Toronto, ON — Jun 01, 2009 — ESRI Canada announced today the availability of the Small Utility Enterprise License Agreement (SU-ELA) program that offers unlimited access to ESRI's core ArcGIS platform for Canadian utilities with 100,000 meters or less. Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc., winner of ESRI Canada's Innovation in Technology Award, recently signed the ELA that will enable them to expand the use of GIS throughout the utility.

"This program is revolutionary and has opened so many doors for us," said Dan Amyot, Manager of Information Systems, Guelph Hydro. "Before we signed the SU-ELA, we couldn't afford to implement an enterprise solution. We've now expanded our capabilities far beyond what we ever thought economically feasible."

Through the SU-ELA, Guelph Hydro can achieve broad access to ESRI's ArcGIS software without purchasing additional licenses. The program offers unlimited deployments of the software to desktop, server and mobile devices, which will allow the utility to test all of their custom-built GIS applications and further extend Web development capabilities.

Small utility IT work processes and organizational workflows are simplified through ESRI's enterprise GIS that supports more than 70 different business functions including asset and outage management, inspection, maintenance, and record keeping among others. The program also offers unlimited product maintenance and support, staff training, passes to ESRI's International User Conference, access to ESRI virtual training and more.

As a result, staff from multiple departments can quickly access information, share workflows, provide better customer service and respond effectively to work orders, leaks and outages. Time and money is saved through streamlined contracting and budgeting, and administrative costs are reduced through the centralized management of software distribution, support, service and training.

"Small utilities face unique challenges like limited budgets and resources, yet they are still expected to provide the same level of service as their larger counterparts," said Jim Wickson, Vice President of Sales, ESRI Canada. "The SU-ELA was designed to make it possible for small utilities to reap the operational benefits of enterprise GIS through an affordable, tiered pricing structure."

For more information, please visit : www.esricanada.com/suela

About Guelph Hydro

Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. (GHESI) is the local electricity distribution company (LDC) for Guelph and Rockwood. They deliver electricity, maintain the lines to homes and businesses, provide 24-hour emergency service and ensure that they can always meet the electricity supply requirements of their customer community. In industry jargon, the business is often called the "wires" business. Under Section 29 of the Electricity Act, they also provide electricity for customers who do not choose to contract with a licensed electricity retailer. For more information, please visit: http://www.guelphhydro.com/.

About ESRI Canada

Founded in 1984, ESRI Canada provides enterprise geographic information systems (GIS) solutions that empower businesses, governments, and educational institutions to make timely, informed and mission critical decisions by leveraging the power of maps. The company distributes the world's leading GIS software from ESRI, Miner and Miner, Azteca, and other technology partners. Headquartered in Toronto, the company serves over 8,000 customers from 16 regional offices across Canada. Information about ESRI Canada can be found at http://www.esricanada.com/.




Contact:

Leslie Keyser
Marketing Communications Manager
ESRI Canada
Tel.: 416-386-6423
E-mail: Email Contact
http://www.esricanada.com/