A New Era in Utility Engagement

The energy utility industry stands at a critical crossroads. As consumers increasingly demand more sophisticated, personalized interactions with their service providers, the traditional utility model is being rapidly transformed by technology and changing expectations. It's within this dynamic landscape that VertexOne has made a bold strategic move—an acquisition that promises to redefine customer engagement from the ground up.

In mid-December 2024, the company completed its acquisition of Accelerated Innovations (AI), bringing the state-of-the-art MyMeter® platform into its technological ecosystem. This strategic move goes beyond simple product expansion — it represents a calculated investment in advanced customer engagement capabilities.

By incorporating AI's premier platform, which specializes in managing, analyzing, and presenting detailed AMI interval data for electric utility customers, to VertexOne’s already robust slate of the industry’s most advanced deep-water functionality and analytics offerings, the company gains profound analytical insights into customer behavior across the full spectrum of energy and utility market segments — enabling providers of gas, renewables, electricity, and water to create more personalized, responsive service experiences while cutting operational costs and enhancing overall efficiency.

As the industry moves toward prioritizing seamless, digital-first interactions, the acquisition marks a critical milestone in shaping the future of digital utility customer engagement.

"This isn't another corporate transaction; It's a statement about the future of utility services."

Andrew Jornod, VertexOne CEO

Chapter 1

Customer Experience: The Ultimate Benchmark Of Success

In the energy and utility industry, evolving market dynamics means the bar for success now starts and ends with the customer experience. And capturing the essence inherent in exceptional customer experiences means rising to meet today’s heightening market and consumer demands.

Gone are the days of thinking myopically about the customer experience as modern customers now increasingly expect the same level of convenience and personalization, and seamless interaction from utilities as they do from other service industries, like retail, banking, or entertainment. Which means that for utilities and energy providers, prioritizing customer experience has never been more critical. And if they want to remain competitive, they must meet and exceed these heightened expectations.

Customers seek strategic, personalized uses for technology, and utility companies should actively work to meet that demand.

According to the latest market research, customers are increasingly seeking a seamless digital experience when it comes to assessing their satisfaction with their energy service providers.

It’s a trend industry experts have seen coming, as the shift aligns with the emergence of a new wave of savvy, next-generation energy omnisumers who prioritize technological innovation and user-friendly interfaces to match the sleek, sophisticated systems offered by other industries. Customers who have turned up the heat and put the onus on energy and utility providers to provide the same level of advanced CX software in line with what they’ve gotten accustomed to using elsewhere.

Which means that for utility companies, embracing strategic uses of technology isn’t just a customer demand—it’s a pathway to building loyalty. Because if utilities want to thrive in today’s the shifting customer landscape, they first must prioritize providing the kind of customer-centric engagement crucial to meeting these rising expectations.

Chapter 2

Change Has Arrived

And it’s amid this backdrop that senior VertexOne leaders sought to capture the customer journey in an industry-defining way with the acquisition of Accelerated Innovations (AI), building out their suite of advanced software solutions by incorporating the company’s premier, state-of-the-art MyMeter® customer engagement platform which provides utilities with deeper insights and a clearer understanding into customer behavior, enabling more tailored engagement and support

According to Andrew Jornod, VertexOne CEO, the acquisition isn’t just about expanding product offerings; it’s about redefining the customer journey:

"It's not just an acquisition, it's a game changer. By unifying our technologies and expertise, we're not just meeting the needs of today's utilities and energy providers, we're anticipating and shaping the future of customer experience."

- Andrew Jornod, VertexOne CEO

The acquisition, completed in mid-December of 2024, incorporates the customer experience and technological powerhouse that is Accelerated Innovations (AI) into VertexOne’s proprietary software systems fold.

It’s the latest in a series of transformative steps VertexOne has taken over the last several years to solidify its standing as a pioneering leader of complete SaaS solutions within the energy and utility industry.

An industry where advanced software systems sit at the apex of driving transformational change, and one that VertexOne is now uniquely equipped to take on across all market segments—including gas, electric, renewables, and water – thanks to MyMeter®’s advanced analytic capabilities that offer actionable insights to influence customer behavior, reduce service and billing costs, and improve operational efficiency.

Benefits that empower energy providers to create tailored experiences, reinforcing their commitment to customer-oriented innovation. Enabling them to:

Influence customer behavior with personalized energy-saving tips
Reduce costs associated with customer service and billing
Enhance operational efficiency through predictive analytics

Chapter 3

The Future Is Now

As digital transformation accelerates, and customer expectations have evolved, so too have the demands on utilities to deliver seamless, next-gen digital experiences that capture customer engagement in a whole new way. Today’s utilities must provide exceptional, personalized digital customer engagement to meet rising expectations as the current and future landscape demands they rethink their approach to customer engagement by:

Understanding Unique Needs: Personalized experiences begin with a deep understanding of individual customer behaviors and preferences.
Prioritizing Technology: Seamless, user-friendly interfaces like MyMeter® are key to meeting consumer expectations.
Delivering Excellence at Every Touchpoint: From billing to service requests, every interaction must reflect a commitment to innovation and quality.

To bridge the gap between customer demands and current capabilities, the first essential step is understanding the unique needs of each customer. With this deep insight, utilities can begin to deliver exceptional experiences that align with the modern customer’s expectations.

As customer expectations have now become the benchmark for success, VertexOne stands ready to lead the charge in revolutionizing how utilities engage with their customers—one interaction at a time. The future of customer experience in energy and utilities is here, and VertexOne is at the forefront, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth, innovation, and lasting impact.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Acquisition of Accelerated Innovations

What is the reason for this acquisition?

VertexOne is transforming the customer experience for the energy and utility industry. The acquisition of Accelerated Innovations (AI), an emerging leader in SaaS digital customer engagement, advances VertexOne’s long-standing strategy of providing utilities, energy retailers, suppliers, and energy transition companies with SaaS applications that help them balance the service and experience demands of their customers with the revenue drivers of their businesses. This acquisition will strengthen the company’s market position and expand its market reach while enhancing and accelerating product innovation. With AI’s MyMeter, an innovative, modern SaaS engagement and self-service platform built to address the unique needs to the electric and gas industries, VertexOne extends its industry-leading advanced analytics and insights offering for water utilities, adding the same in-depth functionality for electric and gas providers as well.

How will this acquisition benefit clients?

Both VertexOne and AI clients will gain access to a broader range of applications and offerings, and benefit from increased functionality as we work to create a best-in-class customer engagement portal built to address the needs of electric, gas, water providers in both the regulated and deregulated markets. In addition, with 30 years of history, VertexOne brings the added stability and reliability that comes with being a well-funded, established company in the industry.

Will there be any changes to the products or services currently offered?

MyMeter will become part of VertexOne’s Digital Suite which contains applications that facilitate the direct connection of our energy and utility clients with their customers. For now, these products will all remain the same.

What will happen to the employees of the acquired company?

All AI employees are now part of VertexOne and will continue to support the MyMeter platform and AI’s clients as usual.

Will there be any layoffs as a result of the acquisition?

No, there will not be any layoffs because of this acquisition. This acquisition is about expanding our capabilities and market reach, and we look forward to integrating our teams, and bringing their individual expertise and dedication together as we work to achieve our shared goals.

What are the next steps in the acquisition process?

While we focus on maintaining business continuity and delivery for all our clients, we are also building an integration team that is working to strategize and create a plan for combining operations, systems, and teams that works to maximize the strengths of both companies.

When will the acquisition be finalized?

The acquisition has already been finalized. We are excited to share this news and move forward with the integration process, focusing on ensuring a smooth transition and continuing to deliver exceptional value to our clients and partners.