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Consumers Energy Becomes First Utility to Purchase Smart Metering Software for Utilities From SAP

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 February 2009, 07:00 CST

New Software to Integrate Directly With SAP(R) ERP, Allowing for Sustainability Improvements Through Operational Efficiencies While Giving Customers Control Over Consumption Habits

WALLDORF, Germany and LANSING, Mich., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) announced today that Consumers Energy will become the first utility to purchase SAP(R) AMI Integration for Utilities software. The new smart metering software will help Consumers Energy improve efficiencies and provide customers with timely information to help them better manage their energy usage.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050310/SFTH009LOGO-a)

Consumers Energy is one of nine utility members participating in the SAP AMI Lighthouse Council. Since 2007, the council has partnered with SAP to develop a new advanced meter integration (AMI) approach, which brings together end-to-end processes between the meter and back-end systems. Overall, this approach is expected to help reduce a company's total cost of ownership for AMI infrastructure.

Consumers Energy completed its installation of SAP(R) for Utilities solutions in July 2008. Its current SAP software includes SAP's flagship enterprise resource planning application, SAP(R) ERP, the SAP(R) Customer Relationship Management and Billing for Utilities package, and the SAP(R) Energy Data Management application.

Consumers Energy plans to finish its installation of SAP AMI Integration for Utilities soon. This is expected to help the utility create a platform for a future smart grid and automate manual processes.

"We're moving forward with this software purchase against the backdrop of a rapidly changing utility industry," said Sue Swan, Consumers Energy vice president of Business Technology Solutions. "Today, our average residential customer uses eight percent more electricity than a decade ago. This software will allow us to provide more information to our customers so they can better manage their energy consumption."

"SAP is proud to support Consumers Energy with AMI enabling capabilities," said David Laker, senior vice president and general manager, Utilities Practice, SAP America, Inc. "SAP continues to work with the AMI Lighthouse Council to sustainably empower utilities and their customers."

SAP AMI Integration for Utilities is an example of SAP software that meets the sustainability needs of customers today. Together with its ecosystem of customers and partners, SAP fosters co-innovation and collaboration to develop the business solutions for a more sustainable tomorrow.

About Consumers Energy

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. (For more information, visit www.consumersenergy.com)

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 82,000 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol "SAP." For more information, visit www.sap.com.

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Copyright (C) 2009 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serve informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Evan Welsh, SAP, +49 (0)6227-767514, evan.welsh@sap.com, CET SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EST; press@sap.com Mike Pilarz, Burson-Marsteller, +1 (312) 596-3568, michael.pilarz@bm.com, CST

SOURCE SAP AG

Source: PR Newswire

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