Utility companies are undergoing a profound operational and business model transformation, driven by digital customer demands, new regulations, and emerging services. To navigate this shift, modernizing core systems like the Customer Information System (CIS) is critical, moving beyond billing to support dynamic pricing, distributed energy resources (DER) integration, and personalized engagement.
Quick Intel
Gartner's 2025 Market Guide for Utility CIS emphasizes the need to modernize legacy platforms.
Modern CIS must support customer engagement, regulatory shifts, and new revenue models.
Key required capabilities include composable architecture and real-time, event-driven functions.
Open Intelligence is named among the guide's 19 representative CIS solution providers.
Modern platforms enable intelligent automation, advanced AI, and flexible business models.
The shift is from traditional billing processes to comprehensive, personalized customer management.
The Imperative for CIS Modernization
Utilities face a triple challenge: evolving customer expectations, stringent regulations, and the need for service innovation. Legacy CIS platforms often lack the agility for this new environment, specifically in integrating DER and enabling dynamic pricing. Modernization is no longer optional but a strategic necessity to build a customer-centric, adaptable operation.
Gartner's Analysis and Market Direction
Industry analysis from Gartner provides a clear framework for this transition. The research firm's Market Guide identifies the core capabilities utilities must prioritize, highlighting composable architectures and real-time capabilities as essential for future-proofing operations and meeting rising demands from customers and regulators.
"To meet these rising customers and regulator demands, utilities are prioritizing modern CIS platforms that offer composable architectures, real-time, event-driven capabilities, DER/EV integration and personalized customer experiences."
Open Intelligence's Position as a Strategic Partner
Inclusion in the Gartner Market Guide recognizes Open Intelligence as a relevant provider in this evolving market. The company positions its modern CIS platform as a tool for holistic transformation, aiming to help utilities become more intelligent, efficient, and connected by leveraging AI and automation.
"At Open, we believe that the transformation of the sector begins with technology. To us, our inclusion in the 2025 Market Guide reaffirms our commitment to innovation and positions us as a strategic partner for utilities to evolve toward a digital, efficient, connected, and customer-centric model," said Jesús Sánchez, Vice President of Marketing at Open.
The transition outlined by industry analysts represents a fundamental rethinking of the utility-customer relationship. By adopting modern, agile CIS platforms, utilities can transform operational challenges into opportunities for growth, improved efficiency, and enhanced service delivery in an increasingly complex market.
Company Profile: Open Intelligence
Open Intelligence is a leading provider of specialized technological solutions for utility companies, with 37 years of experience. Headquartered in the U.S. and with a presence in Spain, Colombia, and Ecuador, it serves clients in 19 countries.
Through its Smartflex platform, Open offers a comprehensive platform that enhances operational efficiency, ensures regulatory compliance, and optimizes customer experience. Its modular and holistic approach facilitates digital transformation with flexibility and scalability.
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