APC 1998 Annual Report Download - page 34

The electric power market
Generation, transmission, and distribution
Optimizing electric power generation
and consumption
Schneider Electric’s main customers in this market are power utilities,
which include not only generating companies, but practically all the electricity
transmission and distribution companies around the world.
We supply them with a complete range of transformer substations and
control systems for their grids, all the way from power stations (hydroelectric,
fossil fuel, or nuclear) to where electricity is used by consumers
in the residential, infrastructure, and industrial markets.
T hanks to Schneider Electric’s high performance catalog based
on Merlin Gerin and Square D equipment, utilities can optimize
the quality and cost of the electricity they supply to their customers.
We also offer fully customized services for utilities to help them enhance
the reliability of their power grids and benefit from remote operation, training
for operating personnel, and installation audits and renovation.
Market sales
Strengths Outlook
We treat our customers as partners and work hard to
stay close to their reality so we can understand their
needs. This distinctive approach has been the decisive
factor in our international growth.
We have all the solutions customers need for
generation, transmission and distribution of high,
medium, and low voltage power.
The hallmark of the Schneider Electric offering
is flexibility. It’s reflected in our technology, process
engineering (from the supply of basic components
to turnkey projects), services and customer support.
After decades of stability, the electric power market
is caught up in a whirlwind of change and is becoming
increasingly competitive at the global level. The situation
is shaped by faster concentration, deregulation
and privatization of producers and distributors.
In addition, small power stations are springing up
closer to consumption areas.
Meanwhile, our customers are adjusting their strategies
and seeking ever more integrated and efficient solutions.
Thanks to the rising use of telecommunications and
network management software, utilities can measure
their customers’ needs in real time and optimize
power distribution. We are continuously adapting our
products and services to meet these new demands
in what has become a fast-moving market.
Alongside the well-established criteria of uninterrupted
service and safety, we are increasingly attentive
to profitability and cost effectiveness, which are now
of crucial importance.
To strengthen our position among the world’s leading
suppliers, we are stepping up our business drive
in Asia, eastern Europe, and Latin America,
which continue to offer major potential despite recent
economic crises.
Electric Power market
sales as a % of total
17%
FF 8.4 billion
€1.3 billion