A COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS, DEVICE AND SYSTEM

A method executed by a concentrator (104, 118, 122) connected between a plurality of remote units (102, 140, 148, 154) and a management server (108), the method including: (i) receiving and storing properties data associated with a remote unit including a microengine (114, 138, 144) and a meter (112, 142) for measuring usage of a resource at a customer's premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit; (ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server (108) ; (iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and (iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server (108) , as determined by the request based on the message data.