Logica launches a pioneering centre for utilities in Portugal

The International Utilities Competence Center will develop and export Logica's solutions to the world, putting Portugal at the forefront of global research in the utilities area

Logica, a leading IT and business services company, today announcend the launch of its International Utilities Competence Center in Portugal.  The technology center, inaugurated by José Sócrates, Prime Minister of Portugal and Andy Green, CEO of Logica,  will promote and develop solutions in the Utilities field, focused on the strategic markets of Europe, Americas and Oceania. The center aims to place Portugal at the forefront of world research in this area. With the opening of the new center, Logica will also create several qualified jobs in this area for the company.

This new utilities center brings together, in Lisbon, a set of skills that allow demonstrations of cutting-edge technology, developed in Portugal for the sectors of electricity, water and gas. The center will focus on and innovate around  five key areas -  Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Wind Farm Management, SAP IS-U, Geospatial Information Systems and Utilities Business Suite. Some of the solutions developed around these areas are already being marketed in countries like Spain, Holland, Belgium, Brazil, USA and Australia.

The center will focus on the development of solutions such as smart grids (intelligent networks for energy distribution) - technologies that will enable consumers to manage their energy consumption more efficiently. The Utilities center will have the capability to demonstrate simulations of crisis situations in the distribution of energy (eg, failure in electricity supply).

"In Portugal, we are living a true revolution in the energy and environment sectors and Logica is at the forefront, creating innovative solutions to enable this revolution ", says José Carlos Gonçalves, CEO of Logica Iberia."The opening of the 'International Utilities Competence Center’ contributes strongly to the leading position Portugal has in the world with regards to research, development and commercialization of advanced solutions in this area."

The new center is part of a Technological Plan, a strategy created by the Government to promote development and strengthen the country's competitiveness on knowledge, technology and innovation. Commenting on the new center, Carlos Zorrinho, national coordinator of the Technological Plan, said,”This significant investment of Logica in Portugal confirms that our country is positioned globally as a location of excellence for companies developing highly sophisticated technological services. In addition to the creation of skilled employment and the increase of services exportation, this center also has great importance in further strengthening Portuguese skills in the use of resources efficiency, particularly in the energy domain".

Intelligent networks developed in the new center
Some of the solutions developed in this expert center, such as smart grid, will also support the Information Systems Consortium launched in 2007 - InovGrid - led by EDP and of which Logica, Efacec JANZ and INESC Porto are a part. The InovGrid project is integrated in the implementation of a strategy adopted internationally, both in Europe and Americas, for the efficient management of networks, resources and energy consumption.  Through this project Logica is involved in one of the most advanced projects of smart electricity grids in the world, being responsible for the information systems and integration architecture.

Logica's solutions include more than 25 million consumers
Logica has a wide experience in the utilities sector, providing IT services and business processes outsourcing for companies worldwide. It is responsible for the development of network management and supply of energy and water for more than 25 million consumers in a thousand cities covering four continents. Logica has also implemented billing and management systems of 10 million contracts in Portugal and integrated and centralized systems in dozens of wind farms in several countries.
 
Logica has equipped and given support to one of the greatest centers of wind farms’ telecontrol in the world and developed an advanced wind management system which in real time and in a centralized and integrated way, manages and monitors the performance of hundreds of turbines in various wind farms located in different countries. Logica has managed the performance of these turbines from different manufacturers in rough terrain with difficult access.

About Logica
Logica is a leading IT and business services company, employing 40,000 people. It provides business consulting, systems integration, and IT and business process outsourcing services. Logica works closely with its customers to release their potential - enabling change that increases their efficiency, accelerates growth and manages risk. It applies its deep industry knowledge, technical excellence and global delivery expertise to help its customers build leadership positions in their markets. Logica is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext (Amsterdam) (LSE: LOG; Euronext: LOG). More information is available at www.logica.com.

Press Contact
Imago – Imagem e Comunicação 
Naíde Caldeira
Tel : 21 923 97 00
Email: naide.caldeira@imago.pt

Suma Boby
Group PR manager, Logica
Tel: +44 7595 612180
Email: s.boby@logica.com