Iris Connection has wrapped up another great year of business growth and product development. This article will highlight Iris Connections current success and outline product improvements for new year. At Iris, 2008 was a year of significant progress; we continue to advance the industry of automatic controls for water systems. We have established many new Dealer Partnerships and have also completed several exciting water system projects. As for our Dealer Partners and Public Water Systems using the Watchman system, there is really one consistent theme: Iris listens, not only to the current industry requirements, but streamlines products to address those needs. Our strategic objectives continue to focus on one thing: affordable and reliable “real time” monitoring and control for public water systems.  Positive business results and customer satisfaction have Dealers and PWS asking, “What’s next from Iris Connection”.

At Iris we continue to market the Watchman System as the “Next Generation of SCADA” but if you haven’t seen it lately, it’s time to look again. We are proud of the Watchman System and we appreciate the excitement expressed by users of the updated vPanel. We have revised the appearance and operating system of Spyglass and vPanel to be more graphically robust and more intuitive to operate.  We have continued to develop greater levels of detail in the user interface while creating stronger communications within the water system operational sites.  Here’s what Watchman customers and dealers are saying about our 2008 achievements:

A letter from a PWS board member in Northern California:

Watchman is absolutely great. Our new Spyglass Operating System is so easy to navigate and use. I've been using Watchman and watching it move water for the last several weeks. It doesn't take long to figure out what's going on and the more I watch, the more I am impressed. It’s not so much that we're moving water - that's been going on here for a long time, but it’s the ability to observe and change parameters in “real time” that is outstanding.  And the ability to see the interaction of all the system components at the same time is a huge step forward for us.

A quote from a Multi-System Water Manager on the Central Coast:

Since installing the Iris Connections System approximately 6 months ago, we have been extremely happy with the results.  The data acquisition has cut down on time spent doing paperwork. The advanced warning of potential problems within the system is invaluable.  Being able to virtually see the status of a water system without a site visit has been a huge timesaver resulting in better operations and is very cost effective. Iris support staff and technical assistance are readily available, making for a complete package.

One of our Dealers in the Wine Country had this to say:

Partnering with Iris has been a welcome strategic addition to our business objectives. The Watchman System allows us to provide a cost effective monitoring and control tool for small and mid-sized water companies that we are currently operating. And on our last Watchman System installation we were able to acquire the operator contract and system upgrades. The Watchman has opened a new profit center and has our employees excited about learning and working with a new technology.

A Pump dealer on the Central Coast offered this note:

Our relationship with Iris has been impressive.  Iris has shown that they are professional and understand water system needs and that the Watchman can handle all system requirements.  As an Iris Dealer, we are the only interface with our Watchman customers and that keeps it simple.  And any needs we’ve had during the bidding process, during installation or follow up, we have worked with Iris as a team. Our customers have also been very satisfied with the Watchman System and all its features – it has performed as advertised saving time and money.

What’s next for Iris Connection?

Iris continues to look to the future. In 2009 the continued drought conditions throughout the United States are going to put increased burdens on water systems to meet national standards for quality and quantity.  Iris has responded by continuing to improve its core products in a more standardized platform. The outcome of this effort has yielded thirteen unique and patentable technologies. The following list highlights a few of the patentable products that have been improved in the current Watchman System for the rigorous requirements of water delivery in 2009. The list includes: 

Energy Optimizer™ Because multiple pump sources can provide water to a system, the Watchman can select a number of different criteria for assigning pump priorities.  In addition to “round robin” and other common criteria, priorities can include criterion like “minimum energy use” or “which pump produces the most cost effective gallon.”

OptiGard™ This dynamic pump protection feature is set to “disable” a pump when water levels at the source are at dangerous levels.  With OpitGard, the pump stays “disabled” until the water reaches a user defined safe level.  The pump will then be “enabled” automatically without an operator clearing a “fault” condition.

Chlorine / Water Quality Sentry™ This feature will proactively shut-down a pumped water source when monitored water quality reaches an unsafe level. It also includes a remote override and reset capability.  The Sentry™ can also be applied to many water quality parameters. i.e., Residual Chlorine, Turbidity, Salinity, etc.

TOU Smart™ Iris has developed a way to maximize the advantage of Time-of-Use pumping to save money on electricity costs and maximize off peak operations. There are no limits to the number of “time settings” that can be implemented with this feature. 

At Iris Connection our quest for “relevant technology” continues in 2009.  As long as state and federal requirements continue to be more stringent, the burden of water delivery and water management will be more difficult and more critical. Iris Connection is committed to leading the way with management and control tools for the 21st century.  We will develop and improve water industry SCADA controls that will provide and comply with the water management requirements in 2009 and beyond. Along with our commitment to providing public water systems with leading edge technology, we have also made gains in continuing to build a strong team with new staff and investor partners, this year we welcomed three new investors to the Iris team. We anticipate reaching our initial capital investment goals sometime in the first quarter of 2009. We are looking forward to the new year with all of our partners, dealers, customers and investors. At Iris Connection, we’d like thank you for your continued support and wish you the best in 2009!