InformationWeek

The customer-relationship goals of deregulated utility companies are different from their regulated counterparts, says Joe Marcelli, VP of energy services at Pepco Connections LLC, the deregulated Washington subsidiary of Potomac Electric Power Co. Whereas the goal of some regulated companies is to reduce the number of customer calls, "I'm going to go out of my way to have my customers call me" in an effort to expand business, Marcelli says. Pepco is evaluating Saratoga's software, among other products.

Saratoga is adding utility-specific templates and best-practices information to its flagship Avenue product, creating a package called AvenueEnergy. The software is intended to help companies sell electricity and fuel, and track usage patterns. Saratoga's WebExpress will let customers and partners check on account status or sign up for new services over the Web. AvenueEnergy is available immediately, starting at $10,000.

Coherent Networks is taking a more targeted approach with Coherent Business Solutions Set, a software suite that includes an object database for managing information on a utility company's customers and facilities, data integration middleware, a Web browser client, and data analysis capabilities.

PacifiCorp, a Portland, Ore., utility, is using the Coherent software, which can match geographic and customer data. Brad Williams, automation services manager for the distribution systems engineering group at PacifiCorp, says the geographic capability makes it possible to identify customers affected by a power outage or identify customers by location when they call.