1.  Can PrimeRead ES change a meter's configuration? No. PrimeRead ES is a read-only software. So there is no need to worry about users changing a meter's program, no matter what they do with the application.

2.  Is it easy to integrate PrimeRead's database to other corporate applications? Yes. PrimeRead's open database data model is delivered with every application. The database's tables and field descriptions are included so users can easily understand where the information they need is located.

3.  Am I limited to PrimeRead's default reports? How can I create my own reports? PrimeRead's reporting tool is Crystal Reports®. Crystal Reports® is a reporting tool leader and together with PrimeRead's open database, enables user to have virtually unlimited reports. So the default reports delivered with the application are only a starting point to help users get ideas about their reporting capabilities.

4.  I work for a utility that has 70 installed meters, each recording 6 different variables every 15 minutes. I would like to have 1 quarter of data online for these 70 meters. Can PrimeRead handle this amount of information? Yes. In fact, PrimeRead ES can handle a far larger amount of data. If readings are being recorded every 15 minutes, then there will be 96 readings per variable every day. If each meter records 6 variables, that becomes 96 * 6 = 576 readings per meter every day. If an average month has 30 days, there will be 576 * 30 = 17,280 readings per meter every month. If you have 70 meters, that becomes 17,280 * 70 = 1,209,600 readings per month / 3,628,800 readings per quarter. PrimeRead ES can handle this amount of data with no problem whatsoever. In fact, some of our users work with thousands and years of data online with no performance issues.

5.  Can I read meters that are programmed to record readings at different time intervals? Yes. PrimeRead ES downloads a meter's data no matter what time interval it has been programmed with. Now, call frequencies to each meter or group of meters for automatic data collection are defined in the application. The minimum call frequency is 5 minutes. Every time PrimeRead ES calls a meter, the application downloads all the information since the last reading. Data download does not depend on the meter's interval programming.

6.  Can I read a meter immediately without having to schedule a call and wait? Yes. Besides the automatic call feature, PrimeRead ES enables users to realize immediate, schedule-independent calls to any meter at any time.

7.  Can I have Unix on the server side and the application's clients on Windows? Yes. This is especially important for users that have very large databases and want to benefit from Unix's robustness. This will require, of course, a client-server database that supports Unix.

8.   Can I schedule calls to read the data that appears on a meter´s display? Yes. A user can also schedule independent calls to download Load Profile, Registers, Events, Power Quality and Display data with different time frequencies for the same meter or for different meters. Some PrimeRead ES users, for example, schedule Display readings every 10 minutes and Mass Memory readings only once a day.

9.   Do you also deliver hardware such as modems with PrimeRead ES? No. Users purchase hardware separately. At your request, Primestone will suggest hardware products that have proved to work better with PrimeRead ES.

10. I have to deal with a large amount of readings. Is there any way I can check the reliability of my data? Yes. The Validation module is especially designed for users who are concerned about the reliability of their data. In this module, users define expected value ranges or profiles for combinations of meters, variables, and time intervals. Profiles can also be automatically calculated by the Validation module based on historical data. The application compares the profiles against the readings and alerts the user about skew or missing values. Additionally, PrimeRead ES develops online validation of intervals, time, zeros and energy tolerance. For many users, especially when the number of readings begins to grow, Validation becomes the most important module in the PrimeRead Energy Suite. Validation is purchased separately as an optional module.

11. How does Primestone help me deploy PrimeRead ES? During the PrimeRead ES training, users choose any 20 meters from their organization to fully configure the application to read them. This training empowers users to continue working on their own and make best use of the application's features. Besides, PrimeRead ES is a user-friendly and intuitive application and learning curves are very fast.

12.  There are hundreds of meters in my utility. Is there any way I can speed the upload of data into PrimeRead ES? Yes. PrimeRead ES has a meter information upload feature reduces significantly the amount time that is spent setting up the basic information. It also enables groups of people to work as a team in this task.

13.  Does the decision cube work like a spreadsheet? No. The decision cube is not designed to work like a spreadsheet. It enables users to quickly get different views of filtered data for decision making, either by summarizing it according to multiple fields, drilling down to focus on the details or quickly charting the data. Nevertheless, a decision cube's data can be exported to a spreadsheet if you need to perform further operations on the data.

14.  PrimeRead ES Enterprise has been developed for reading a large number of meters. I work for a major industrial power client and I only need to read 3 meters. Is a PrimeRead Express license for 3 meters the product I need? No. PrimeRead Express is for reading single meters only. So, if you have to read more than one meter, the product you are looking for is PrimeRead ES Central Station or Enterprise. Don't worry if you have to read only 3 meters. Pricing depends on the number of meters and the words "Central Station" or "Enterprise" doesn't mean you will immediately pay a higher entry level.

15. Although I have a technical background, I'm not familiar with databases. I see PrimeRead ES supports several of them. How I can tell which one I need? Do I have to become a database expert to use PrimeRead ES? PrimeRead ES supports different databases for different database needs. If you have few or a mid-size system, we suggest Interbase or SQL Server and you or someone at your organization will have to learn the basics about database administration. This usually takes about 2-3 hours. Now, if you are reading meters by the thousands you will need Microsoft SQL or Oracle. In this case, your database size may be of hundreds of megabytes or even gigabytes. Since nobody wants to spend 15 minutes or so to make simple queries or chart your data, you will want to have a database administrator doing routine maintenance tasks. If you are new to databases, we suggest you leave this to the IT people in your organization.

16. My company has over 10,000 meters, but I'm aware we can't attempt to read them all overnight. So, can I buy a 1,000 meter PrimeRead license and pay for new meters as I grow the system? Yes. There is no sense in buying a 10,000 meter license if might spend months getting to read them all. We want you to get a quick return on your investment. So you can start with whatever license size you want and grow the system at your own pace. You will only have to pay the difference on our price lists for additional meters.