Businessweek

arkets and mixed utilities (electricity, district heating, gas, and water). The portfolio also covers wireless and fixed communication systems for power, water, and gas utilities. It includes fiber optics, microwave radio, and power line applications for data networking and broadband network management, as well as teleprotection and substation communication networks and voice switching management systems. Network management systems are primary smart-grid enablers by providing automated power systems to incorporate and manage centralized and distributed power generation, intermittent sources of renewable energy, real-time pricing, and load-management data. In addition, this division offers a range of services aimed at optimizing operations and reducing maintenance requirements of customers, across the value chain. These services range from support agreements and retrofits to spare parts, service, and training. This division also undertakes consulting activities, such as energy efficiency studies for power plants and grids, analyses and design of new transmission and distribution systems, as well as asset optimization based on technical, economic and environmental considerations. Customers This division's principal customers include power generation utilities and companies, transmission and distribution utilities, owners, and operators, as well as industrial and commercial customers. Other customers include gas and water utilities, including multi-utilities, which are involved in the transmission or distribution of approximately one commodity. Sales and Marketing This division promotes its offering primarily through a direct sales force of specialized sales engineering teams. Some sales are also handled through third-party channels, such as EPC firms, OEMs, and system integrators. Competition This division’s principal competitors include Siemens, Alstom SA, Emerson Electric, General Electric, Prysmian, and Nexans. DISCRETE AUTOMATION AND MOTION This division offers a range of products and services, including drives, motors, generators, power electronics systems, rectifiers, power quality and power protection products, converters, photovoltaic inverters, programmable logic controllers, and robots. Primary applications include energy conversion, data processing, actuation, automation, and standardized manufacturing cells for applications, such as machine tending, welding, cutting, painting, finishing, palletizing and packing, and engineered systems for the automotive industry. The majority of these applications are for industrial applications, with others provided for buildings, transportation, and utilities. This division also provides a range of life-cycle services, from product and system maintenance to system design, including energy appraisals and preventive maintenance services. In 2012, this division acquired Newave Energy Holding SA, which provides uninterruptible power supply. This division provides low-voltage and medium-voltage drive products and systems for industrial, commercial, and residential applications. Drives provide speed, motion, and torque control for equipment, such as fans, pumps, compressors, conveyors, kilns, centrifuges, mixers, hoists, cranes, extruders, printing machinery, and textile machines. The drives are used in the building automation, marine, power, transportation, and manufacturing industries. This division also produces a range of power electronics products. These include static excitation and synchronizing systems that provide stability for power stations, as well as high power rectifiers that convert AC power to DC power for very high-amperage applications, such as furnaces in zinc plants and aluminum and magnesium smelters. This division also manufactures frequency converters that use semiconductor technology to convert electrical power into the type and frequency required by individual customers. Further, this division offers a range of solutions for the charging of electric vehicles. This division supplies a range of electrical motors and generators, including high-efficiency motors that conform to environmental and efficiency standards. This d