Toronto, Canada, March 10, 2003 -- Advanced Utility Systems Corp. has announced that the implementation of CIS Infinity is underway at The city of Everett, Wash.
Everett's search for a new CIS and billing solution began in the winter of 2001, culminating in the selection of Advanced in late fall of 2002. The implementation began immediately upon contract finalization and is targeted for completion after an 8-month time period.
Myron Tollefson, Project Manager for the implementation for Everett, commented on the CIS selection process, "Because there have been several troubled installations in the State of Washington in the past several years we needed to be extremely vigilant in our selection process. We conducted extensive research of the utility billing solutions currently available in the market and took the time necessary to ensure we properly evaluated all potential solutions and vendors. Our search led us to Advanced and their CIS Infinity product."
Everett has approximately 24,000 active water and/or sewer customers billed on a bi-monthly basis. Everett provides water to eighty percent of the residents in Snohomish County serving a population of approximately 400,000.
The water is distributed directly to customers or through wholesale water providers throughout Everett's drinking water service area. The source of the drinking water is located in the Sultan Basin Watershed, high in the Cascade Mountains. The water is collected in the Spada Reservoir and treated at the Everett Water Filtration Plant, east of Everett.
In addition to providing services to the citizens of Everett, the system serves 33 water districts and cities providing them with water and or sewer service.
Everett wanted a customer information and billing system that was designed and engineered to be easy to learn and easy to use. They felt it was essential that the software they chose to replace their existing billing software would provide for efficient data entry, accuracy, high productivity, and the ability to handle growth and the possible expansion of services. Version 2 of CIS Infinity was able to meet these demands. The team at Everett involved in the selection process was impressed with CIS Infinity's ease of use and the documentation built into the product.
The city conducts the billing for the core water and sewer services but also has many unique characteristics. For example the city provides loans for the capital expenditures associated with new sewer connections that are amortized over 25 years. Billing is not tied to the individual, but rather the property as the loan and payments can extend through several owners.
The project team assigned to this project is staffed with members from both Everett and Advanced. The team includes experts in the set-up of the software application, the hardware requirements necessary to maximize efficiency, the needs of customers, and the demands of the water and sewer industry.
Myron Tollefson commented on the implementation efforts to-date, "our implementation is approximately one-third complete, and we are pleased with the way it is progressing. The software has met our expectations, and the team from Advanced has exceeded our expectations in so many areas. We are confident we will meet our projected live date and budget projections."
Patricia Sorbara, President and CEO of Advanced commented on the strong relationship building between the two partners, "We are very pleased to be working with the city of Everett. The selection committee at the city knew what they wanted in a customer information and billing solution, and was able to clearly and effectively communicate what was important to them and the issues that they faced in their market". She added, "I believe that CIS Infinity is the right fit for Everett; with our combined skills and experience this implementation will represent an important achievement by both organizations."
Advanced Utility Systems Corporation is privately owned and operated software and services Company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company has grown from its 1997 start-up to serve over 50 North American water, electric and natural gas utility clients with its billing and customer information software CIS Infinity. The team at Advanced Utility Systems delivers whatever it takes to develop the ideal solution for the utility market. For additional information visit our website at: www.advancedutility.com.
