LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Itron Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) announced today that Itron and Actaris will now operate as a unified company under the Itron brand, solidifying us as a worldwide leader in metering, data collection and communication systems and software solutions for the energy and water industries.

Since its acquisition on April 18, 2007, Actaris has continued to operate outside North America under the name Actaris. After two years of operations and integration, the decision to unify the brand on a worldwide basis was the next obvious step. Over the past 30 years Itron has established itself as a technology leader in the industry and is well respected, well established and well recognized by customers and investors. The Itron brand draws upon the company’s significant brand recognition as a global leader in automated meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), or smart metering solutions, with utilities.

“Today our industry is at the forefront of a transformational change – one that has not been seen in our lifetime,” said Malcolm Unsworth, Itron president and chief executive officer. “In order to maintain our leading position in this dynamic and competitive market, we think that it is imperative to operate as one company with one brand on a worldwide basis. One brand will allow our customers to leverage Actaris and Itron’s collective wealth of industry experience and expertise for the unprecedented challenges facing this industry. This represents an exciting step for our customers, our investors, our employees and our industry.”

With the Actaris acquisition, Itron gains more than 125 years of industry expertise, and access to long-term, trusted customer relationships worldwide. In turn, utilities around the world can rely on Itron’s quality products and solutions and know-how to help them address some of the industry’s greatest challenges. In addition, Itron can now offer the broadest portfolio of products, systems, and services in the electricity, gas, water and heat industries allowing the company to occupy a pre-eminent position.

“On this second anniversary of the Actaris acquisition it is the right time to unify the companies,” said Unsworth. “With almost 9,000 employees and a strong presence spanning five continents and 30 countries, Itron will continue to operate locally with our customers. We strongly believe that Itron is uniquely positioned to address the challenges of optimizing the delivery and use of energy and water on a global scale and we are excited about all of the opportunities the industry is presenting.”

About Itron:

Itron, Inc. is a leading technology provider to the global energy and water industries. Our company is the world’s leading provider of intelligent metering, data collection and utility software solutions, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our products include electricity, gas, water and heat meters, data collection and communication systems, including automated meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI); meter data management and related software applications; as well as project management, installation, and consulting services. To know more, start here: www.itron.com.