Zurich, 5 January 2011

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has agreed to acquire Obvient Strategies Inc., a privately owned specialist software provider, adding Obvient's solutions to its recently acquired Ventyx software portfolio. The transaction will further enhance ABB's software offering for asset management, power distribution automation and smart grid applications.

Obvient offers software and services for industries and utilities with geographically dispersed assets. The company's business intelligence software collects, analyzes and reports critical real-time as well as periodic information. This supports decision making and helps users to optimize operations. As well as helping to manage complex operations, the solutions also reduce operating costs and improve asset reliability. Obvient's unique products compile the power transmission and distribution sector's best business practices into prepackaged solutions. This enables companies to monitor and manage their distributed assets more effectively, on a real-time and event-driven basis.

"The Obvient portfolio is highly complementary to our own software solutions for the power sector," said Jens Birgersson, head of ABB's Network Management business within ABB's Power Systems division. "It significantly strengthens our software-based solutions, enabling us to provide better service to our customers, from asset health and customer care to distribution and outage management."

ABB plans to retain the Obvient team and place its executives in key roles within the Ventyx product management organization. The company has offices near Atlanta, Georgia, and a staff of 40.

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