Putting mobility into meter reading

The Seven X data collection system. Picture / Simon Baker

You look out the window and see a man in a uniform approaching your house, with a handheld computer.

Although the PDA he's holding does take readings and looks sort of like a tricorder out of Star Trek, you know he's not from a landing party off the starship Enterprise. It's the 21st Century after all, and we take this stuff for granted now don't we?

Meter reading is big business these days. Those numbers swing around pretty fast, especially in an icy winter, and most meter readers now use mobile technology to do the job. Christchurch-based company DataCol International is responsible for kitting out over half our nation's meter readers with these devices.

DataCol was founded in 1999 by Grant Thomson, who is now executive chairman of the group. Thomson recognised an opportunity in the market, created out of the newly deregulated energy sector and set up a contracting business dealing in meter reading, data collection, and the re-presentation of data from homes and businesses to energy retailers. With 180 contracted meter readers, the company now has 55 per cent of the New Zealand meter reading market.

DataCol group chief executive Jason Rogers agrees that the company was in the right place at the right time, but says without Thomson's tenacity and vision, it wouldn't have grown like it has.

"He decided that without a suitable technology in place, he wasn't going to be able to build a sustainable business and maintain a competitive position. He needed to develop technology which would cope with the growth of the business."

Thomson surrounded himself with a development team and came up with a system for managing meter reading and operations called SevenX, a hardware and software solution to record meter readings for water, gas and electricity suppliers.

It's basically a non-proprietary handheld computer that communicates encrypted data with a back office system over GPRS, CDMA or 3G networks, collecting, analysing and reporting the meter data. The system works in real-time, as against downloading in batches at the end of day. Meter readers do not have to return to the depot and their route can be changed by a supervisor back at the depot to maximise efficiency.

The meter reading operation recently became a joint venture when Electra, an electricity supplier covering Kapiti and Horowhenua, became a strategic partner.

Rogers said: "We probably take a more high-risk appetite for business than most. We believe we can take this business to new levels with them on board."

Further development and marketing of SevenX, which also manages people out in the field, has become a big focus. This level of mobility appeals to more than just the meter reading industries.

"He'd [Thomson] built up a successful meter reading contract services business, but also had a good technical development team and was looking at commercialising the SevenX product and taking it to offshore markets."

The technology development team is further developing SevenX and business opportunities in India are being explored. DataCol is also developing mobile solutions to cover supply chain, warehousing and logistics, Rogers said.

The group also has shares in a farm management product and is a private equity investor in high growth technology businesses.

"There are a whole raft of good technology businesses. Most of them, when they reach a certain level, lack the commercialisation expertise and capital needed to go to the next level."

* Datacol International

Who: Jason Rogers, group chief executive.

Where: Christchurch based with offices in Auckland, Wellington, Australia and South Africa.

What: Mobile solutions for data management.

Why: A market opportunity created by the deregulation of the energy sector.