Elster and Milsoft Utility Solutions Certify MultiSpeak® Version 3.0 Interoperability


Raleigh, North Carolina, September 08, 2008. Elster, the global leader in smart metering and smart grid system solutions, announces that its EnergyAxis® System had been certified as interoperable with Milsoft Utility Solution's DisSPatch outage management system (OMS) through MultiSpeak 3.0 specification testing. End-to-end interoperability with the DisSPatch OMS system extends the EnergyAxis System's AMI technology and enhances its ability to support outage management, a key capability of the smart grid.

Sharon Allan, president of Elster Integrated Solutions stated, "Milsoft's OMS solution efficiently utilizes the real-time power outage data generated by the EnergyAxis System and gives utilities a powerful tool to get the lights back on quicker. Elster welcomes the opportunity to work with companies like Milsoft Utility Solutions to enhance our EnergyAxis System's AMI technology."

When coupled with Milsoft's DisSPatch outage management software, the comprehensive outage data delivered by the EnergyAxis System enables utilities to identify outage areas more quickly, define the extent of outages more accurately, and ensure that power is restored before crews are moved. More effective and efficient outage management and greater customer satisfaction are some of the many benefits utilities experience with Elster's smart metering and smart grid system technologies.

"Milsoft is excited to be proven interoperable with Elster Integrated Solution's EnergyAxis System. The ability to utilize data from Elster's system in a near real time method toward outage device predictions and
verification of restoration is extremely valuable to our joint clients and maximizes both the available technology and their return on investment" said Ed Carlson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Milsoft Utility Solutions.

Victor Sitton, vice president of product marketing for Elster Integrated Solutions, commented, "Elster is committed to working with industry leading and inventive solution providers to develop powerful, leading edge, and cost effective AMI smart grid technology. Interoperability with Milsoft's OMS solution is another step forward for Elster in delivering the future-proof AMI technology utilities need to build the smart grid."

About Milsoft Utility Solutions Inc.

Milsoft Utility Solutions has served the electrical utility industry for 20 years. The company's state-of-theart Engineering Analysis system has evolved into a complete utility solution. The addition of the PORCHE IVR System and DisSPatch Outage Management Systems, and WindMilMap Mapping Solution, allows Milsoft to offer utilities a fully integrated, single solution for managing the day-to-day utility operations as well as major outages. Milsoft, based in Abilene, Texas, serves more than 1,000 electrical utilities, educational institutions and consultants worldwide. For more information on Milsoft Utility Solutions, visit www.milsoft.com.

About the MultiSpeak Initiative

The MultiSpeak Initiative fosters business process improvement and simplifies data integration at electric utilities through a collaboration between NRECA and more than 40 software companies and consultants who serve electric utilities. MultiSpeak has released a series of specifications that enable popular utility software applications to exchange data in a predetermined manner.

MultiSpeak3, the latest release, has defined 30 interfaces that encompass nearly every commonly used software application deployed at electric distribution co-ops, including automatic meter reading, customer information system, customer relationship management, engineering analysis, load management, mapping, outage management, SCADA, and staking. To view the specification and for more information,
visit www.multispeak.org.

About Elster

Elster, a global leader in smart metering and smart grid solutions has delivered over 1.5 million smart metering devices worldwide with systems located in North America, Europe, Central America, Australia,
New Zealand and the Caribbean. Elster smart metering system solutions provide utilities with energy conservation capabilities via demand response programs, smart grid applications, and operational efficiencies resulting in significant value creation across the utility enterprise. Elster has over 7,500 staff and operates globally in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. elster.com.

For further information contact:
Gabrielle Puccio,
Director, Corporate Communications
919-250-5413
gabrielle.puccio@us.elster.com

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