Cloud-based software development capabilities enabled by Microsoft Alliance

Schneider Electric has announced another milestone in its alliance with Microsoft – the ability to develop custom, cloud-based energy management and sustainability software for customers across diversified industries. By combining the technology foundation of Schneider Electric’s StruxureWare™ Resource Advisor on the Microsoft Windows Azure cloud platform, the companies can deliver best in class technology tools that improve the performance of customer processes and operations. By expanding Schneider Electric’s ability to rapidly deploy public, private and hybrid cloud solutions, the partnership with Microsoft enables increased innovation in energy efficiency, accelerating development, reducing costs and increasing reliability and security of global offers for customers.

“We are seeing a major shift in the industry away from one-size-fits-all solutions, and the cloud-enabled capabilities of the combined StruxureWare Resource Advisor and Windows Azure technology allow us to deliver right-sized tools based on customers’ specific energy management needs,” said Pascal Brosset, Chief Technology Officer, Schneider Electric. “By leveraging key aspects of our respective technologies, we’re able to produce high performance, cloud-based solutions, creating true value and competitive advantages for customers across multiple industries.”

StruxureWare Resource Advisor is Schneider Electric’s enterprise-level cloud-based software application that provides secure access to data, reports and summaries to drive customer energy and sustainability programs.

The software is configurable to meet specific customer needs, which allowed Schneider Electric to customize the solution and deploy it on the Windows Azure cloud platform. Powered by the Windows Azure cloud, StruxureWare Resource Advisor can offer:
· Accelerated deployment with instant access to online, web-accessible sustainability and energy management software
· Global reach and low cost of entry as software tools can be scaled quickly, replicated and rolled out globally with local language support
· Reduced cost resulting from eliminating the need to install or maintain additional on premise IT infrastructure
· Ability to leverage installed investments with secure cloud connectivity to existing onsite facility energy metering, monitoring and building management systems
· Increased mobility for employees to access information wherever they are, rather than having to remain at their desks
· Flexible system architecture based on open standards and protocols, promoting systems integration.

The first StruxureWare Resource Advisor development on the Windows Azure platform created the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) Higg Index 2.0—the web-based tool that helps retail organisations standardise how they measure and evaluate environmental performance of apparel products across the supply chain.
By utilising StruxureWare Resource Advisor as a foundation to build a proprietary application on the Windows Azure cloud, the SAC’s groundbreaking sustainability assessment tool is now web-based and accessible to the SAC’s global membership. As a result of the close partnership between Schneider Electric and Microsoft, the companies were able to deliver a robust solution for SAC in a quick, efficient manner. Schneider Electric will continue to roll out the Windows Azure platform globally to support the StruxureWare cloud-based software offerings.

“We are pleased that Schneider Electric selected Windows Azure as the cloud technology to support the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s application on StruxureWare™ Resource Advisor,” said Tracy Issel, WW General Manager of Retail & Consumer Goods from Microsoft. “The Sustainable Apparel Coalition will benefit from the power of an outstanding sustainability platform designed to leverage the scale, security and reduced infrastructure costs provided by Windows Azure; and, we are confident that the Schneider Electric development team will be pleased with the performance, speed and stability of the platform.”

This capability builds on Schneider Electric and Microsoft’s Global Alliance partnership agreement which allows the companies to leverage each other’s technologies and support of technical, sales and marketing resources. The expansive relationship also incorporates Schneider Electric’s participation in numerous Microsoft programs including: the CityNext Initiative, Global Technology Partner for the Microsoft Technology Centers, Microsoft Systems Center Alliance, and Microsoft Partner Solutions Center. Microsoft is also a member of Schneider Electric’s Ecostruxure Technology Partner program, which enhances the relationship focus on the technical integrations between the two companies.