Application

The Core of Smart Meter Intelligence

In every smart metering ecosystem, the application layer plays a central role. It is the brain that connects physical devices to digital platforms ensuring that every measurement, every command, and every communication is processed securely, consistently, and intelligently.

Since the very begining of the smart metering challenge, Andrea Informatique has been developing applications that serve as a bridge between smart meters, communication networks, and utility systems. These applications are the backbone of our ecosystem: they enable configuration, testing, data collection, and performance monitoring, all while ensuring full interoperability across technologies and manufacturers.

At Andrea, applications are not simple tools they are the operational intelligence that transforms complex technical processes into reliable, efficient, and user-friendly solutions.

DLMS / COSEM — A Universal Functional Framework

The DLMS/COSEM model (IEC 62056 standard) provides a standardized object-oriented framework that allows smart meters to represent all measurable and controllable elements: energy, voltage, power, time profiles, alarms, and logs.

Andrea’s engineering teams design complete DLMS/COSEM application structures, defining and managing COSEM objects (OBIS codes), security mechanisms (AES-GCM encryption, key exchange), and data access profiles to guarantee reliability and traceability.

Every implementation undergoes rigorous validation through Phenix, Andrea’s in-house testing platform. This ensures conformance to DLMS/COSEM standards, interoperability with other devices, and consistent behavior across multiple firmware versions — a vital requirement for large-scale deployments.

IDIS and Interoperability by Design

The IDIS (Interoperable Device Interface Specifications) profile extends DLMS/COSEM to ensure practical interoperability across manufacturers. Andrea actively implements and customizes IDIS application layers to meet market-specific requirements, while maintaining strict compliance with the standard.

We develop functional extensions for IDIS 2.0 and 2.1 that cover multi-energy metering (electricity, gas, water) and additional functionalities such as load control, power quality monitoring, prepayment, and remote firmware management.

By mastering both the standard and its functional adaptations, Andrea ensures that devices remain interoperable while addressing the operational constraints and regulatory frameworks of each market.

Market Adaptation and Customization

Every market has its own operational logic, tariff systems, and data security policies. Andrea transforms the universal DLMS/COSEM and IDIS frameworks into customized functional applications, precisely aligned with local regulations and utility expectations.

Our teams develop and validate country-specific adaptations, including:

Multi-tariff configurations and regional billing models.
Localized key management and encryption systems.
Specific demand-response and load control logic.
Integration with national smart grid platforms.

This flexibility allows Andrea to deliver market-ready DLMS applications, capable of adapting seamlessly to diverse technical environments while maintaining global compatibility.

Testing, Validation, and Conformance

To ensure operational reliability and certification readiness, every DLMS/COSEM and IDIS implementation is tested through Phenix, our automated testing environment.

The platform performs extensive conformance, non-regression, and interoperability tests, reproducing real-world communication conditions between meters, concentrators, and head-end systems.

This rigorous validation guarantees that Andrea’s applications pass certification smoothly, behave consistently, and integrate easily with any HES/MDM system — reducing deployment risks and time-to-market.

Application as the Link Between All Layers

The Application layer connects every technological domain of Andrea’s ecosystem:

Metrology, for precise and standardized measurement.
Communication, for secure and reliable data transfer.
Mechanical and embedded design, for efficient hardware integration.

This interconnected approach ensures that every device we design is not only compliant, but coherent — built from the ground up for interoperability and real-world performance.

Shaping Technology to Fit the Market

At Andrea Informatique, we see the Application layer as the bridge between standardization and adaptability.

It’s where global protocols meet local needs, where smart meters become truly “smart” — capable of responding to regional requirements without losing their universal structure.

Through our mastery of DLMS/COSEM and IDIS, we transform a complex standard into an operational advantage: a functional foundation that evolves with the market, ready for the next generation of energy systems.