APC 2010 Annual Report Download - page 26

DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ANDITSSTRATEGY, MARKETS ANDBUSINESSES
1LEADER IN AN INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE
The Industry business
Number 2 worldwide in automation and industrial
control
Number1 in leading-edge quartz gyro technology
Thanks to an active policy of entering into partnerships and making
acquisitions, Schneider Electric has constantly strengthened its
presence in automation and industrial control.
For its industrial customers and OEMs, Schneider Electric offers
programmable logic controllers and automation platforms, as well
as specialised confi guration, programming, operating assistance
and supervision software, and a wide range of industrial control
products, including contactors, overload relays and motor circuit
breakers, speed drives, motion controllers, sensors, control units
and operator terminals.
Following the acquisition of SCADAgroup in April2010, the Group
has added telemetry technologies and solutions in the water, oil and
gas sectors to its line up.
Lastly, the customised sensors that were previously provided by the
CST Division (Custom Sensors & Technologies) became part of the
Industry business at the start of 2011, bringing with it the biggest
range of sensors on the market, and global leadership positions in
angular speed sensors and in position and pressure sensors for the
automobile, aeronautics and manufacturing industries.
The growth areas for the Industry business lie in helping customers
control energy costs, comply with environmental regulations,
manage the arrival of the smart grid and meet the rising needs of
emerging economies.
The IT business
Number1 worldwide in critical power and cooling
services
A growing number of industries – notably those involved in
information technology and fi nance – require a reliable energy
supply and impeccable quality at all times.
By combining the products of American Power Conversion (APC),
acquired in 2007, with those of MGE UPS Systems, which has
been part of the Group since 2004, Schneider Electric has attained
global leadership of this high-potential market. The Group offers an
unrivalled portfolio of products, solutions and services, geographic
coverage and distribution channels, and has a strong innovative
capability.
Moreover, the acquisition in 2009 of Microsol Tecnologia, a Brazilian
UPS specialist, in June 2009, moved Schneider Electric to the
top of the Brazilian critical power market. Lastly, the acquisition of
Italy’s Unifl air SpA in 2010 expanded the Group’s range of precision
cooling systems, which are mainly used in data centres and in
telecommunications applications.
The growing digitalisation of data and increasing need for energy
availability, fl exibility and reliability, particularly in developed
economies represent the levers for growth for the IT business.
2010 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC24