LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, signed a contract to deploy 70,000 new gas prepayment meters to SOCAR Azerigas Production Union (PU), a part of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). This contract follows the deployment of Itron’s smart payment software and more than 1.3 million prepayment meters in Azerbaijan over the past 10 years to improve revenue collection and streamline utility operations.
This contract will include Itron’s new Gallus Pay prepayment meters, which are equipped with electronic temperature compensation (eTC), near-field communication for smartphones or smart cards and increased data granularity for improved customer service. SOCAR Azerigas PU will modernize its existing meter park stations with Itron’s robust STS meters, which will extend the use of prepayment to difficult to access areas.
“With these new meters, we have numerous vending possibilities, which will allow consumers to have more flexibility and convenience in paying and accessing gas,” said Mr. Akbar Hajiyev, managing director, SOCAR Azerigas PU. “We are excited to work with Itron to streamline our operations and provide reliable access to gas for our customers throughout the country.”
“We are thrilled to continue our long-term collaboration with SOCAR Azerigas PU to integrate new functionalities and services to transform their current infrastructure,” said Oscar Marquez, Itron vice president of sales, EMEA gas. “As the first utility to deploy our new Gallus Pay prepayment meters, SOCAR Azerigas PU will benefit from the meter’s unique communication and vending capabilities and will be empowered to better address the needs of customers in the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
About Itron
Itron enables utilities and cities to safely, securely and reliably deliver critical infrastructure services to communities in more than 100 countries. Our portfolio of smart networks, software, services, meters and sensors helps our customers better manage electricity, gas and water resources for the people they serve. By working with our customers to ensure their success, we help improve the quality of life, ensure the safety and promote the well-being of millions of people around the globe. Itron is dedicated to creating a more resourceful world. Join us: www.itron.com.
Itron® and OpenWay® are registered trademarks of Itron, Inc. All third-party trademarks are property of their respective owners and any usage herein does not suggest or imply any relationship between Itron and the third party unless expressly stated.
About SOCAR
The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan. Three production divisions, two oil refineries and one gas processing plant, an oil tanker fleet, a deep water platform fabrication yard, two trusts, one institution, and 22 subdivisions are operating as corporate entities under SOCAR. Joint ventures (including ventures in Georgia and Turkey), consortia, and operating companies established with SOCAR's participation, are doing business in different parts of the petroleum industry. SOCAR has representative offices in Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Germany and Ukraine and trading companies in Switzerland, Singapore, UAE and other countries.
SOCAR "Azerigas" Production Union transmits, distributes, and markets natural gas in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
