OREANDA-NEWS.  Capgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, today announced it has been named a leader by independent analyst firm Verdantix in its 2015 North America Green Quadrant for Power Utility IT Services report. Capgemini’s utility practice achieved the highest score in the market for its customer engagement IT services, and was recognized for its strength in broad managed service contracts, smart meter IT systems services, customer relationship management  and billing system implementations.
 
Excerpts from the report cite the following Capgemini strengths and capabilities:
  • Delivering Broad Managed Service Contracts: Capgemini boasts decade-long managed service contracts, which cut across multiple business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT services, with 10 utilities in North America
  • IT Solutions for Customer Engagement:  Capgemini achieves the highest score in the market for its customer engagement IT services, with strong scores across advisory, systems implementation and managed services. The score reflects Capgemini’s experience in implementing customer relationship management (CRM) and billing systems, such as SAP CRM and Oracle Siebel CRM, as well as delivering more innovative multi-channel customer interaction solutions. Capgemini has also invested in its own solution portfolio for customer engagement; for example, it has developed Odigo for Utilities, a contact centre solution that helps utilities to reduce customer call durations and better route callers to the most appropriate advisors
  • Smart Meter IT Systems: Capgemini achieves top marks for smart meter IT systems services across advisory, IT systems integration and managed services. Since 2006, Capgemini has worked with 25 North American utilities on smart meter projects, supporting the deployment of 16 million meters, and now has 3.5 million meters under management. Its Smart Meter Network Operations Managed Services uses operations centers to deliver a full suite of smart meter services, from data management to field management
  • Strong End-to-End IT Services Across the Industry Value Chain: Capgemini’s scores are strong across the whole breadth of capabilities included in the study. Its strong capabilities score and high number of customer wins puts Capgemini firmly in the Leader’s Quadrant
“IT solutions and services continue to play a critical role within utility operations to optimize grid management, drive automation across the organization, engage end customers and respond to increasing levels of distributed energy,” said Susan Clarke, Verdantix Industry Analyst and author of the report. “Capgemini and its peers have become invaluable services partners to these utilities and we congratulate them on their high marks and placement in this industry benchmark analysis.”
 
Based on the analysis, Verdantix recommended that Capgemini should be included on shortlists by utilities seeking:
  • Large-scale, full-service outsourcing contracts given its long list of client examples for managed services
  • Advanced analytics following smart meter deployments given its market-leading capabilities providing analytics to support with more accurate bills, improving outage response and delivering programs to help customers reduce energy usage
  • Strategic advice on future risks and opportunities given its global network of consultants and researchers who provide the latest insights into the utilities industry and carry experience from one region to another, and benchmark utilities against global leading practices
“This recognition as a North America utilities industry leader is testament to our broad capabilities, exemplary client results, and parlays to our strengths globally,” said David DuCharme, vice president, North America energy practice lead at Capgemini. “Many utilities are beginning their digital transformation journeys as they look to enhance every aspect of their business, and we’re proud to be the digital transformation partner for our clients as they navigate the road ahead.”

Verdantix’s 2015 Green Quadrant for Power Utility IT Services North America Report combines benchmark data from supplier interviews, responses to a 78-point questionnaire, and interviews with a panel of 14 budget holders in the power utility sector.
 
About Capgemini
 
With more than 145,000 people in over 40 countries, Capgemini is one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services. The Group reported 2014 global revenues of EUR 10.573 billion (more than \$13 billion USD). Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business and technology solutions that fit their needs and drive the results they want. A deeply multicultural organization, Capgemini has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business ExperienceTM, and draws on Rightshore®, its worldwide delivery model.