100 major organizations, including Abbott, EMC, Diebold, and NetApp rely on the Axeda Platform today to get value from their connected products. A PaaS solution, it reduces complexity and costs and provides key capabilities such as: condition monitoring, content management, location-based services, business rules, secure communication, and enterprise system integration that speed the creation of connected products.

“Axeda is a leader in enterprise M2M and Telenor Connexion is the leading provider in global managed M2M connectivity solutions. We complement each other with best-in- class M2M services, offering customers a reliable, on-demand platform for building and deploying enterprise M2M solutions that take advantage of our global coverage,” said Niclas Andersson global business development executive, Telenor Connexion. “Benefits for Axeda and Telenor Connexion customers are shortened time to market, as well as reduced development time and cost.”

Telenor Connexion has built a dedicated M2M organization and infrastructure, tailored products and support services for reliable M2M deployments. Its global mobile network is optimized for data traffic – rather than voice transmission – supporting dependable services for both plastic SIM as well as the Telenor patented eSIM chip based embedded solution.

“Organizations are just scratching the surface of the potential business impact of connected products – for improved supply chain visibility, better customer service , and new revenue streams,” said Dale Calder, president and CEO, Axeda. “The integration of our platform with Telenor Connexion’s global network will remove significant time, risk and cost from development cycles, so companies realize the benefits faster.”

Additional Information
Axeda and Telenor Connexion will co-exhibit at CTIA Wireless in Las Vegas, March 23-25, 2010. Visit us at booth #256.

For more information, please contact:
Karin Karlung, Telenor Connexion
karin.karlung@telenor.com, +46 734 417 415

Erin Smith, Axeda Corporation
esmith@axeda.com, 508-337-9200

Megan Boyaval, Corporate Ink
mboyaval@corporateink.com, 617-969-9192

About Axeda
Axeda Corporation is the leading Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) company for connected products. The company’s VeriSign® Security certified platform and applications allow companies to connect, manage, service, and interact with assets anywhere – it serves over 100 of the world’s leading enterprises including Agilent, Diebold, and EMC. Axeda Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Foxboro, Mass. and can be reached at www.axeda.com.

About Telenor Connexion
Telenor Connexion is a leading global provider of managed M2M connectivity solutions. Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is a rapidly expanding market. Companies in industries as diverse as automotive, security, utilities and fleet management are implementing M2M solutions to achieve productivity gains, cost management, environmental improvement and to expand customer services. With more than 10 years of experience Telenor Connexion is an experienced and reliable partner. We are dedicated to our customers’ business and understand their needs. Telenor Connexion has provided international, cost-effective M2M communication solutions to a number of global customers such as Volvo, Daimler and Securitas Direct.According to leading industry analyst Berg Insight Telenor is “the most advanced mobile operator in the area of M2M” and also “the dominant provider of wireless M2M connectivity”.
Telenor Connexion is wholly owned by Telenor Group, the world’s sixth largest mobile operator. Telenor Group is an international provider of high quality tele, data and media communication services with mobile operations in 13 markets across the Nordic region, Central and Eastern Europe and in Asia.

The Eco Navigator is the first personal navigation device showing drivers, in real time, their fuel consumption and carbon emissions and provides advice on how to improve mileage and reduce emissions. The transmitting device will also suggest the most fuel efficient route to the destination. The Eco Navigator includes vehicle diagnostics and performance, and navigation worldwide.The highly customised and centralised solution delivered by Telenor Connexion will provide not only the SIM-card and connectivity, but also the advantage of one single business model tailored for international connectivity. With Telenor Connexion’s global SIM solution, MyGuide will benefit from one SIM and one standardised technical solution enabling a cost-effective deployment in several international markets. The solution also includes automated provisioning customised to fit MyGuide’s production and distribution processes, securing cost-effective integration of SIM and testing of the complete solution ahead of production.

The connected product will be released in the US in December and in Europe during January 2010. It will be available to the North American, European, Russian, Australian and Indian markets, where Telenor Connexion has extensive experience from supplying wireless connectivity. The long term agreement will bring about a large-scale deployment in the mentioned market areas.

– It’s exciting to be a part of this new product. We have a solid solution for providing connectivity in these regions, and working with an environmentally focused solution is agreeable with our company outlook, says Gwenn Larsson, VP of Sales, Telenor Connexion.

The Eco Navigator allows drivers to be more conscious of the cost of driving through fuel savings and contribute to reducing pollution by making car owners “eco conscious”. By using the data from the on board diagnostics port it provides accurate real time data drawn from the actual vehicle engine, and not projected or estimated values as its navigation competitors.

– We are very confident that the partnership with Telenor Connexion will result in global market development. Wireless connectivity enables users to obtain real-time traffic, download data about their vehicle to their desktop PC, and provides Internet access for user convenience, says Randy Kemps, VP Sales & Marketing, MyGuide Americas.

The Eco Navigator is designed and developed by Digisec Group for MyGuide Americas LLC, and utilises Digisec’s powerful “Eco-Way” eco-driving and engine monitoring software. Digisec Group is one of the largest suppliers of aftermarket automotive security and safety products in China.

For more information, please contact:
Karin Karlung, PR and Communication, Telenor Connexion
karin.karlung@telenor.com, +46 734 417 415

About Telenor Connexion
Telenor Connexion is a leading global provider of managed M2M connectivity solutions. Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is a rapidly expanding market. Companies in industries as diverse as automotive, security, utilities and fleet management are implementing M2M solutions to achieve productivity gains, cost management, environmental improvement and to expand customer services. With more than 10 years of experience Telenor Connexion is an experienced and reliable partner. We are dedicated to our customers’ business and understand their needs. Telenor Connexion has provided international, cost-effective M2M communication solutions to a number of global customers such as Volvo, Daimler and Securitas Direct.
According to leading industry analyst Bergh Insight Telenor is “the most advanced mobile operator in the area of M2M” and also “the dominant provider of wireless M2M connectivity”.Telenor Connexion is wholly owned by Telenor Group, the world’s sixth largest mobile operator. Telenor Group is an international provider of high quality tele, data and media communication services with mobile operations in 13 markets across the Nordic region, Central and Eastern Europe and in Asia.

About MyGuide Americas
MyGuide Americas is a California corporation dedicated to cutting edge GPS navigation products. Partnering with leading companies in this field, MyGuide markets GPS products with innovative features and at competitive market prices. Products are available with navigation & vehicle diagnostics for all major world markets. Europe & North America are prime target markets for the Eco Navigator. For more information, please visit www.myguidegpsusa.com

Telenor Connexion welcomes GSMA’s initiative for the development of life saving technology, eCall.

GSMA, the global mobile communications industry union, has signed a memorandum of understanding to secure the deployment the life saving service eCall in cars across Europe.

- We see this as a step in the right direction. This is a rapidly growing market with the potential to save thousands of lives every year. We have been working closely with the car industry for more than ten years, developing and refining various telematics solutions including eCall solutions, says Per Simonsen, CEO, Telenor Connexion

The deployment of eCall among car manufacturers has been slower than expected for many reasons, partly due to a complex value-chain covering many different players and lack of standardisation. This is now about to change.

- We see a significant increased interest from car manufacturers to develop the next generation of connected services, where eCall is one of many services that will bring new value to the car itself. Services like infotainment, remote diagnostics, concierge services, location-based services are all depending upon connectivity, says Dan Mårtensson, VP Automotive Sales.

Some 14,5 million cars were sold in the European market 2008, indicating the size of this new emerging market. This brings totally new challenges for the mobile operators.

- Understanding of the automotive industry is critical in deploying large-scale telematics connectivity solutions on a global basis. Together with the car manufactures we are developing solutions for the specific requirements within the automotive industry, says Per Simonsen

For instance, the Telenor Connexion surface-mounted eSIM solution is designed for integration in industrial environments securing cost-efficient integration in production processes as well as long-term, reliable connectivity services on a global basis.

Please visit the GSMA web page for more information regarding the signing of the memorandum of understanding:

http://www.gsmworld.com/newsroom/press-releases/2009/3863.htm

For more information, please contact:

Karin Karlung, PR and Communication, Telenor Connexion

karin.karlung@telenor.com, +46 734 417 415

Management workshop

A management workshop is an excellent starting point, highlighting the critical aspects of your needs and setting the baseline for your strategic direction. It will also identify alternative routes for implementing the M2M solution that best meets your needs and strengthens your business.

Solution design and testing

No solution is stronger than its weakest link. We can provide you with full assistance in the commercial and technical design of your M2M solution. Once you have established your design, you can test and verify the communications at our test lab before performing field trials.

Implementation and rollout

The difference is in the details. We have learnt along the way that having a steady grip on implementation and rollout is the key to success. We have the experience of handling both smaller projects and large-scale rollouts that include several hundred thousand devices.

Operations

We are with you at all times. You can get access to our customer support team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Telenor Connexion today announced it has started roll-out of Gemalto M2M SIM offer, also known as eSIM.

The dedicated eSIM, based on Telenor Connexion’s and Swedish Strålfors patented eSIM-solution, is tailored to the specific needs of the M2M (machine-to-machine) market and customized for integrated communications in industrialised environments such as vehicles and machines.

- Customers using the eSIM will benefit from three main important aspects when moving into large-scale M2M/telematics solutions: improved SIM reliability in harsh environments, improved assembly efficiency for industrial large-scale production and finally design efficiency through its smaller footprint. All together, the eSIM will be vital in our customer’s business since it improves product quality, reliability and cuts costs – all necessities for a successful M2M/telematics deployment, says Fredrik Salvesen, Director of Service Delivery/COO at Telenor Connexion.

Over the past two years the two companies have been working on various implementations of the eSIM that meet the needs of the M2M market, in fields such as the automotive industry, vending machines and industrial metering.

- This deployment demonstrates that the efforts Gemalto has put forth in the field of M2M for the past two years are now bearing fruit. Both Telenor and Gemalto have been pioneers in this market and share the same vision to advance M2M products and solutions, adds Jean-François Schreiber, SVP Telecom Solutions and Services at Gemalto.

The eSIM, which comes in the form of a ruggedized electronic component, is directly integrated within the M2M communicating module at manufacturing stage. This eliminates manual operation, such as insertion and configuration, and significantly reduces the related costs. The secure personalization process handled by Strålfors with Gemalto’s support is performed either before or after the card has been incorporated into the module, affording M2M players greater flexibility in managing subscriptions. In addition, since the card is welded inside the module, it cannot be stolen nor misused.

For more information, please contact:

Kristina Grandin, PR & Communication, Telenor Connexion
E-mail: kristina.grandin@telenor.com, tel. +46 734 25 26 21

About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2008 annual revenues of €1.68 billion, and 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, research and service centers in 40 countries.
Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere—has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.
Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems and services to help our customers achieve their goals.
As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information please visit www.gemalto.com.

Wavecom and Telenor Connexion today announce the signing of an agreement that will allow the two companies to offer a solution that provides easy accessibility to Telenor’s network with Wavecom Wireless CPU® devices by embedding the Telenor Connexion SIM component into the Wavecom devices. This solution targets high-volume applications such as telematics systems for automotive, on-board equipment for intelligent transport systems and smart meters for utility companies.

- Following the launch of Telenor Connexion last October, this agreement with Wavecom will be a step forward in meeting the new company’s goal to spearhead global expansion of telematics and M2M communication. We are focused on supplying every customer throughout the world with a contract for connectivity tailored to their specific business needs. Based on multiple roaming agreements, we can ensure high quality connections even outside of Telenor’s existing geographic zones, says Dan Mårtensson, VP of Sales Automotive at Telenor Connexion.

The announcement today with Wavecom, a recognized world leader in cellular technologies for telematics and M2M communication, is one more step for Telenor Connexion towards enabling easier access to wireless communication for products that touch everyone’s lives.

Customers will benefit from a simplified model with two leading companies that have joined forces to ensure successful connections for the end solution. The model relies on Telenor Connexion providing the connectivity service while Wavecom is providing the Wireless CPU® and embedds the SIM component customized for Telenor’s cellular network. This integration uses Wavecom’s innovative inSIM®, a unique solution which embeds the SIM function into the Wireless CPU® at the component level, eliminating the plastic SIM-card.

- We are particularly pleased to work with Telenor Connexion, the premier wireless operator in telematics and M2M, and believe that the joint marketing efforts will attract new entrants by making access to wireless solutions simpler. The management and logistics required for plastic SIM-card has long been a barrier to large scale expansion of telematics and M2M. Now with an inSIM® personalized for Telenor Connexion, we bring together a high quality connectivity service and more than 15 years of experience in wireless, into one offer directly to the customers, says Olivier Beaujard, Group Vice President Business Development at Wavecom.

The initial focus for this offer will be on the automotive market, one which demands the highest quality of performance in all aspects from the robustness and lifetime of the hardware, to the reliability and continuity of the communications network.

For more information, please contact:
Mette Hautemaniere, Communications Manager, Public Relations, Wavecom
E-mail: mha@wavecom.com , tel: +33 1 46 29 94 17

Kristina Grandin, PR & Communication, Telenor Connexion
E-mail: kristina.grandin@telenor.com, tel. +46 734 25 26 21

About Wavecom – the wireless M2M experts
Wavecom is a leading provider of embedded wireless technology for M2M (machine-to-machine) communication. We provide a range of GSM/GPRS, CDMA, EDGE and 3G Wireless CPUs; programmable processors which also act as wireless modules or wireless modems. These are backed by a C and Lua-based cellular wireless software suite which includes a real-time operating system (RTOS), a software development environment based on Eclipse™, and several Plug-Ins (GPS, TCP/IP, security,  Lua script and more). We also offer a wide range of professional and operated services. Our solutions are used for automotive telematics, smart metering, fleet management, GSM/GPS/satellite tracking, wireless alarms, wireless POS (point of sales), WLL (fixed voice), remote monitoring and many other M2M applications.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux (France) near Paris, Wavecom has subsidiaries in Hong Kong (PRC), Research Triangle Park, NC (USA), Farnborough (UK), Munich (Germany) and Sao Paolo (Brazil). Wavecom is publicly traded on Euronext Paris (Eurolist) in France and on the NASDAQ (WVCM) exchange in the U.S. For more information please visit www.wavecom.com