ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE) Thursday said it has acquired a minority interest in Firetide Inc., a wireless infrastructure mesh networks provider. ESCO also indicated that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Firetide through its subsidiary, Aclara RF Systems Inc.
The two companies already have a relationship with Aclara and Firetide having developed a wide-area network for utility customers based in part on Firetide's proven wireless networking technology. Aclara provides Intelligent Infrastructure solutions for electric, gas and water utilities and introduced the Aclara Smart Communications Network solution at the Autovation 2009 Trade Show.
The Network solution is a high-bandwidth, high-speed, standards-based flexible communication system that will employ TCP/IP communication protocols as well as IEEE 802.11 technology for wireless communications. It is designed for gas, water or electric utilities, and brings together existing utility assets and applications into a single, two-tiered network architecture, replacing multiple low-to-medium bandwidth systems currently used to communicate data.
The Smart Communications Network provides an ideal interface between utility and IT resources and back-office applications, advanced metering infrastructure systems, home-area networks and mobile workforce applications.
Firetide provides the multiple-input, multiple-output radio technology and the network management software required for the Aclara solution to communicate in mesh, point-to-point, or point-to-multipoint modes. The solutions are currently being used by many municipalities and businesses to stream video from security cameras, as well as voice and data for enterprise-wide applications. The technology is indicated to match the speed and performance of a fiber network at a fraction of the cost.
ESE is currently taded at $39.70 down $0.05 or 0.13% on the NYSE.
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