PITTSBURGH, PA /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tollgrade Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:TLGD), a leader in centralized network service assurance products, services and solutions, has joined the national consortium GridWise Alliance. Tollgrade is among more than 40 leading U.S. companies and organizations that are participating in the Alliance's collective effort to transform the nation's electric power and distribution systems.
Tollgrade joins this important group of utilities, IT companies, equipment vendors and technology providers as it launches a new sensor technology as a means for improving power distribution grid management. Called LightHouse, this smart grid technology provides continuous grid intelligence that reduces the amount of time in detecting a problem on the grid, identifying its location and restoring service.
"Utilities face unprecedented challenges from regulators and customers to improve reliability and quality, and to increase efficiency of their distribution grids," said Joseph Ferrara, Tollgrade's President and CEO. "We believe our technological expertise enables us to be an integral part of the industry's movement to improve the nation's power infrastructure," added Ferrara.
"As collaboration and innovation are critical to any major industry transformation, we are pleased to have Tollgrade as part of the Alliance," said Guido Bartels, chairman, GridWise Alliance. "By passing the new energy bill, Congress has signaled a significant shift in our nation's energy policy and having companies like Tollgrade joining the Alliance fits our strategy of building a broad national consensus for implementing these smart grid concepts," he went on to say.
About Tollgrade
Tollgrade Communications Inc. is a leading provider of network service assurance products and services for centralized test systems around the world. Tollgrade designs, engineers, markets and supports centralized test systems, test access and status monitoring products, and next generation network assurance technologies for the broadband marketplace. Tollgrade's customers range from the top RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies) and Cable providers, to numerous independent telecom, cable and broadband providers around the world. Tollgrade's network testing, measurement and monitoring solutions support the infrastructure of cable and telecom companies offering current and emerging triple play services, as well as for new markets requiring centralized testing and monitoring. Tollgrade, headquartered near Pittsburgh in Cheswick, Pa., and its products and customer reach span over 300 million embedded access lines, more than any other test and measurement supplier.