Company History

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Utilisoft is a company which has specialized for more than ten years in providing software tools and applications to manage energy market data flows in Global deregulated energy markets. As such, the company is a specialist in its field and one of the few true Global experts in this niche area of Information Technology.

Utilisoft established a leading data-management role in the deregulation of the UK’s electricity supply market in 1998. Utilisoft has established a clear market-leading position with 95% of the industry participants using our products. In Australia Utilisoft provides software to in excess of 50% of participants and we continue to be the clear first choice for Energy and Utilities participants who wish to enter markets with proven and cost-effective technology.

Utilisoft has developed products and services which have kept pace with both technology and industry demands. Some of the key Milestones include:

DataFlowWorkstation (DFW) – 1997, UK Electricity Retail
DataFlowWorkstation was Utilisoft’s first product launched into the utilities marketplace. In response to the release of the dataflow definitions that were to underpin the deregulating UK electricity market, Utilisoft developed DataFlowWorkstation to provide a complete set of electronic forms corresponding to each dataflow within the catalogue. This 16-bit Windows product was installed by 95% of market participants for viewing and creating ad-hoc dataflows. Subsequently a 32-bit Windows replacement was launched and many enhancements have been added over time, including integration facilities. Several thousand seats are still in use across the UK electricity industry.

GasFlow Director – 2000, UK Gas Supply GasFlow
Director was based upon the 32-bit Windows version of DataFlowWorkstation and provided the complete set of electronic processes for the UK gas market. The product has been developed to keep pace with industry change including enhancements for the ‘Review of Gas Metering Arrangements’ directive from the UK energy regulator.

NETAFlow Controller – 2000, UK Electricity trading (NETA)
NETAFlow Controller was based upon the 32-bit Windows version of DataFlow Workstation and provided the complete set of electronic processes for the UK electricity trading market and is currently in use by more than 50% of market participants. The product was enhanced in 2004 when NETA was expanded to include Northern Ireland and Scotland to become BETTA. The product is now known as BETTAFlow Controller.

FlowGateKeeper I – 2000, UK Electricity trading (NETA)
When the electricity trading market deregulated, unlike supply, no private network was established between the participants, meaning that participants were responsible for their own dataflow communications using the internet. GateKeeper is a java application that was developed as a data hub, router and validator to send and receive dataflow transactions and to integrate with back-office systems. GateKeeper has been continuously developed and manages dataflow transactions for multiple global markets and for some of the world’s largest utilities market participants.

FlowGateKeeper II and DFW II – 2000, Australia, Electricity and Gas Markets
The deregulation of the Australian market saw significant development to GateKeeper as the dataflow transactions specified were to be XML, unlike in the UK. GateKeeper gained inherent XML file handling capability and was customised for the Australian markets. GateKeeper is the clear leading Gateway in all Australian Gas and Electricity markets by number of deployments. DFW was redeveloped to provide a full set of electronic processes for use in all Australian energy markets at the same time.

FlowGateKeeper HUB – 2000, Australia.
A hub version of FGK was developed for the New South Wales Gas Market Company. This product has been at the core of the systems which run the entire NSW Gas Market since the market’s inception to present day.

Flow Recorder – 2002, All Markets
Flow Recorder was developed as an additional module to GateKeeper to allow detailed search facilities on dataflows for audit and management purposes, allowing data to be searched down to individual field level.

SAFE – 2002, Australia Gas Markets
Small Application for File Exchange was developed as a desktop-based product and small-footprint gateway for market participants with small volumes (including self-contracting users and wholesale buyers and sellers in various gas markets). SAFE provides all the means required to communicate in market-compliant XML, send and receive market transactions with Hub systems and other market participants.

SAFE/FGK (WebMethods module) – 2002, Australian Gas Markets.
The SAFE/FGK (WebMethods) application was developed by Utilisoft to allow market participation with VENCorp systems.

SAFE and FlowGateKeeper II - Singapore Electricity Market – 2003
Versions of Utilisoft’s Australia products were successfully customised and deployed by customers for use in the emerging Singapore electricity market

H2Flow – 2005, UK Water
H2Flow is a web browser application that has been developed to satisfy the requirements of the UK water market which is progressively deregulating.

FlowTalk – 2005, Australian Electricity B2B
Utilisoft’s FlowTalk software application was developed to meet NEMMCO’s requirement for B2B dataflows to be sent between participants in XML from January 2006 onwards. FlowTalk utilises Microsoft’s .NET and BizTalk Server platforms and provides a market-compliant business rules engine, an aseXML creation engine, a robust gateway, plus integration tools and a user interface which meets 100% of the needs of National Electricity Market participants for aseXML B2B market transactions. FlowTalk is the only B2B-compliant application in the market place provided by a third-party vendor. As such, the cost of on-going support of the application is shared by customers leading to substantial reductions in cost (when compared with a self-build/self-support application) whilst maintaining market communications compliance.

FlowTalk v2.0 – August 2006
A continual process of development through 2005 and 2006 saw the release of FlowTalk.2.0 which included complete NEM MSATS and B2B capability and additional features which provide a deep level of visibility over all market processes, meter data and transaction lifecycles. FlowTalk becomes the clear leading choice of Energy market participants for managing market transactions with multiple participants deploying the software set.

AFMS – 2006 UK Gas Supply
Development provides a true dual-fuel registration engine for the UK’s electricity and gas markets.

Generation Bidding Tool, May 2007– Irish SEM Markets
A state-of-the-art Generator energy bidding and environmental / economic analysis tool is being released for the Irish and UK Generation markets. There are plans to release this tool for Australia, Singapore and other markets later in 2007.