APC 2004 Annual Report Download - page 13

11
Business Presentation
The Energy & Infrastructure market accounted for
17% of sales in 2004.
In the Energy market, Schneider Electric offers
products, equipment and systems to optimize the
generation, transmission, distribution and sale of
electricity. We serve power companies, systems inte-
grators, OEMs and panelbuilders with a lineup that
integrates new web technologies and high value
added products and services for smart networks. This
lineup is designed to increase the quality and lower
the cost of each distributed kilowatt hour.
Infrastructure covers all of our Electrical Distribu-
tion and Automation & Control products, equipment
and services for telecommunication, air, rail, road and
maritime transportation, water treatment and natural
gas processing. Our goal is to ensure that installations
are available, reliable and safe. Around the world,
wherever uninterrupted service and safety are mis-
sion critical, we offer comprehensive, tailored solu-
tions integrating new web technologies for infrastruc-
ture operators, engineering firms, systems integra-
tors, OEMs and contractors.
Lineup
Products, equipment and systems
Our lineup of products, equipment and systems cov-
ers all stages of electrical transmission and distribu-
tion, as well as automation and control of machines
and electrical equipment.
a) The world leader in Electrical Distribution
We are committed to ensuring that electricity is avail-
able and reliable. Electrical Distribution accounts for
63% of total sales. Our electrical products and equip-
ment are generally classified by voltage. The portfolio
currently includes medium voltage, final low voltage
and ultra terminal products and equipment.
Medium voltage: Electrical switchgear and equip-
ment from 1 kV to 52 kV. The products in this catego-
ry are generally used to transform and manage high
voltage electricity from the distribution grid. The medi-
um voltage power is then sent directly to end users in
industrial buildings and large commercial installations
or transformed into low voltage power for small com-
mercial buildings and homes.
Final low voltage: Electrical distribution products
up to 1 kV for industrial, commercial and residential
buildings. This category includes wiring products and
final low voltage equipment such as circuit breakers
used in industrial and commercial buildings.
Ultra terminal: Schneider Electric ranks second in
ultra terminal electrical distribution. In this category,
we offer new solutions designed specifically for the
residential market. Our goal is to meet increasingly
sophisticated needs for greater comfort, ergonomics,
safety and ease of use, while providing faster data
access and optimizing communication resources.
Ultra terminal products for the residential market pri-
marily include traditional items such as switches,
sockets and trays; protection devices like circuit
breakers and contactors; and, increasingly, home
automation applications. These include control sys-
tems for lighting, heating, doors, gates and shutters,
and security systems to protect people and their
belongings. We have also expanded strongly into
home networks for Voice-Data-Image (VDI), IT, televi-
sion, music and other applications.
These esthetic, functional products are particularly
popular with electricians and contractors.
New products are highly targeted and adapted to
each country's specific standards. Although the flag-
ship brands are Merlin Gerin and Square D, the line-
up is also sold through numerous local brands, includ-
ing Clipsal in Asia, Feller in Switzerland, Eljo in
Sweden and Alombard in France.
b) Ranked second worldwide
in Automation & Control (no. 1 in industrial
control and no. 3 in PLCs)
Our Automation & Control products are designed to
control, monitor and protect electrical equipment and
machines. This business accounts for 26% of consol-
idated sales.
Our industrial control lineup ranges from contactors,
overload relays and motor circuit breakers to speed
drives, sensors, control units and operator terminals.
We also supply programmable logic controllers and
automation platforms, as well as specialized configu-
ration, programming, operating assistance and super-
vision software. Lastly, in motion control, we offer
numerical controls, axis and spindle motors and digi-
tal positioning solutions.
Our Transparent Ready™web-enabled solutions opti-
mize performance in Electrical Distribution and
Automation & Control. Thanks to this technology,
users can easily access their installations in real time
from any location and obtain a better return on invest-
ment.
In the Building market, Transparent Ready™appli-
cations are revolutionizing building management by
making it possible to monitor buildings and all the
functionalities of existing systems via a local area net-
work (LAN). These solutions have been designed to
cover all functions, from electricity, lighting and shade
management, access control and intruder alert, to air
conditioning, elevators, and fire detection and alarms.
I
n the Industry and Infrastructure markets,
Transparent Ready™solutions are integrated into
automation systems and enhance the processing and
communication capabilities of industrial system com-
ponents. Preventive maintenance can be carried out
remotely, making for less downtime and greater effi-
ciency. In addition, virtually real-time harvesting of
data on energy consumption in one or several sites
allows users to manage their energy costs even more
effectively.