eMeter Announces Smart Grid Partnership with Convergys to Extend Next-Generation Rating and Billing Capabilities to Utilities

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at Knowledge 2010, eMeter, a leader in Smart Grid management software, announced its partnership with Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), a global leader in relationship management, to provide proven real-time rating, billing and data management capabilities to utilities and their customers. The partnership is aimed at evolving current utility billing and customer care systems to enhance the time it takes for utilities and consumers to realize true Smart Grid value while reducing any potential risks which may arise during deployment.

With the introduction of the Smart Grid and the technology advancements made to date, utilities are facing challenges with data management and customer engagement – key elements to the success of any Smart Grid project. These challenges are not unlike those that the telecommunications industry addressed in its nascent years. Convergys and eMeter together deliver proven and responsive technologies designed to help address the needs of utilities while addressing the concerns of their customers by providing them with clear and relevant information about their personal energy use in a timely manner.  

"As utilities install advanced metering infrastructure, and regulators demand a focus on customer benefits, it is critical that downstream systems such as MDM and billing and customer care are aligned functionally with the concepts of speed, high scale interval data, customer focus rather than meter-based relationships and the ability to support highly innovated product and services," said Bobby Napiltonia, eMeter Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Alliances.  "What excites me about our partnership with Convergys is the linkage of like-minded partners who are experienced in

real-time, highly scalable data environments where customer action is the focus and innovative product offerings are par for the course."

Bob Lento, Convergys President, Information Management, said, "Utility companies' existing billing and customer care systems cannot provide utilities and their customers with the efficiency and detailed data they both need to realize the full benefits of the Smart Grid. Our partnership with eMeter will help encourage wider Smart Grid adoption by providing utilities with the tools they need to increase revenue and ensure regulatory compliance, while empowering consumers with more awareness of their energy choices and consumption."

The eMeter/Convergys partnership will provide a holistic approach to Smart Grid deployment, demonstrating immediate value as new processes and applications are optimized and realized, while legacy processes are discontinued. The combined solution will enable competitive AMI technology evaluations and procurement, and will assist in overall Smart Grid deployment planning. During installation, the combined solution will provide increased access to current and historical smart meter data for better Smart Grid validation and customer usage analytics, while enabling risk-free, automated billing cutover. Once the installation is completed and normal operations begin, utilities and customers will have access to continuous data feeds for billing and account services. The solution will support multiple AMI technologies, eliminating vendor lock-in and enabling utilities to adopt the latest and greatest products and technologies. Utilities will be able to add systems and capabilities as needed, along with value-added applications and services to consumers, eliminating the "rip-and-replace" approach. A single customer relationship management system will support a real-time multichannel environment, providing full visibility of data and interactions, with a single, fully intelligent system which supports all service activities and uses customer preferences and predictive analytics to perform "next best action" recommendations.  Finally, the optimized meter data management-to-customer information systems relationship enables scalability and limits required forecasts, providing the correct balance between data management and rating functionalities.

About eMeter

eMeter provides essential software that enables electric, gas and water utilities to realize the full benefits of Smart Grid. Leading utilities worldwide depend on eMeter Smart Grid Management software to reduce operational costs, improve customer service, and drive energy efficiency. With the most large-scale deployments in the industry and strategic partnerships with Accenture, IBM, Logica, and Siemens, eMeter has built a reputation for unparalleled expertise that ensures customer success.

SOURCE eMeter