Peace breaks into big Ohio market

By ADAM GIFFORD

Utility billing specialist Peace Software has broken a drought of new sales, winning a multi-million dollar contract to provide a new billing and customer-care system for Dayton Power & Light in Ohio.

Chief executive Brian Peace said Dayton serviced more than 500,000 customers and, although most were in regulated markets, the company wanted to upgrade its existing technology base so it was ready for structural changes in the market.

"It installed Customer One in the early 1990s and then added an SPL system to handle complex rates. We are replacing both those platforms with one integrated solution," Peace said.

Customer One was originally developed by Anderson Consulting, and has about 50 sites, although it is no longer being developed. SPL Worldgroup is one of Peace's major competitors, and is the only other vendor to sell a major system so far this year in the tough North American market.

"This is our third Customer One replacement, which is three more than anyone else in the market," Peace said.

Utility companies in regulated markets tend to need systems which can bill customers in a specific franchise area.

Deregulated markets call for systems which can deal with customers in multiple areas who may be getting power through different retailers and lines companies, who may use different back end systems. The software must be able to track and monitor different aspects of the customer relationship and deliver it on one retail bill.

Peace Software is the prime contractor, and will not use a partner for the implementation, which is expected to take about nine months.

Peace said increased efficiency meant the job could be carried out by existing staff. After several years of rapid growth the company sharply scaled back recruitment late last year from 450 to just over 400, of whom 280 are in New Zealand.

Analysts Chartwell have rated Peace number one company in the North American CIS (customer information system) market, winning 33 per cent of all CIS deals since the start of last year, involving a total of almost 4 million end-use customers. SAP ranked second with 24 per cent.