T-Systems wins National 2011 Microsoft partner of the year: Germany

T-Systems edged ahead of the competition with its cloud solution that enables users to manage their household energy consumption over the Internet or via a cell phone. The application was programmed by the T-Systems subsidiary Multimedia Solutions based in Dresden. Heating costs account for around 70 percent of household energy costs in Germany.

Reducing the temperature by just three degrees Celsius can cut consumption by around 20 percent. The award-winning solution analyzes heating behaviour and makes the associated costs transparent. Different profiles enable users to set the right room temperature during the week when they may be at work, as well as at the weekend. The heating then turns on or off at specific times of day according to the settings, which users can adjust via a smartphone – at present the Windows Phone 7 – if they are out and about.

Other operating systems will follow. The solution is based on the Windows Azure cloud platform from Microsoft. This means it is scalable and uses less or more capacity over the Internet depending on load. The project is currently being piloted in the T-City Friedrichshafen.

The award will be presented at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles (July 11 – 14, 2011). In the Country Partner of the Year category, Microsoft honours just one company per country. The award recognizes successful collaboration on the development of innovative products.