Square D® Establishes Toll-Free Hotline to Respond to Electrical System Questions Following Severe Flooding in New England
Home and business owners with concerns about the operation and safety of electrical equipment and systems damaged by severe flooding in New England can receive safety advice and technical direction by calling a toll-free hotline, 1‑888‑778‑2733, to speak with the Square D ® Customer Information Center (CIC). Experts are on call around the clock to recommend a course of action to safely restore electrical systems.
In addition, the Square D We Care program is in effect in FEMA-declared disaster areas in New England, including the hard-hit areas of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, to address public safety issues and support electrical professionals as they repair damaged electrical structures and systems. The company will donate a percentage of revenues from related equipment sales to the American Red Cross to help bring relief and assistance to those in need.
As part of the program, the company will expedite orders for electrical products to help local electrical professionals quickly re-establish electrical systems, according to Dave Petratis, president and CEO.
“Electrical equipment that has been water damaged will need to be replaced,” Petratis said. “We’re doing all we can to make sure our distributor partners have the products available to meet the needs of their customers.”
Petratis emphasizes the importance for home and business owners to have qualified electrical contractors or distributors inspect damage, perform necessary repairs and provide other technical support.
The company is prepared to staff the CIC with as many experts as needed to provide advice to callers impacted by the storms. “It’s our duty to share our expertise with anyone who is concerned about safely taking the steps needed to restore electrical power in these difficult circumstances,” Petratis said. “We want to ensure that people have the information and professional help they need.”
Electrical Safety Tips for Homes and Businesses
The following are important safety guidelines for consideration before, during and after storms. Further information about the We Care program can be found at www.us.squared.com.
- Do not plug a portable generator into an outlet, patch it into electrical wiring or connect it directly to a main electrical panel. Doing so could cause fires or cause power to flow into an electrical line, endangering persons in the home, neighbors and utility crews working in the area.
- Do not touch a circuit breaker or replace a fuse with wet hands or while standing on a damp or wet surface. Use a dry or non-conductive tool to reset breakers and use only one hand.
- Turn off lights and appliances when power goes out. This helps avoid fire hazards as well as sudden demands on the electric system.
- Turn off the main circuit breaker and all appliances when leaving home during a power outage.
- Stay away from fallen power lines and do not attempt to remove fallen limbs or objects from power lines. Report these situations to your utility immediately.
- Do not walk or drive through water that may be in contact with downed power lines. Report these situations to your utility immediately.
- If a power line falls on your car, assume the line is energized and remain inside the vehicle, blowing your horn for help. (If you are forced to leave your car, jump as far away from the vehicle as you can, landing with both feet together. Be sure that no part of your body touches the vehicle and ground at the same time. Call 911 as soon as possible and don’t return to the vehicle until emergency personnel say it’s safe.)
- If someone in your home is dependent on medical equipment requiring electricity, arrange for an alternative power source before severe weather strikes.
For more information, please visit:
- Corporate - http://www.us.schneider-electric.com
- Telemecanique Products - http://www.us.telemecanique.com
- Square D Products - http://www.us.squared.com
Terry Appointed Western Regional Sales Manager for Leviton Integrated Networks and Controls
Leviton Manufacturing Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Terry to the position of Western Regional Sales Manager for Leviton Integrated Networks and Controls. In his new post, Terry directs sales throughout Leviton’s Western region, including Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, and leads field sales operations in the western region, including management of the company’s regional sales specialists and lighting control specialists in his territory.
Terry brings to his new post more than 15 years experience in sales and marketing, with 12 years concentrated expertise in the technology and telecommunications sectors. He also brings to his new post formidable product and service training, point-of-sale marketing and sales forecasting expertise.
Terry began his career at Leviton in 2003 as a Regional Sales Specialist responsible for sales, marketing and contractor and distributor training for Leviton’s residential lighting controls and home networking offering. Prior to joining Leviton he worked for Qwest Communications, Inacom Information Systems and DataCal Corporation in sales and account management positions. He is a graduate of the University of Phoenix and currently resides in Mesa, Arizona.
Pentadyne Power and Socomec Sicon Enter Agreement to Distribute Environmentally-Friendly Flywheel Systems
Power Corporation recently announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Socomec Sicon for distributing Pentadyne's environmentally friendly flywheel power systems in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Socomec Sicon, part of the Socomec Group, is one of the largest manufacturers of Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) in Europe.
Under the terms of the MOU, Socomec Sicon will distribute Pentadyne's VSS+DC flywheel power systems that integrate with its three-phase Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) to eliminate or reduce the need for batteries. Pairing Socomec Sicon's UPS with a Pentadyne flywheel power system gives customers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly power protection alternative to high-maintenance lead-acid batteries. Pentadyne's flywheel technology provides superior performance without the high cost of ownership and the environmental impacts that batteries present. Due to the unique operating features such as rapid recharging and broad operating temperature range, the Pentadyne flywheel can be used where batteries have been ruled out.
The Pentadyne VSS+DC is an advanced DC flywheel power system that provides a stable, reliable, low-maintenance, extended-life DC voltage source for critical power applications. The VSS+DC, which can be seamlessly paralleled for higher power requirements, can completely eliminate the need for maintenance-laden batteries in UPS applications by providing sufficient ride-through for short duration power outages or until a standby engine-generator can come on line.
"Pentadyne's innovative flywheel power systems fit perfectly with our product and solution strategy of providing our customers with the most advanced, reliable and compact power solutions that meet the demands of today's critical computer networks, financial and industrial electronic systems," stated Socomec Sicon's managing director Pascal Kim. "After looking at competitive systems, it is clear that Pentadyne's flywheel technology is superior; offering lower operating and maintenance costs, which will help to further differentiate Socomec Sicon in the marketplace."
"We are pleased that we have been able to enter into this MOU with Socomec and that they will be joining Pentadyne's growing list of distribution partners and customers. We believe that having the ability to work directly with a company like Socomec Sicon speaks volumes to the strides Pentadyne has made within the power protection industry, both domestically and internationally. We are confident that our company's unique low-maintenance and environmentally-friendly composite flywheel technology will continue to create a solid foundation for these types of business relationships," stated Pentadyne Power President and CEO, Mark McGough.
For more information, visit www.pentadyne.com
Saft Wins $10 Million Contract with Leading Automatic Meter Reading Company in the U.S.
Saft recently signed a $10 million, two-year agreement with a leading company in the meter reading industry in the United States. Saft will supply its customized A-size LS 17500 lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl 2) batteries for automatic meter reading (AMR) applications.
Growing at a rate of 15 percent per annum, the AMR industry has been embraced because of the significant savings in time and money the technology offers to the utility company. It enables the employee to upload meter readings remotely, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual meter reading. Saft’s compact, A-size battery will be installed on the meter to power electronics and the radio that gathers and remotely transmits the information.
“ Saft was chosen for this contract because of the quality and reliability of our products,” said Thomas Alcide, Saft Specialty Battery Group General Manager. “ Under past contracts we have provided this company with 100 percent on-time shipments and our commitment to superior customer service helps us maintain repeat customers. This order establishes Saft as a leading supplier of lithium batteries for the AMR industry worldwide.”
Automatic Meter Reading applications require batteries that can perform reliably for long periods of time with little maintenance. Saft’s LS 17500 cells are maintenance-free and guaranteed for at least ten years; however, many operate for years beyond the warranty. Utility companies employ AMR because it can be installed in the field and managed remotely; therefore it is critical for the batteries to perform dependably with no maintenance.
Additionally, Saft’s Li-SOCl 2 batteries feature corrosion-proof containers and operating temperatures ranging from -60°C to +85°C, making them ideal for installation in a wide range of field conditions. The LS 17500 cell offers a nominal capacity of 3.4 Ah and its small size is easily integrated into remote or wireless applications. Saft has plans to introduce an increased capacity version of the LS 17500 within the next few months.
For more information, visit Saft at www.saftbatteries.com <http://www.saftbatteries.com>
Remote Office Backup Arrives Just in Time for Hurricane Season
With hurricane season here and six major hurricanes forecasted, backing up data at remote offices and branch offices (ROBOs) is taking on a new urgency. While backing up data at a single location is not easy, backing up data at remote locations has, until recently, carried its own set of difficulties.
Now two leading companies, Toronto-based Asigra and Texas-based NetMass, introduce an advanced solution for companies overwhelmed with protecting data at remote branches and offices. Asigra is a specialist in agentless remote backup and recovery software, and NetMass, the safe data company, provides advanced online backup, data storage and disaster recovery solutions.
Last year, NetMass' Houston office experienced firsthand the desperation of businesses trying to protect their data in the path of Hurricane Rita. "When Category-5 Rita was barreling toward Houston, the city completely shut down - businesses were calling us for help, desperate to back up their data," said NetMass CEO Mark Martin at the 2006 Hurricane Preparedness Conference sponsored by the city of Houston. "What we learned was that concerns for personal safety naturally came before concerns for computer data. Employees fled with their families, which is understandable, but critical business records and data backup tapes were left behind. That is why businesses need a disaster recovery plan that includes automated offsite data protection."
Companies with a single location were not the only ones at risk for data loss. An estimated 60 to 70 percent of mission-critical data is stored at branch and remote locations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are more than one million remote ROBO sites nationwide.
"Most remote branches and offices still get backed up locally," said NetMass President Stephen Perkins. "But tape and other onsite backup methods are no longer a valid backup system for most companies. Offsite backup to disk is essential as hurricane season approaches."
NetMass and Asigra are offering businesses in hurricane-prone states such as Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas an extended trial of their advanced remote backup software service.
Companies can call NetMass at 1.800.731.2737 to see if they qualify for the extended offer, or visit www.netmass.com for more information.
The NetMass solution, based on Asigra TelevaultingT software, uses agentless technology which is a significant improvement over conventional backup technologies. Once the backup software is installed on the host machine at a remote location or branch office, the software will seamlessly perform backup and restore activities. Block-level backup is sent over IP to secure NetMass data centers. Restores can be done at the file, volume or application level, or can be used to perform a bare metal restore to a different machine or location if needed.
The Asigra-NetMass solution offers automated and unattended backup for all data files, including emails and databases, held on PCs, file servers, and application/database servers.
Sophisticated data compression technologies, including Global Single Instance Storage, common file elimination, and delta blocking, reduce bandwidth and storage requirements and all data is AES-encrypted at the client site before transmission, then stored in encrypted format at secure data centers. Data is restored through a graphical user interface (either locally or from the central site) as a complete volume, individual files, application detail data or complete bare-metal recovery of the server.
Multi-site companies can use this solution to consolidate all backup and recovery processes.
"Consolidation of the backup process is a major plus," said Perkins.
"Predefined backups are compressed, encrypted and replicated from the branches to a central site and are stored in a secure enterprise-class data center in encrypted form. A branch backup can be performed over the LAN, WAN or internet."
For more information about Asigra, visit www.asigra.com.
For more information about NetMass, please visit www.netmass.com.
