ABB Adds Business Intelligence to Software Offering with Obvient Acquisition
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Packaged solutions from Georgia-based provider support high-volume, real-time decision support for utilities
Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 5, 2011 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has agreed to acquire Obvient Strategies Inc., a privately-owned specialist software provider based in Alpharetta, Georgia, adding Obvient's solutions to its recently acquired Ventyx software portfolio. The transaction will further enhance ABB's software offering for asset management, power distribution automation and smart grid applications.
Obvient offers software and services for industries and utilities with geographically dispersed assets. The company's business intelligence software collects, analyzes and reports critical real-time as well as periodic information. This supports decision making and helps users to optimize operations. As well as helping to manage complex operations, the solutions also reduce operating costs and improve asset reliability. Obvient's unique products compile the power transmission and distribution sector's best business practices into prepackaged solutions. This enables companies to monitor and manage their distributed assets more effectively, on a real-time and event-driven basis.
"The Obvient portfolio is highly complementary to our own software solutions for the power sector," said Jens Birgersson, head of ABB's Network Management business within ABB's Power Systems division. "It significantly strengthens our software-based solutions, enabling us to provide better service to our customers, from asset health and customer care to distribution and outage management."
ABB plans to retain the Obvient team and place its executives in key roles within the Ventyx product management organization. The company has offices in Alpharetta, Georgia, near Atlanta, and a staff of 40.
"We are delighted to join the global ABB family. We have already worked together on a number of projects and joining our complementary portfolios makes perfect sense," said Ray Kasten, president and CEO of Obvient Strategies. "This move will enable Obvient to enhance support for our rapidly growing customer base while accelerating our product development initiatives."
Ventyx, an ABB company (www.ventyx.com), provides enterprise software, energy markets data and professional services that enable energy, utility, communications and other asset-intensive organizations to optimize operational efficiency and productivity.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs more than 117,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, employ about 12,000 people in 20 manufacturing and other major facilities.
For more information please contact:
Head of Communications
ABB Power Products & Power Systems
Harmeet Bawa
Tel: +41 43 317 6480
Fax: +41 43 317 6482
harmeet.bawa@ch.abb.com
Bill Rose
Media Relations Manager
ABB Inc.
Power Products & Power Systems North America
919.807.5743 - office
919.244.4879 - mobile
bill.rose@us.abb.com
www.abb.us
