June 6, 2012 – Telvent GIT, S.A., a leading real-time IT solutions and information provider for a sustainable world, announced today that it has signed a Windows Azure alliance agreement with Microsoft Corp. Building on their existing strategic partnership, Telvent and Microsoft will work together to make optimal use of their respective technologies to offer cloud-based solutions to the utility industry.

Currently a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a Smart Energy Reference Architecture participant, Telvent’s cloud-based development plans with Microsoft’s Azure cloud solution represent a natural next step in the ongoing relationship between the two companies. Telvent’s industry-leading solutions for the smart grid industry will take advantage of the cloud architecture, allowing utilities to build scaled applications to any size, as well as provision resources within minutes. Users will have the ability to access key applications and receive automatic system upgrades via the cloud, without expensive time and financial investments in infrastructure implementation.

“Our strategic alliance with Telvent has always been one that provided significant benefits to customers,” said Jon C. Arnold, managing director, Worldwide Power and Utilities at Microsoft. “By embracing Windows  Azure, Telvent’s customers will be able to take advantage of industry-leading innovation through the cloud that will help them avoid the complexity of traditional solution deployments and accelerate value to customers and stakeholders.”

Cloud-based applications provide utilities with resiliency to hardware failure and the flexibility to allocate resources based on focused needs. As a result, customers benefit from reduced IT costs, easier-to-implement upgrades and convenient monthly software fees rather than large, capital-intensive IT projects.

According to Telvent's Chairman and CEO, Ignacio Gonzalez, “We are committed to providing customers with best-in-class solutions and this agreement takes full advantage of cutting-edge cloud computing. We are proud to be building a deeper relationship with an industry leader like Microsoft while helping our customers mitigate risk and quickly implement mission-critical solutions.”

Development of the joint cloud-based applications began in January 2012, and the first products are expected to be available in 2013. Telvent’s ArcFM server is the first product that offers advanced GIS data visualization tools across the entire utility enterprise to be offered on Windows Azure.

About Telvent
Telvent is a global IT solutions and business information services provider dedicated to helping improve efficiency, safety and security for the world’s leading companies. Telvent serves markets that are critical to the sustainability of the planet, including the energy, transportation, agricultural and environmental sectors. (www.telvent.com)

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructures, Industries & Machine Manufacturers, Non-residential Buildings, Data Centres & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the Group’s 130,000 plus employees achieved sales of 22.4 billion euros in 2011, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy.
www.schneider-electric.com