CSA News

Central Service Association Announces Addition of SmartSynch
to its List of Approved Vendors

For Immediate Release 
July 29, 2010  

[Tupelo, Mississippi – July 29, 2010], Central Service Association, a member-owned provider of information technology solutions to the public utility industry, announced today that it has signed a co-marketing agreement with SmartSynch, Inc., a Smart Grid technology company that utilizes standard IP communications via cellular networks.

Formed in 1937, CSA is owned and controlled by the utilities that rely on its products and services to perform day-to-day operations and information technology management functions. These include a comprehensive range of customer, financial and engineering information systems, networking, Internet, communications, hardware and software, and consulting and statement mailing services.

CSA will add SmartSynch’s smart grid solution as an “Approved Vendor” to its stable of product and service offerings. The solution is comprised of SmartSynch’s SmartMeters™, Transaction Management System™ (TMS) software, Managed Services™ solution, and cellular services.

SmartSynch’s turn-key Managed Services™ solution will handle the reading, uploading, storage and delivery of energy consumption data for participating CSA member utilities. SmartSynch’s use of fully-developed, robust cellular networks as the communications backbone for the solution will streamline the deployment process, while ensuring exceptional performance. SmartSynch solutions routinely achieve near-perfect average daily read rates across multiple geographies – ranging from dense, urban cities to remote, rural communities.

“Our organization is owned by those we serve and has a very strong heritage and reputation for dedicated efforts to provide accurate and reliable services,” said Roger Smith, CSA’s director of business development. “After thoroughly researching potential smart grid solution partners, we believe the reliability and proven performance of SmartSynch’s products and services will be a perfect match for our members seeking smart grid functionality for their customers.”

“We are pleased that our smart grid solution will play a role in helping CSA’s member utilities – regardless of location or size of customer base – bring their electricity grid into the 21st century,” said Floyd Hubbell, SmartSynch’s senior vice president of global sales. “This is yet another testament to the value, reliability and flexibility of smart grid solutions utilizing existing cellular networks. It would otherwise be economically impossible to strategically deploy over a short or long time frame this depth of remote functionality.”

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About Central Service Association
Formed as a centralized billing agency in 1937 in Tupelo, Mississippi, Central Service Association (CSA) now serves approximately 130 public utilities in nine southeastern states. Today CSA’s members have access to a comprehensive collection of state-of-the-art software solutions that include customer management and billing, financial, GIS/engineering, Internet solutions and more. Additionally, Central Service Association offers a wide range of third-party hardware and software products, consulting, education and employee benefit packages. For more information about CSA visit www.csa1.com.

About SmartSynch
SmartSynch has been the only provider of standard, IP communicating end-to-end smart grid solutions utilizing public wireless networks for the utility industry since 2000. Our clean-tech innovations in the two-way delivery of real-time energy usage data over public wireless networks, in lieu of proprietary networks, have to-date simplified deployments for 100 major North American utilities, while enabling their clean-energy initiatives and delivering greater Returns on Resources. For more information about SmartSynch visit www.smartsynch.com.

As a smart grid infrastructure company, SmartSynch’s IP-based solutions are capable of delivering grid intelligence to and from any device. Our products and services include SmartMeters™ and SmartBoxes™ that immediately IP-enable the grid, software solutions, and network management services for utilities and their customers, as well as clean-tech companies in need of remote communications and control functionality for products ranging from solar panels to plug-in hybrid vehicles.