Itron News
Itron Partners with Accell as Lead Distributor in Latin America
June 17, 2020
Today, Itron announced our intent to partner with Accell, a newly-formed company built around Itron’s existing leadership team in Latin America and three additional companies – Ethos Asset Management, Straight Manufacture and Insprotec S.A. DE C.V – as Itron’s regional partner and lead distributor for the region. As part of the agreement, Accell will manufacture devices sold in Latin America and provide service and support for those products. They will also be the lead regional distributor for Itron products designed and built outside of Latin America, giving access to our full suite of solutions, including networked solutions, analytics, smart cities and outcomes offerings. The timing to close the deal is imminent.
Latin America is a very important and strategic region, and I am excited about the opportunity this agreement gives us to maximize the market opportunity there. It’s a win-win with Accell providing the regional focus and Itron providing the product portfolio to help Accell optimize the business model. Both of us will be better positioned to drive customer success in the region and capitalize on opportunities. But, “sameness” is simply an illusion. As I look around, I can see toddlers grown into college students, clients retiring, and Itron acquired RER in 2002. Within my home, I’ve moved from no computers, to desktop computers, to laptop computers, to tablets. My television set is larger and flatter. A few years ago, I even replaced my old water heater with a new efficient one after a very wet incident. Between 1998 and 2012, Itron estimates that annual electric usage is for central air conditioning is lower by about 18%, refrigeration is down by 20%, and lighting is reduced by 19%.
As we forecast, it’s easy to project the sameness of the past into the future. Assuming that 1998 is just like today misses the subtle changes in technologies, end-uses, and efficiency gains. Incorporating these impacts sharpens our projections, adds causality into our models, and recognizes the realities of our world.
While drinking my coffee this morning, I am nostalgic over the MetrixND newsletter. But, today is not 1998. MetrixND 1.2 has been upgraded to MetrixND 5.3. The single MetrixND training class has blossomed into a full curriculum of forecast training classes in the U.S. and abroad. The first MetrixND users group has been transformed into the Energy Forecasting Group and Itron Utility Week Conferences plus user meetings in Europe and Australia. And, the printed, mailed newsletter is now an electronic blog.
Accell’s leadership team is comprised of colleagues that I’ve worked with for years, who are experts in doing business in Latin America. They know how to be successful in this region, with a strong understanding of local laws, languages, cultures and business market opportunities. Under Accell’s leadership, employees can be more agile and flexible in meeting the evolving needs of the business in the region. For Itron, this partnership enables us to better position resources to capitalize on opportunities.
Itron is constantly reviewing and revising our distribution model around the world. Several months ago, when Accell’s leadership team approached us with this business strategy for the region, we both saw this as an opportunity in the market to apply focus and to innovate.
By partnering with Accell as our lead distributor in Latin America, I believe both companies will be better equipped to build upon the foundation Itron has established, deliver more regionally focused products and solutions, and accelerate growth and customer success in the region. I’m excited to see what we can do, together.
If you’d like to learn more, read the press release here.I stumbled across the first MetrixND newsletter today. In July 1998, Regional Economic Research (RER) was preparing users for the MetrixND 1.2 release, setting up a MetrixND training class and forming a user’s group.
In many ways, life is the same today as it was in 1998. I still go to work, drink coffee in the morning, and help companies with their forecasting needs. Even the average household consumption looks similar. Between 1997 and 2012, the Energy Information Administration estimates that average use rose only 6% over 15 years based on the Residential Energy Consumption Surveys.
Latin America is a very important and strategic region, and I am excited about the opportunity this agreement gives us to maximize the market opportunity there. It’s a win-win with Accell providing the regional focus and Itron providing the product portfolio to help Accell optimize the business model. Both of us will be better positioned to drive customer success in the region and capitalize on opportunities. But, “sameness” is simply an illusion. As I look around, I can see toddlers grown into college students, clients retiring, and Itron acquired RER in 2002. Within my home, I’ve moved from no computers, to desktop computers, to laptop computers, to tablets. My television set is larger and flatter. A few years ago, I even replaced my old water heater with a new efficient one after a very wet incident. Between 1998 and 2012, Itron estimates that annual electric usage is for central air conditioning is lower by about 18%, refrigeration is down by 20%, and lighting is reduced by 19%.
As we forecast, it’s easy to project the sameness of the past into the future. Assuming that 1998 is just like today misses the subtle changes in technologies, end-uses, and efficiency gains. Incorporating these impacts sharpens our projections, adds causality into our models, and recognizes the realities of our world.
While drinking my coffee this morning, I am nostalgic over the MetrixND newsletter. But, today is not 1998. MetrixND 1.2 has been upgraded to MetrixND 5.3. The single MetrixND training class has blossomed into a full curriculum of forecast training classes in the U.S. and abroad. The first MetrixND users group has been transformed into the Energy Forecasting Group and Itron Utility Week Conferences plus user meetings in Europe and Australia. And, the printed, mailed newsletter is now an electronic blog.
Accell’s leadership team is comprised of colleagues that I’ve worked with for years, who are experts in doing business in Latin America. They know how to be successful in this region, with a strong understanding of local laws, languages, cultures and business market opportunities. Under Accell’s leadership, employees can be more agile and flexible in meeting the evolving needs of the business in the region. For Itron, this partnership enables us to better position resources to capitalize on opportunities.
Itron is constantly reviewing and revising our distribution model around the world. Several months ago, when Accell’s leadership team approached us with this business strategy for the region, we both saw this as an opportunity in the market to apply focus and to innovate.
By partnering with Accell as our lead distributor in Latin America, I believe both companies will be better equipped to build upon the foundation Itron has established, deliver more regionally focused products and solutions, and accelerate growth and customer success in the region. I’m excited to see what we can do, together.
If you’d like to learn more, read the press release here.I stumbled across the first MetrixND newsletter today. In July 1998, Regional Economic Research (RER) was preparing users for the MetrixND 1.2 release, setting up a MetrixND training class and forming a user’s group.
In many ways, life is the same today as it was in 1998. I still go to work, drink coffee in the morning, and help companies with their forecasting needs. Even the average household consumption looks similar. Between 1997 and 2012, the Energy Information Administration estimates that average use rose only 6% over 15 years based on the Residential Energy Consumption Surveys.
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