2008-10-06 21:46:01 -

www.mincom.com - Mincom Pam Warren, +1-303-446-9000 pam.warren@mincom.com Meredith Bird, +61 7 3303 3418 Cell: +61 434 076 160 meredith.bird@mincom.com Mincom, a leading global software solutions provider to asset intensive industries, announced today that PowerCentsDC(TM) has successfully gone live with Mincom's real-time, event-driven billing and demand response CRM software solution. Mincom's smart billing

solution supports the advanced 'smart' meter project managed by Smart Meter Pilot Program (SMPPI), a non-profit corporation in Washington D.C.

Hosted by Mincom, the solution delivers demand response, time of use, critical peak and critical peak rebate pricing and daily billing information to residential customers in metropolitan D.C. using smart meters and smart thermostats provided by PowerCentDC(TM) under the program.

The PowerCentsDC(TM) project was delivered through a strategic alliance between selected vendors, industry groups and the Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco). It is one of the first successful deployments of smart metering in conjunction with a wide array of residential demand response pricing plans. At go live, the program began providing immediate benefits to consumers in the District of Columbia by giving them greater control over their electricity usage and costs.

Through the implementation of the smart billing solution, residential customers are informed of their energy consumption via email, telephone or text messaging and are offered real-time and differential pricing so they can choose to use less power during peak periods.

Rick Morgan, Chairman of SMPPI, said, "Mincom's solution plays a key role in the project by enabling us to calculate monthly bills for our PowerCentsDC customers successfully and reliably using three different dynamic pricing options."

The solution will also manage the participant recruitment and enrollment process for the demand response program.

Rick Morgan added, "Choosing this solution has also allowed us to avoid major CIS customization expenses. Keeping costs low is critical to the success of PowerCentsDC(TM) project."

"Mincom's smart billing system allows us to deliver the program's complex, real-time rating and pricing without disrupting the local utility's enterprise CIS."

Patti Harper-Slaboszewicz of UtiliPoint, said, "Daily integration with Pepco's CIS system is the key to successfully outsourcing billing and customer service for demand response programs based on time-based rates. As one of the key solution providers, Mincom's input into the program through the delivery of its smart billing platform has been instrumental in achieving this successful outcome for PowerCentsDC(TM)."

Stan Royal, Mincom Vice President - Utility Solutions, said, "With energy prices around the world increasing, the importance of consumer cost savings is becoming essential. In North America, for example, electricity costs are expected to inflate by 10 percent year on year for the foreseeable future. Through the PowerCentsDC(TM) program, customers can achieve real cost savings."

"Real-time event-driven rating and billing is a key component of Mincom's smart billing solution and means information about charges and pricing can be sent to the customer on a daily basis. Typically traditional mainframe systems run on monthly cycles and can, therefore, only support monthly charges."

Mincom's solution provides a unique combination of proprietary functionality to cover real-time, event-driven rating and billing, with the customer relationship management functions necessary to efficiently manage prospecting, promotions and enrollment in a residential demand response program. Further, it performs transaction management to provide real-time communications to customers for program alerts and critical peak pricing signals. The system is integrated with the local utility's legacy mainframe CIS to maintain billing accuracy and business process continuity.

The rollout of the PowerCentsDC(TM) program demonstrates the ability of Mincom's smart billing system to deliver a real-time, complex billing solution for a residential demand response application, while preserving the utility's investment in enterprise CIS.

About Mincom

Mincom Pty Ltd is a global software and services provider with nearly 30 years experience in providing business solutions to asset intensive industries such as mining, utilities, transport, defense and government in more than 40 countries. The company has more than 1,250 staff in 18 offices across North America, South America, Australia, South East Asia, Africa, and Europe. Mincom Inc. operates in North America and is a subsidiary of Mincom Pty Ltd. For more information about Mincom, visit: www.mincom.com.

About SMPPI

Smart Meter Pilot Program, Inc. (SMPPI), a non-profit corporation, was created through a Merger Settlement Agreement and approved by the District of Columbia Public Service Commission. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Pepco agreed to fund a smart meter project program for small customers. SMPPI was formed to implement the agreement and administer the PowerCentsDC project. The SMPPI Board is comprised of representatives from the District of Columbia Office of the People's Counsel (OPC), the District of Columbia Public Service Commission ("PSC"), the District of Columbia Consumer Utility Board ("CUB"), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1900 ("IBEW"), and the Potomac Electric Power Company ("Pepco").

About UtiliPoint International

UtiliPoint is a leader in providing analysis and consulting services to the energy and utility industry. Our 75-year history and over 500 clients worldwide have led us to currently operate as an energy and utility consulting and issues analysis firm. Our staff is comprised of leading utility and energy experts with diverse backgrounds in utility generation, transmission & distribution, retail markets, mergers and acquisitions, new technologies, venture capital, information technology, outsourcing, renewable energy, regulatory affairs, and international issues. www.utilipoint.com/

Joint Project Helps Customers in Washington D.C. Conserve Energy
and Save Money