The McDonnell Group

Customer Suite 4.2 Service Pack 1 Continues to Improve And Expand Highly Successful Version 4 Series

ATLANTA - May 19, 2010 - Ventyx®, the world’s largest private software, data and advisory services provider to the energy and utility industry, today announced the newest release of its Customer Suite customer information system (CIS)/billing software solution. The release includes additional support for advanced metering and many new features designed to expand utility client’s revenue management capabilities, including credit and collections enhancements improving the ability to recover past due balances.

Ventyx Customer Suite is the most comprehensive customer management system available, capable of managing all of a utility’s customer-facing processes, from meter reads to billing and customer inquiries through the call center or self-service and service management. The solution’s extensive breadth of features are time-proven across gas, water and electric utilities. This latest release of Customer Suite, includes several key new features, including the following:

Advanced Metering & Billing. Enhanced field support for AMI and AMR metering devices helps make the solution meter data management system (MDMS)-ready to support managing demand response programs.

Credit & Collections. New and expanded features in Collections and Delinquency Processing enhance call center efficiency.

Customer Requested Product Enhancements. New release includes many enhancements requested by client, including improved credit risk management, customer care features and technology enhancements.

“This latest release of Customer Suite reflects our clients’ increasing demand for the latest technology to help them serve customers more efficiently,” said Ventyx General Manager, Customer Management Frank Hyde. “As always, we collaborated closely with our clients on these enhancements to ensure they provide the capabilities needed to respond to the challenges of today’s utility industry. As we continue to expand and modernize Customer Suite to meet the industry’s evolving requirements, our clients will remain active and vital participants in these efforts.”

With Customer Suite 4.2 Service Pack 1, Ventyx continues to expand and enhance the robust features of its highly successful Version 4 series of Customer Suite. And, the success of the latest generation of Customer Suite demonstrates the benefits of close collaboration with clients. As of today, more than 40 percent of Ventyx Customer Suite clients have either migrated or are in the process of migrating to Version 4 of the software.

One such client is Manatee County Utilities Department, which recently made the decision to upgrade its current Ventyx CIS software to the newest generation of Customer Suite. “Not only was the choice of upgrading to Customer Suite the easiest and lowest-cost option for us; it also met all the objectives we outlined for our new system,” said Manatee Utility System Support & Training Manager Eileen Hansen. “For example, the software will provide easier navigation, enhanced business and financial analysis capabilities, improved account management functionality and expanded customer interaction options, such as interactive voice response and customer Web access. In addition, the software incorporates CIS best practices so we will minimize our customization footprint. And, as we plan to integrate mobile workforce management tools with the CIS, it will improve our delivery of services in the field.”

Customer Suite 4.2 Service Pack 1 is available immediately from Ventyx. For more information, contact your Ventyx sales representative or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The solution will also be on display in the Ventyx booth (#635) at CS Week, May 25-28, in the Nashville Convention Center.