APC 2009 Annual Report Download - page 25

2009 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 23
DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ITSMARKETS ANDITSBUSINESSES
1
A STRATEGIC FOCUS ON BALANCING THEENERGYEQUATION
Specifiers: c ritical partners
Specifi ers, including engineers, architects and design fi rms, play a
key role in meeting growing demands for comfort, ergonomy and
design. They are critical partners for Schneider Electric’s growth,
notably in the promising Buildings and Residential markets, which
include newbuilding, renovation, single-family homes and apartment
buildings.
For this reason, the Group keeps them informed of all innovations
and solutions that improve installation performance, safety and
comfort.
To do this, it organises reserved exhibits, prepares electrical
installation guides, develops installation design software and sets
up training centres .
Very diverse competition
An unparalleled business portfolio
Schneider Electric has many rivals, but who are often limited to one
area of business. The competition breaks down into three broad
categories:
•large non-specialist manufacturers with diversifi ed business
bases, such as ABB, Eaton, Emerson, General Electric,
Honeywell, Misubishi Electric, Panasonic (ex Matsushita),
Siemens;
•multinational specialist manufacturers, such as Cooper,
Legrand, Omron, Rockwell Automation , Tyco ;
•medium-sized companies—primarily in electrical distribution—
with a more regional presence, such as Hager.
New players have emerged in recent years for:
•low-price products—notably in low voltage—for indirect
markets: Chint, Legend, etc.;
•solutions, particularly in the areas of energy effi ciency in buildings
and data centre s: HP, IBM.
Market-leading brands
The Group has begun to converge its brands by migrating the
Merlin Gerin and Telemecanique brands towards the Schneider
Electric name. Since the end of 2008, product packaging has
sported the Schneider Electric colors. Measures to strengthen the
Schneider Electric brand will continue in the years ahead. This is a
key component of the One company programme that responds to
a request from both customers and the Group’s various distribution
channels. Schneider Electric will be the brand name for solutions
from the world’s energy management specialist.
Since Schneider Electric’s products comply with the
dominant standards in its host markets, the Group is able
to meet most all of its customers’ needs. The majority of
its line up complies with world-recognised International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. In North
America, Group products generally meet standards set
by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA), Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or American
National Standards Institute (ANSI). Products in the UK,
Australia and Asia comply with British Standards, while
those in China and Japan meet the China Compulsory
Certifi cation (CCC) and Japan Industrial Standard (JIS).
A strategic focus on energy
management
Dedicated to helping individuals and organizations make the most of
their energy, Schneider Electric has deployed a strategy to become
the world’s energy management specialist.
The Group’s current line up helps businesses and consumers
advance substantially in balancing their energy equation with
solutions that make energy:
•safe, by protecting people and property;
•reliable, by guaranteeing ultra-secure, ultra-pure and
uninterrupted power for sensitive applications;
•efficient, by delivering energy effi ciency and the ability to
deploy installations that offer an optimal trade-off between initial
investment and operating cost;
•productive, by expanding the use of automation and networking
and offering services throughout an installations’ life cycle;
•green, by offering innovative solutions for renewable energies
and eco-designed products and systems.
The One company programme introduced in early 2009 supports
Schneider Electric’s strategic commitment to becoming:
–O ne Solution Provider;
–O ne Leader in New Economies;
–O ne Global Company.
The Group has identifi ed strategic segments in which it intends to
become a top-tier player. These include:
•electric power, oil and gas and the marine industry in Energy &
Infrastructure ;
•OEMs, water distribution and treatment, mining and metalworking
in Industry ;
•data centres and fi nancial services in Data Centre s and
Networks ;
•retailers, hotels, hospitals and business properties in Buildings ;
Schneider Electric is pursuing its development as a recognised
provider of simple, integrated and interconnectable solutions that
leverage the latest technological advances to help customers boost
their profi tability and performance. More specifi cally, it is focusing
on multi-application solutions and advanced services to enhance
energy effi ciency.