APC 2010 Annual Report Download - page 30

DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ANDITSSTRATEGY, MARKETS ANDBUSINESSES
1LEADER IN AN INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE
2. 6 New requirements of standards
Schneider Electric provides assistance to its customers and
meets their needs with products that comply with the standards
applicable in their markets. 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). In the UK, Australia and Asia, products
comply with British Standards (BS), while products in China and
Japan meet the China Compulsory Certifi cation (CCC) and Japan
Industrial Standard (JIS) respectively.
However, the requirements of standards are evolving due to the
proliferation of new technologies and the emergence of increasingly
sophisticated integrated solutions: recharging equipment for electric
vehicles, solar energy, home energy management, etc.
Schneider Electric actively participates with working groups set up
by regulatory bodies, with the aim of establishing new standards
and helping to draft the regulations of the future.
2. 7 Competitors and participants have increasingly varied profiles
One can classify Schneider Electric’s traditional competitors into
three categories:
•large non-specialist manufacturers with diversified
businesses, such as ABB, Eaton, Emerson, General Electric,
Honeywell, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic (formerly Matsushita),
Siemens;
•multinational specialist manufacturers, such as Cooper,
Legrand, Omron, Rockwell Automation, Tyco International;
•medium-sized companies, primarily in electrical distribution
such as Hager.
Other competitors are appearing:
•low-price products, notably in low voltage and for indirect
markets: Chint, Legend, etc.;
With the development of information and communication
technologies in all industrial sectors, new players are emerging:
•systems integrators, data-management specialists (HP, IBM),
etc.
2010 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC28