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Southern Company honored for technological achievement by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
PRNewswire-FirstCall
NYSE: SO
ATLANTA - Oct. 22, 2008 - Southern Company has been named a 2007 Excalibur Award winner by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). The award recognizes businesses throughout the state that have gained a competitive advantage through the use of advanced technology. Southern Company won in the large organization category for its new remote, wireless monitoring technology to collect meter data and report power outages. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020207/SOCOLOGO ) Nominees for the Excalibur Award were judged on a variety of criteria including the scope of the problem solved, the creativity of the technology- enabled solution and the return on investment and business results. Southern Company's largest electric utility, Georgia Power, is using this wireless monitoring technology, known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). To date, approximately 128,000 meters have been installed or replaced with Georgia Power's residential customers, resulting in reduced operating costs. "We are honored by this recognition, particularly given the many outstanding entrants in our category," said Christie Miree, Southern Company's AMI project manager. "AMI is the next generation of metering technology and will change the way we do business once it is fully deployed. By moving to AMI, we will be able to deliver greater value to our customers." More sophisticated than traditional automated meters, the new "smart meters" have advanced technology that allows for a range of functionality, including two-way communications, outage detection, and remote reconnects and disconnects. Once fully deployed, AMI will also allow customers to manage energy consumption with real-time pricing signals. While cost savings and customer satisfaction have justified this business decision, there is also an environmental benefit as the new technology significantly reduces driving requirements for Georgia Power field service representatives. Less driving also lowers the chances of vehicular accidents, as well as travel to potentially unsafe locations. The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support its members by generating opportunities for personal, professional and business growth. By forging strategic alliances, TAG serves as a primary catalyst to foster a rich environment for economic development in Georgia's technology community. TAG is made up of 3,200 members representing technology leaders from more than 1,500 Georgia-based companies, affiliated technology and business organizations. About Southern Company With 4.3 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/. ### Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020207/SOCOLOGO SOURCE: Southern Company Media Contact: Valerie Holpp, Southern Company Media Relations, +1-404-506-5333, |