Smart Grid Pioneer Bolsters its Big Data Position, Broadens its Software and SaaS Solutions to Address Critical Utility Needs.
Silver Spring Networks, Inc. today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire privately held Detectent Inc., a leading provider of utility data analytics solutions. Based in Escondido, California, Detectent’s SaaS, subscription, and software solutions help improve advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and utility grid operations, ensure revenue protection, and deliver enhanced customer engagement programs. Detectent’s solutions currently analyze data from more than 25 million water, gas, and electricity meters, in both AMI and legacy environments, from over 20 leading utility customers across the United States. Detectent has been a Silver Spring partner since May 2014 with its solutions offered through Silver Spring’s SilverLink™ Sensor Network apps catalogue.
“As a recognized industry leader, Detectent is delivering innovative data analytics solutions to some of the leading U.S. utilities,” said Scott Lang, Chairman, President and CEO, Silver Spring Networks.
“We are excited to enhance the Detectent analytics solutions with our SilverLink platform’s distributed intelligence and real-time data stream capabilities. We are also pleased to broaden our market reach by serving Detectent’s impressive customer lineup and extending these innovations to our global client base.”
Michael Madrazo, CEO of Detectent, said:
“Energy theft is a multi-billion dollar challenge for the utility industry. Coupled with operational improvements and enhanced customer engagement, there is a growing opportunity to unlock billions of dollars in value by applying data analytics solutions.”
“Silver Spring has a proven track-record with blue-chip utilities around the globe, has connected more than 20 million devices worldwide, and is delivering the next-generation platform to transform real-time smart grid data into knowledge and action. As we prepare to join the Silver Spring family, we are excited by the enhanced value we can create globally.”
Detectent’s utility analytics solutions will be offered both as a stand-alone solution or powered by Silver Spring’s smart grid big data platform – the SilverLink Sensor Network. The SilverLink Sensor Network unlocks big data on the smart grid at up to 10x the speed and 1/10th the cost of traditional utility IT infrastructure. With fully networked devices across its grid, a utility can easily and quickly organize, program, and use smart grid big data for a more agile and innovative organization.
Excluding deal-related charges, Silver Spring expects the transaction to be neutral to non-GAAP earnings in 2015, and accretive beginning in 2016. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015, subject to customary closing conditions.