Automatic power metering - existing products and new functions

My problem relates to automatic power metering (by electric power
supplier to private homes) using existing off-the-shelf products. I am
currently looking at enhancing existing automatic metering systems
(e.g. with "residental gateway" solutions supplied by Echelon or
Ericsson) with added functionality and better data security. The
problem is interfacing the new equipment with existing equipment,
because the existing equipment are of different makes and models, and
the installation is done by technicians with very limited engineering
skills.

Further, considering addtional future needs (which have not been
thought of yet), the way to go seems to be the design of an interface
module that can handle all existing equipment and any new equipment to
make the design of new equipment independent of varying existing
equipment (only the interface protocol needs to be considered).

Further yet, in the case that another company (in the future) has
developed new equipment that is useful for us, we would be inhibited if
we cannot get the interface module to run with this new third party
equipment, so we would rather need a flexible interface. In order to
avoid inventing the wheel all over again, my question is:

Does a flexible interface system already exist (for this purpose)?? Can
anyone point me in the direction of companies/products?

.

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