Oracle said that the City of Austin will roll the solution out to both Austin Energy and Austin Water. The application will provide Austin Energy with a view of customer data and streamline billing processes to enable responsive customer service. Austin Energy plans to work with IBM on the implementation.
In addition, Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing will enable Austin Energy to implement energy efficient and demand management programs by providing detailed energy usage data that will allow its customers to make informed decisions to conserve energy. The application would also help Austin Energy create new rate structures to support the future needs of its customers.
Austin Energy is embarking on the Pecan Street Project, an effort to design a new, clean energy infrastructure business model and proving ground for future energy technology.
Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing will function as a foundational component of the Pecan Street Project. Austin Energy hopes to design a system that delivers reliable and affordable energy to Austin’s growing population.
Quentin Grady, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Utilities, said: “For utilities to effectively move to the smart grid, it is imperative that they provide their customers with actionable information about their energy use and prepare to accept new renewable energy sources into the grid.
“With Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing, Austin Energy will be able to provide its customers with a clear picture of the relationship between their consumption and environmental impact, and then offer service options to help change behaviour.”
A long-term Oracle customer, Austin Energy also uses Oracle Utilities Mobile Workforce Management to help ensure service availability and automate field operations via dispatch, scheduling and routing.
