Although solid state metering is on the increase in other sectors, the water meter market remains principally based on mechanical meters, either volumetric or velocimetric. In this time of change and development the meter industry continues to attract investment capital and meter companies are changing hands continuously. The meter suppliers have seized this opportunity and the global leaders have reinvented themselves with impressive speed. The 'big three' meter companies - Elster, Itron/Actaris, Bayard/Landis & Gyr/Enermet - form a $5 billion trio. They have consolidated further, acquiring technology and data management companies. They are no longer just meter vendors, they are providers of systems technology. They not only offer measurement devices but also the means to engineer demand and manage energy. In addition to the three above, the leading companies devoted mainly to water meters - Sensus, Neptune, Badger, Hydrometer Gruppe/Sappel and Arad, are developing similar capabilities in the water sector. The meter market is continuously unfurling new dimensions.