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17 July 2003 - WebMethods, Inc., the independent provider of integration software, announced Wednesday that United Utilities, one of the largest multi-utility companies in the UK, has selected the webMethods Integration Platform to unify key business processes and applications across several of its business units.
United Utilities inherited a number of disparate systems as a result of the North West Water and Norweb merger and needed a strategic integration platform to help the company continue to streamline its business processes across its water, wastewater and electricity operations. webMethods was chosen to assist United Utilities in its efforts to ensure the transition to a true multi-utility business and deliver the highest level of flexibility for future business initiatives.
Historically, much of the data held within United Utilities was subject to offline batch processing and inflexible interfaces, limiting the availability and access to real-time information. Moreover, data quality was inconsistent due to ineffective synchronization across systems, which hampered the company's ability to make effective decisions.
United Utilities will initially focus on using the webMethods Integration Platform to support its strategic Connect program, which involves the introduction of new systems covering its customer service, work management and mobile workforce initiatives. The use of webMethods will enable the integration of these systems to be achieved more rapidly and with greater flexibility than was previously the case. Additionally, United Utilities' staff will now be able to access enterprise information faster and, as a result, reduce the time needed to make critical business decisions.
The deployment of a holistic integration system based on the webMethods Integration Platform, supports three of United Utilities' key business objectives, including improving customer service, delivering and outperforming regulatory contracts and exercising responsible management of assets.
"United Utilities needs an integration solution capable of supporting strategic business initiatives, such as the Connect program, as we become a more truly integrated, multi-utility operation," said Howard Stamp, manager, Information Systems Strategy, United Utilities. "The webMethods Integration Platform will improve operational efficiency through greater system availability; streamlined business processes and improved data quality. It will also increase our capability to adapt to changing business needs and reduce the cost of integrating systems."
"In a highly competitive environment companies must differentiate themselves by increasing efficiencies and reducing the total cost of ownership throughout the organization," said Tom Erickson, senior vice president, webMethods International. "This not only allows businesses to minimize expenditures, but it also means that key operational activities such as customer contact and field engineering operations can be managed more effectively. The webMethods Integration Platform provides companies like United Utilities, with a solid foundation and unparalleled integration capabilities to address these areas across the entire enterprise."
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