Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #06 a.b. Approval of Sensus FlexNet Metering Data Hosting and Aquahawk Web Portal14SION 1 OCE'_P florido AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET Meeting Date: June 18, 2013 Item # o o - Reviewed By. Contact Name: Charles K. Smith, P.E. Department Director: Charles it Contact Number: 407 - 905 -3159 City Manager: Robert Frank it ' Subject: Sensus FlexNet Hosting Background Summary: In August 2007 the City of Ocoee Utilities Department began the implementation of an advanced radio meter reading system. The "FlexNet" system, by Sensus, Inc., utilizes a smart meter in conjunction with a radio unit (MXU) to collect and send hourly meter readings to a central processing server. The server, owned and maintained by the City, can be accessed to upload data to the City's billing server to generate monthly utility bills. The customer data on the FlexNet server is accessible by a rudimentary web -based application limited in ability to query and sort data. During fall 2012, a second tower was added to the City's FlexNet system, providing improved radio coverage and bi- directional radio capability. Also in fall 2012, Sensus made an upgrade to the FlexNet software application available and introduced an all- inclusive hosting solution. The more robust software is built on the Oracle Database solution and can be obtained by outright purchase or through the aforementioned hosted solution. Future upgrades will require similar expenses at the initial upgrade, while there will be no upgrade costs for the hosted (cloud) solution. Currently, the City has deployed more than 4,000 FlexNet meters with the goal being to change over the remaining meters (12,000) over the next eight (8) years. Attached is a Ten (10) Year economical comparison between the owned and hosted solutions. The Present Value cost for owned solution is $189,730.98 and hosted solution is $209,661.50 or a difference of $19,931 ($1,993 per year). However, the owned solution does not include the expense for future system and software upgrades, any personnel costs to maintain the owned system, nor any likely but unpredictable maintenance repairs. The hosted solution provides two cloud locations to ensure continuous service. The initial up front expense for the hosted solution is $51,265 less than the owned solution. Prorating the initial expense over the last three remaining months would reduce the annual expense by $16,875 for a remaining fiscal year impact of $20,625. Switching to the hosted solution will free up the existing servers used by the "FlexNet" system. These existing servers are only a few years old and will be rebuilt for use by other utility applications and services, thereby reducing the need to acquire additional server resources. Is &ue: Should the Mayor and City Commission authorize the City Manager to upgrade the City's smart meter reading software, FlexNet by Sensus Inc., and procure Sensus' server (cloud) for hosting of the FlexNet System? Recommendations: Motion to authorize the City Manager to procure hosting (cloud) service from Sensus, Inc., utilizing HD Water Works as Sensus, Inc. Authorized Distributor with an initial cost of $20,625 covering July 1, to September 30, 2013. Attachments: HD Waterworks HOSTING FACILITATION AGREEMENT Sensus Statement of Authorize Distributor Exhibit D Hosted Solutions Agreement & Terms from Sensus Sensus SaaS Hosted Fees PIN -AMI Base Terms Documentation REPLACES SOW and CAP April 2012 Fees Hosting Owned Solution Comparison Financial Impact: The Utilities Department budgeted $9,600 in 401 - 533 -10 -3400 and 401 - 535 -10 -3400 in Fiscal Year 2013, for a total of $19,200 for the hosting services. The remaining $1,425 will also be split between the two contractual services accounts and will be covered by funds that were left unexpended for other budgeted items. Type of Item: (please mark with an `k') Public Hearing For Cleric's Dept Use: Ordinance First Reading Consent Agenda Ordinance Second Reading Public Hearing Resolution Regular Agenda X Commission Approval Discussion & Direction Original Document/Contract Attached for Execution by City Clerk Original Document/Contract Held by Department for Execution Reviewed by City Attorney N/A Reviewed by Finance Dept. N/A Reviewed by ( ) N/A 2 HOSTING FACILITATION AGREEMENT HD Supply Waterworks, Ltd. ( "HDS Waterworks "), as the Value Added Reseller and Authorized Distributor for Sensus USA Inc. ( "Sensus ") hereby enters into this Hosting Facilitation Agreement ( "Hosting Facilitation Agreement ") with the City of Ocoee, FL ( "Customer ") as of 2013. As the Sensus Value Added Reseller and Authorized Distributor, HDS Waterworks shall provide hosting, service and support to the Customer through Sensus as set forth in the attached Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Terms (the "AMI Agreement "), and shall invoice and collect fees associated with the hosting, service and support on an annual basis. HDS Waterworks' payment terms and standard Terms and Conditions of Sale shall apply. Agreed as of 1 2013 CUSTOMER: CITY OF OCOEE, FL Signed: Name: Title: (signatures continued on next page) VALUE ADDED RE S ELLER wpsP lcn.n.l r rtit icy!•l hn. ultali���a •Implr�a.rnte�iou•lfain,�ndnta s tns us HD SUPPLY WATERWORKS, LTD. Signed: Name: Title: VALUE ADDED RESELLER , sitnsus Bob Whittaker r Regional Manager Southern Region May 31, 2012 207 Windmere Dr Bowling Green, KY 42103 The City of Ocoee 1800 AD Mims Road Ocoee, FL 34761 Attention: Mr. Charles Smith csmith @ci.ocoee.fl.us T: 270 -776 -7427 5 E n s us F:866- 871 -7427 bob.whittaker@sensus.com www.sensus.com Subject: Authorized Distributor and Value Added Reseller of Sensus Products and Services, Florida To Whom It May Concern: The purpose of this letter is to verify that within the State of Florida, HD Supply Waterworks is the sole Authorized Distributor and value added reseller of Sensus products. This includes all Water and Electric Metrology, AMI /AMR systems, software, services, and all associated equipment & service, as well as repair and warranty parts. Thank you for your continued business. Bob Whittaker Southern Regional Manager Exhibit D Hosting & Support Services (If applicable) I. Description of Services This exhibit contains the details of the hosting services that Sensus shall provide to Customer for the prices set forth in the Distributor Agreement. A. Termination of Hosting & Support Services. Customer shall have the option at any time after full deployment but before the end of the Term to terminate the Hosting & Support Services by giving Sensus one hundred twenty (120) days prior written notice. Upon delivery of the notice, Customer shall purchase the necessary RNI(s) and shall pay all applicable fees, including any unpaid hosting fees. Such notice, once delivered to Sensus, is irrevocable. Should Customer elect to terminate the Hosting & Support Services, it acknowledges that; (a) it shall purchase the RNI hardware; and (b) Sensus will cease to provide the Hosting & Support Services. B. Hosting & Support Services Definition. 1. "Hosting & Support Services" means only the following services: i. Use of RNI hardware, located at Sensus' or a third party's data center facility (as determined by Sensus), that is necessary to operate the AMI System. ii. Providing Updates and Upgrades to latest Sensus FlexWare Software releases. iii. Providing FCC spectrum, pursuant to the terms of the spectrum lease, to operate the AMI System (for USA customers). iv. Providing remote firmware maintenance for FlexNet Base Stations and SmartPoint Modules (Customer must provide IP access to each FlexNet Base Station in order to perform secure shell (SSH) functions). v. Providing certain third party software required to operate the RNI (specifically, Microsoft SQL server, Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Linux OS, and other Bundled Software). vi. Providing secure Web portal access to the hosted FlexWare Software application for the Customer (Customer system administrator grants RNI access to authorized Customer personnel as they are added). vii. If requested, submitting a "daily reading file" in standard file format containing hourly consumption reads and all available alarms collected by the AMI System, including exception reports, such as zero consumption reads and non - responding meters (including traceability to the meter location when the meter installer provides the location information). viii. 24x7x365 server and network monitoring and trouble ticket generation, advanced security monitoring and preventative maintenance monitoring using diagnostic software tools. ix. Network optimization after the final propagation study and FlexNet Base Station site plan is verified by Sensus, and network tuning of endpoints deployed in the service area x. Performing daily off -site vaulting of encrypted backup tapes containing one year of history for auditing purposes. xi. Providing current Sensus fixed base reporting software (for up to 50,000 SmartPoint Modules) for up to thirteen (13) months of hourly data retention for basic reporting, route processing and querying functionality. xii. Providing telephone support consistent with the Sensus Customer Support Procedures as set forth in Exhibit F. xiii. Providing "hot failover" disaster recovery solution within twenty four (24) hours. xiv. Providing FlexNet Base Station parts repair or replacement, at Sensus' discretion. This excludes field repair labor and field maintenance labor. 2. "Hosting & Support Services" does not include any of the following services: i. Normal periodic processing of accounts or readings for Customer's billing system for billing or other analysis purposes (other than daily file delivery). ii. Field labor to troubleshoot any SmartPoint Modules in the field in meter populations that have been previously accepted. iii. First response labor to troubleshoot FlexNet Base Station, Echo Transceivers, Remote Transceivers or other field network equipment. iv. Parts or labor required to repair damage to any field network equipment that is the result of a Force Majeure event. v. Customer understands that the Sensus route manager meter data management (MDM) application is limited to 50,000 or fewer SmartPoint Modules, and Customer must utilize an enterprise MDMS (or other suitable solution) to manage reading data when system size exceeds 50,000 SmartPoint Modules. If an item is not listed in subparagraphs (1) or (2) above, such item is excluded from the Hosting & Support Services and is subject to additional pricing. II. Further Agreements A. System Uptime Rate 1. Sensus (or its contractor) shall host the FlexWare Software application on computers owned or controlled by Sensus (or its contractors) and shall provide Customer access to the hosted FlexWare Software application via internet or point to point connection (i.e., Hosted - Access use), according to the terms below. Sensus endeavors to maintain an average System Uptime Rate equal to ninety nine (99.0) per Month (as defined below). The System Uptime Rate shall be calculated as follows: System Uptime Rate = 100 x (TMO — Total Non - Scheduled Downtime minutes in the Month) TMO 2. Calculations i. "Targeted Minutes of Operation" or "TMO" means total minutes in the applicable month ( "Month ") minus the Scheduled Downtime in the Month. ii. "Scheduled Downtime" means the number of minutes during the Month, as measured by Sensus, in which access to the FlexWare Software is scheduled to be unavailable for use by Customer due to planned system maintenance. Sensus shall provide Customer notice (via email or otherwise) at least seven (7) days in advance of commencement of the Scheduled Downtime. iii. "Non- Scheduled Downtime" means the number of minutes during the Month, as measured by Sensus, in which access to FlexWare Software is unavailable for use by Customer due to reasons other than Scheduled Downtime or the Exceptions, as defined below (e.g., due to a need for unplanned maintenance or repair). 3. Exceptions. "Exceptions" mean the following events: i. Force Majeure; ii. Emergency Work, as defined below; and iii. Lack of Internet Availability, as described below. 4. Emergency Work. In the event that Force Majeure, emergencies, dangerous conditions or other exceptional circumstances arise or continue during TMO, Sensus shall be entitled to take any actions that Sensus, in good faith, determines is necessary or advisable to prevent, remedy, mitigate, or otherwise address actual or potential harm, interruption, loss, threat, security or like concern to any of the Host Systems or the FlexWare Software ( "Emergency Work "). Such Emergency Work may include, but is not limited to: analysis, testing, repair, maintenance, resetting and other servicing of the hardware, cabling, networks, software and other devices, materials and systems through which access to and /or use of the FlexWare Software by the customer is made available (the "Host Systems "). Sensus shall endeavor to provide advance notice of such Emergency Work to Customer when practicable and possible. 5. Lack of Internet Availability. Sensus shall not be responsible for any deterioration of performance attributable to latencies in the public internet or point -to -point network connection operated by a third party. Customer expressly acknowledges and agrees that Sensus does not and cannot control the flow of data to or from Sensus' networks and other portions of the internet, and that such flow depends in part on the performance of Internet services provided or controlled by third parties, and that at times, actions or inactions of such third parties can impair or disrupt data transmitted through, and /or Customer's connections to, the Internet or point -to -point data connection (or portions thereof). Although Sensus will use commercially reasonable efforts to take actions Sensus may deem appropriate to mitigate the effects of any such events, Sensus cannot guarantee that such events will not occur. Accordingly, Sensus disclaims any and all liability resulting from or relating to such events. B. Host Site - Security. Although Sensus may modify such security arrangements without consent or notice to Customer, Customer acknowledges the following are the current arrangements regarding physical access to and support of the primary hardware components of the Host Systems: 1. The computer room(s) in which the hardware is installed is accessible only to authorized individuals. 2. Power infrastructure includes one or more uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices and diesel generators or other alternative power for back -up electrical power. 3. Air - conditioning facilities (for humidity and temperature controls) are provided in or for such computer room(s) and can be monitored and adjusted for humidity and temperature settings and control. Such air systems are supported by redundant, back -up and /or switch -over environmental units. 4. Such electrical and A/C systems are monitored on an ongoing basis and personnel are available to respond to system emergencies (if any) in real time. 5. Dry pipe pre- action fire detection and suppression systems are provided. 6. Data circuits are available via multiple providers and diverse paths, giving access redundancy. C. Responsibilities of Customer 1. Customer shall pay all hosting & support fees according to the pricing schedule in the Distributor Agreement. 2. Customer may not (i) carelessly, knowingly, intentionally or maliciously threaten, disrupt, harm, abuse or interfere with the FlexWare Software, Host Systems or any of their functionality, performance, security or integrity, nor attempt to do so; (ii) impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, Sensus, a Sensus employee or another user; or (iii) forge, falsify, disguise or otherwise manipulate any identification information associated with Customer's access to or use of the FlexWare Software application. 3. The provisioning, compatibility, operation, security, support, and maintenance of Customer's hardware and software ( "Customer's Systems ") is exclusively the responsibility of Customer. Customer is also responsible, in particular, for correctly configuring and maintaining (i) the desktop environment used by Customer to access the FlexWare application hosted by Sensus; and (ii) Customer's network router and firewall, if applicable, to allow data to flow between the Customer's Systems and Sensus' Host Systems in a secure manner via the public Internet. 4. Each of Customer's authorized users will receive a username and password upon completion of the applicable Sensus registration process ( "Authorized Users "). Such usernames and passwords will allow Authorized Users to access the FlexWare Software application. Customer shall be solely responsible for maintaining the security and confidentiality of each user ID and password pair associated with Customer's account, and Sensus will not be liable for any loss, damage or liability arising from Customer's account or any user ID and password pairs associated with Customer. Customer is fully responsible for all acts and omissions that occur through the use of Customer's account and any user ID and password pairs. Customer agrees (i) not to allow anyone other than the Authorized Users to have any access to, or use of Customer's account or any user ID and password pairs at any time; (ii) to notify Sensus immediately of any actual or suspected unauthorized use of Customer's account or any of such user ID and password pairs, or any other breach or suspected breach of security, restricted use or confidentiality; and (iii) to take the Sensus- recommended steps to log out from and otherwise exit the FlexWare Software application and Host Systems at the end of each session. Customer agrees that Sensus shall be entitled to rely, without inquiry, on the validity of the user accessing the FlexWare Software application through Customer's account, account ID, usernames or passwords. D. Disaster Recovery. In the case of a disaster and loss of access to or use of the FlexWare Software application, Sensus shall use commercially reasonable efforts to restore operations at the same location or at a backup location within twenty four (24) hours. Customer acknowledges and agrees that such an event may result in partial or degraded service when restored. The pre- disaster /loss level of service shall be restored as a soon as commercially reasonable. Paul Thomas 590 Ferguson Dr. 32805 March 28, 2013 City of Ocoee, FL Sensus SaaS Hosted fees: 9 SAW 10 11 12 13 14 Yearly Fee Orlando, FL Net Price/VAR only Discount SaaS Lis Price (Water or Gas)- (Prorntional Pricing) Up to 5k Services Up to 10k Services Up to 25k Services Up to 35k Services $16.75000 $22,500.00 $32.500.00 $45.000.00 15 Implementation and Standard Integration Package' $15,00000 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Saas Extended WarrantV Option Contract Term Basestation S 501100 $2,500.00 Notes 1.) implementation and standard integration package fee includes setup, configuration, and standard Logic integration. Please refer to Logic implementation services document for details. 2.) Yearly SaaS fee is billed in advance. Price based on five year contract value. 3.) For combination uti Cities, adjust price as required for each additional utility type added. All electric and /or combination electric utiIi ies refer to pricing under electric utility section. 4.) Implementation and standard integration package is require for all new SaaS deployments. 5.) SaaS includes Software support and: a. Daily backup b. Data replication to a Disaster Recovery site c. Anti-Virus and tdalware subscription and scanning d. Operating System support, troubleshooting, security patching and upgrades e. Unux Red Hat, Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle licenses and ongoing maintenance f. Hardware Maintenance or Refresh g. Tier IV SSAE 16 Data Center facility 10.) SaaS Extended Warranty is an optional serviceand if purchased will be in effect throughout the contract term IS years). First year warranty included in purchase. Payment for years 2 -5 is to be included with annual SaaS payment. AI . n sEnsus The Uleaswe of ti c. Future Subject: FlexNet System Sales Documentation PIN: AMI WGE -April 3, 2012 Date: 032612 Distribution: Sensus Internal ® Distributors Customers: & Sales: & Agents: Attached you will find new "Advanced Metering Infrastructure Terms" documentation required to complete a FlexNet system sale. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure Terms document is a single, non editable PDF and provides a very complete and comprehensive record for the customer and our distributor partners with regards to responsibilities, terms and services. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure Terms clearly defines: 1. Software license 2. FCC spectrum license a. Please note that in section "D" it identities that if the end customer waives the annual maintenance fee, they are now required to pay Sensus $800.00 per base station to lease the spectrum. 3. Sensus Network Warranty a. We have now formalized our network warranty to provide your customer the coverage based on our network design proposal. Below is a summary of the "Exhibit Attachments" within the document: Exhibit A Service Territory / Final Propagation Study (must be inserted by sales team) Exhibit B Intentionally Omitted — not required for distributor lead sales Exhibit C Software listing Exhibit D Hosting & Support Services (if applicable) Exhibit E FCC License- (must be obtained and inserted by sales team) Exhibit F Customer Support Exhibit G Customer Acceptance Plan (CAP) Exhibit H Terms and Conditions Details pertaining to Exhibits A must be obtained from the end customer with an agreement reached defining final meter counts and proposed service territory. The information must then be inserted into the AMI Terms document and submitted with the final documentation. Instructions on how to obtain this information is contained within the two templates attached to this PIN. Page 1 of 2 Effective April 1, 2012 a signed AMI Terms document will be required to complete all distributor lead FlexNet sales. The AMI Terms document requires only a single customer signature and replaces the previous SOW /CAP requirement. This document must also be reviewed and signed by your Sensus Regional Sales Manager. Once the appropriate signatures have been obtained the signed document must be returned to Customer Service along with your PO in order to process a FlexNet system sale. In addition, the Statement of Work (SOW) previously submitted with all orders is no longer valid. The document has been replaced with a new document known as the "Scope of Work ". This document will be between the end customer and the Value Added Reseller (VAR) and is no longer required to be submitted with a FlexNet sale. A Scope of Work will only be required by customer service on direct sales and non -VAR lead sales. In the case of the non -VAR sale, the Scope of Work must be approved by Sensus prior to submitting your purchase order. We believe the AMI Terms document is an improvement to the previous CAP /SOW documents and will provide you and your customers a comprehensive record of responsibilities, terms and services. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Tom Galuska � Q - rY� I�GCv Marketing- Product Manager AMI —Water Page 2 of 2 Exhibit E FCC Licenses Call Sign Market Channel Market Name Number Block This information can be obtained from FSS. If you need assistance finding this information please contact your regional MTS. Page 1 of 1 ams,F ;; n SEnsus ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE (AMI) TERMS ( " Agreement ") The number of pages in this Agreement is indicated below, and Customer represents that it has received and reviewed the entire Agreement. By their signatures below, the parties agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the day and year written below. Sensus USA Inc. ( " Sensus ") Customer: By: Name: Title: By: Name: Title: Date: Date: The date of the last party to sign is the " Effective Date This Agreement shall continue the earlier of (a) twenty years after the Effective Date; and (b) Customer failing to timely pay the Ongoing Fees due to Distributor pursuant to the Distributor Agreement ( " Term "). Page 1 of 27 SEnsus 1. Defined Terms. All terms used in this Agreement as defined terms and which are not defined herein are defined in Exhibit H. 2. Terms of Sale. This Agreement is governed by Sensus' Terms of Sale, available at: http:// na. sensus .com /TC /TermsConditions.pdf or 1- 800 - METER -IT ( " Terms of Sale "). The Terms of Sale are incorporated into this Agreement as if fully set forth herein. 3. Purchase of Equipment. Customer shall purchase from Sensus' authorized distributor ( " Distributor ") the necessary Field Devices, RF Field Equipment, Server Hardware and other goods (collectively, " Equipment ") according to the terms and conditions between the Customer and Distributor ( " Distributor Agreement "). 4. Hosting Services. Customer shall receive and Sensus shall provide the Hosting Services & Support according to the terms set forth in Exhibit D only so long as Customer is paying for the Hosting Services & Support according to the terms set forth in the Distributor Agreement. 5. Ongoing Maintenance of the System. A. Field Devices. Customer is responsible for maintaining its field population of Field Devices. Customer shall provide the field services labor to visit a problem Field Device and perform diagnostics and repair or replacement. B. RF Field Equipment. i. Customer shall be responsible for the ongoing monthly operations and expenses related to sitting of the RF Field Equipment, including any leasing costs, construction costs, taxes and costs of WAN Backhaul. Customer shall pay for electric power to the RF Field Equipment. ii. Network Warranty. (a) Subject to subsection (b), if more than the Proposed RF Field Equipment is required for the AMI System to meet the Customer Acceptance Plan set forth in Exhibit G to this Agreement, Sensus shall deliver to the Customer the hardware for the additional RF Field Equipment without charge to the Customer, provided that the Customer shall locate and install all RF Field Equipment as directed by Sensus. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Customer shall pay for the installation, tower lease fees, and any Ongoing Fees for all equipment provided pursuant to this subsection (a). The Customer shall have title to all equipment provided pursuant to this subsection (a). This subsection (a) shall only apply to the Meter Territory, as defined in subsection (b). Furthermore, this subsection (a) shall cease three years after the Effective Date, such that after this date, Sensus shall have no obligation to provide RF Field Equipment hardware at no cost, and the Customer will have to purchase such hardware, even it is necessary to meet the Customer Acceptance Plan. The " Proposed RF Field Equipment means the quantities and types of RF Field Equipment set forth in Exhibit A to this Agreement. (b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the parties recognize and agree that the RF Field Equipment site design and build is based on the specific metering locations and antenna heights provided to Sensus by the Customer in writing prior to the Effective Date ( " Meter Territory "). For clarity, the Meter Territory only contains the individual meter locations and antenna heights specifically provided to Sensus by the Customer in writing prior to the Effective Date. New or different Page 2 of 27 sEnsus metering locations and /or antenna heights provided after the Effective Date may or may not require additional RF Field Equipment and /or changes to the RF Field Equipment locations. In the event new and /or different RF Field Equipment locations are required to accommodate these new metering sites and /or antennae heights, Customer agrees to: pay Sensus for the additional RF Field Equipment hardware, perform the necessary site preparation, and pay for the necessary installation, tower lease, and ongoing fees for all equipment purchased pursuant to this subsection (b). Any equipment required pursuant to this subsection (b) is excluded from the network warranty calculation described in subsection (a). C. Server Hardware. If the Server Hardware is located on Customer's property, Customer shall allow Sensus 24x7x365 remote and physical access to the Server Hardware. Remote access to Server Hardware must be through a high speed VPN. D. Customer Support. Sensus shall provide customer support as set forth in Exhibit F. 6. Software License, Third Party Software and Software Maintenance. A. License. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Sensus hereby grants to Customer for the Ongoing Fees, a nonexclusive, non - transferable, royalty- bearing license under Sensus' intellectual property rights (the " Software License ") to use the Software solely for the purposes of reading its own meters in the Service Territory (the " Permitted Use "). The Software License is personal to Customer and is non - sublicenseable to Affiliates or other third parties. Customer shall have no rights to the Software other than those expressly granted in this Section; this Software License contains no implied licenses. Customer shall not use the Software other than for the Permitted Use. ii. Except as expressly authorized in accordance with the Permitted Use, Customer shall not (and shall not attempt to): (a) use, copy, adapt, translate, publish, display, sublicense, rent, lease, lend, transfer or distribute the Software, related documentation, or any copy thereof; (b) improve, enhance, revise, modify or make any other derivatives of the Software, related documentation or any copy or part thereof. Customer shall not reverse assemble, reverse compile, reverse engineer or otherwise translate or decode the Software or any part thereof, or any copy thereof. Sensus' suppliers of software and documentation (or any part thereof) are beneficiaries of this provision. Customer shall not destroy, remove or otherwise alter any proprietary notices (including, but not limited to, copyright notices) on the Software or related documentation, or any copy thereof, and agrees to reproduce any such notice(s) on any copy thereof it makes pursuant to this Software License. iii. The Software License shall commence on the Effective Date and shall terminate immediately when this Agreement expires or is earlier terminated for any reason or if Customer uses the Software other than for the Permitted Use. B. Access to Software. Customer shall ensure that only Customer employees and Customer independent contractors who need access to the Software for Customer to obtain the benefits of this Agreement may access it. Customer is liable for ensuring that its employees and independent contractors abide by the terms of this Agreement. C. Third Party Software. In addition to the Software, Sensus shall provide Customer with the open source software listed in Exhibit C under the heading "Bundled Third Party Software" (the Page 3 of 27 sEnsus " Bundled Third Party Software "). Customer acknowledges that the Bundled Third Party Software is subject to various rights and restrictions in favor of or imposed by the licensors thereof and that its use of the Bundled Third Party software is subject to all such rights and restrictions. Sensus provides no warranty, indemnity nor support of or in relation to such third party software. ii. Exhibit C contains, under the heading "Non- Bundled Third Party Software ", certain third party software that Customer must license directly from third party licensors in order to operate the FlexNet System ( " Non- Bundled Third Party Software "). Sensus provides no warranty, indemnity nor support of or in relation to such third party software. All such rights and obligations are a matter strictly between Customer and the relevant third party licensors. D. Support and Maintenance. i. For so long as the Customer pays the Ongoing Fees, Sensus shall provide Customer with ongoing software Updates, ongoing software maintenance and remote telephone support of the Software according to the terms set forth in Exhibit F. Upgrades are not included hereunder and shall be priced separately. ii. Sensus will support and will maintain compatibility with the most recently released Upgrade ( " Current Upgrade ") and all Updates released after the release of the Current Upgrade. Sensus will continue to support the previous Upgrade ( " Previous Upgrade and all Updates released after the release of the Previous Upgrade but before the release of the Current Upgrade for one year after the release of the Current Upgrade. If Customer requires support for versions that were released earlier than the Previous Upgrade or requires support for the Previous Upgrade beyond one year, Customer's Ongoing Fees for software maintenance shall increase by thirty -three percent (33 %) per year until Customer upgrades to a supported version of the Software. E. Effect of Termination. Upon the termination of the Software License, all rights of the Customer to use the Software shall immediately cease and Customer shall promptly remove and return to Sensus all copies of the Software and any related documentation and shall instruct all its employees that further use of the Software is prohibited. F. Intellectual Property. Sensus and /or its supplier (as applicable) shall own all right, title, and interest in and to the Intellectual Property associated with the Software and related documentation. To the extent, if any, that any ownership interest in and to such Intellectual Property does not automatically vest in Sensus by virtue of this Agreement or otherwise, and instead vests in Customer, Customer agrees to grant and assign and hereby does grant and assign to Sensus all right, title, and interest that Customer may have in and to such Intellectual Property. G. UCITA. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Parties agree that the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act as enacted by any state shall not apply, in whole or in part, to this Agreement. 7. Spectrum A. Spectrum Lease. Pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the rules of the Federal Communications Commission ( " "), Sensus shall cause Sensus Spectrum LLC ( " Lessor ") to lease (the " Spectrum Lease ") to Customer ( " Lessee ") some or all of the spectrum authorized by the FCC licenses identified on Exhibit E ( " FCC Licenses "). Lessor shall grant such Spectrum Sublease on a nonexclusive basis, solely for the Permitted Use and solely within the Service Territory. Such Spectrum Lease shall be a Page 4 of 27 sEnsus long -term spectrum manager lease pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 1.9020, or any successor rule. Lessee shall not use the spectrum leased hereunder (the " Channels "), or cause or permit the Channels to be used at any location outside the Service Territory or for any purpose other than the Permitted Use. Except upon Lessor's express written consent, Lessee shall not sublease, license, assign or transfer the Channels or the Spectrum Lease or otherwise authorize the use of the Channels to any other entity or individual except for an affiliate under Customer's control. Lessor shall retain de jure and de facto control of the respective Channels and the FCC Licenses. B. Representations and Warranties. Lessee represents and warrants that (i) it and any applicable affiliate are eligible, and will continue to satisfy all FCC eligibility requirements to operate on the Channels, (ii) any applicable affiliate will comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and (iii) it and any applicable affiliate have all right, title and authority to enter into and perform the Spectrum Lease. Sensus represents and warrants that (w) Lessor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sensus, (x) Lessor will comply with applicable terms and conditions of this Agreement, (y) Lessor holds the FCC Licenses and (z) Lessor has all right, title and authority necessary to grant and perform the Spectrum Lease. C. FCC Compliance. Pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 1.9045(a), Lessor and Lessee acknowledge and agree that (i) Lessee shall comply at all times with FCC rules governing the FCC Licenses and the Spectrum Lease and other applicable law, the Spectrum Lease may be revoked, cancelled, or terminated by Lessor or the FCC if Lessee fails to comply with applicable requirements; (ii) if one or more of the FCC Licenses is revoked, cancelled, terminated or otherwise ceases to be in effect, Lessee has no continuing authority or right to use the Channels unless otherwise authorized by the FCC; (iii) the Spectrum Lease is not an assignment, sale or transfer of the FCC Licenses; (iv) the Spectrum Lease shall not be transferred or assigned except upon prior written approval of Lessor which approval may be withheld in Lessor's discretion and in any event shall not be assigned or transferred to any entity that is ineligible or unqualified under FCC rules to become a party to the Spectrum Lease; and (v) Lessor shall not consent to any assignment or transfer of the Spectrum Lease unless such assignment or transfer complies with applicable FCC rules and regulations. Lessee shall comply with all directives by Lessor regarding the use of the Channels. Lessee shall comply with FCC obligations that apply to it as a result of its own status as a service provider, including but not limited to the payment of any regulatory fees. Lessee shall cooperate fully with any inspection, investigation or inquiry conducted by Lessor or the FCC. Lessor shall retain such working control over the FCC Licenses and the Channels, as is required by the FCC and shall be responsible to the FCC for ensuring that Lessee complies with the Act. If necessary in Lessor's sole judgment to prevent or minimize interference, or as directed by the FCC, Lessee shall immediately cease or suspend operations as directed. If Lessor or the FCC determines that there is any violation of the FCC's rules or that Lessee's system is causing harmful interference, Lessor may upon notice take steps to remedy the violation, resolve the interference, suspend or terminate operations, or take such other measures as Lessor deems in its sole discretion necessary to prevent further harmful interference until the situation can be remedied. Lessor shall retain the right to inspect, upon advance notice and at reasonable business hours, if practicable, Lessee's premises to ensure compliance with the requirements of Lessor or the FCC. Lessor shall make all contact with and be solely responsible for the submission of all applications and other filings to the FCC and other government agencies related to the FCC Licenses and the Channels. Page 5 of 27 snsus D. Spectrum Fee. Lessee shall pay Sensus $800.00 per base station per year for use of spectrum channels if Lessee opts out of the annual support agreement as set forth in the Distributor Agreement. E. Term of Spectrum Lease. Promptly and in any event no later than fourteen (14) days after the Effective Date, Lessor shall notify the FCC of the Spectrum Lease. The Spectrum Lease shall become effective when the FCC accepts, or time has passed for the FCC to disapprove the Spectrum Lease (usually no more than 21 days after submission of the notification). The Spectrum Lease shall terminate immediately upon the termination or expiration of this Agreement, unless otherwise terminated as provided herein. The FCC may (i) reconsider or otherwise investigate and terminate this Spectrum lease; (ii) order Lessor to terminate this Spectrum Lease; (iii) order Lessee to cease some or all operations in connection with its use of the Channels Lessor or the FCC may terminate this Spectrum Lease in the event that Lessee fails to comply with the terms of this Spectrum Lease or applicable FCC requirements. This Spectrum Lease shall terminate automatically, to the extent that one or more of the FCC Licenses is canceled, revoked, not renewed or otherwise terminated for any reason. Either party may terminate this Spectrum Lease upon the material breach or default of the other party. Lessor will use best efforts to maintain the FCC Licenses in good standing and to have the FCC Licenses renewed at the end of their respective license term. Subject to other termination provisions affecting the Spectrum Lease, when the term of this Agreement runs beyond the then - current term of the FCC Licenses, the Spectrum Lease will automatically extend during the pendency of Lessor's application to renew the FCC Licenses and, where the FCC Licenses are renewed, the Spectrum Lease will extend until the expiration or termination of this Agreement. Equipment. Lessee agrees to and shall use only equipment provided by or expressly authorized by Sensus on the Channels. Lessee agrees to and shall meet all requirements of the FCC as may be adopted and /or modified from time -to -time. Lessor shall have the right to approve all equipment installations for compliance with these requirements prior to Lessee's use of the Channels. Lessee shall notify Lessor within five days after completion of any infrastructure installations for use with the Channels and shall keep Lessor apprised on an ongoing basis of the status of all such installation. G. Copies. Lessor and Lessee each shall maintain and shall make available to the FCC, upon its request, a copy of this Article 7, Spectrum. H. Indemnification. To the extent permitted by applicable law, Lessee shall indemnify and hold harmless Sensus and its Affiliates, and Sensus' and Sensus' Affiliates' officers, directors, employees and agents from all liabilities, claims, costs, damages, fines, forfeitures and expenses arising out of; (i) any breach or claimed breach of any representation, warranty, obligation or performance of Lessee under this Spectrum Lease; (ii) any actions by Lessee that are inconsistent with Lessor's obligations to the FCC; or (iii) Lessee's use, operation or maintenance of the Channels. I. Third Party Beneficiary. The provisions of this Article 7, Spectrum, are for the benefit of the parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sensus and its Affiliates, and Sensus' and Sensus' Affiliates' entities, officers, directors, employees and agents are intended third party beneficiaries of this Spectrum Lease. No other persons or entities are intended as beneficiaries and none shall have any right to enforce or benefit from the provisions of this Agreement. Page 6 of 27 sEnsus J. Additional Documents. Each party shall cooperate with the other and shall execute additional documents as may be reasonably necessary in order to carry out the provisions of this Article 7, Spectrum. 8. Term and Termination. This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue for the time set forth on the first page of this Agreement. Either party may earlier terminate this Agreement if the other party commits a material breach of this Agreement and such material breach is not cured within forty -five (45) days of written notice by the other party. Upon any expiration or termination of this Agreement, Sensus' and Customer's obligations hereunder shall cease and the Software License and Spectrum Lease shall immediately cease. 9. Limitations on Liability. Sensus' aggregate liability in any and all causes of action arising under, out of or in relation to this Agreement, its negotiation, performance, breach or termination (collectively " Causes of Action ") shall not exceed ten thousand US dollars ($10,000.00). This is so whether the Causes of Action are in tort, including, without limitation, negligence or strict liability, in contract, under statute or otherwise. As separate and independent limitations on liability, Sensus' liability shall be limited to direct damages. Sensus shall not be liable for; (i) any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages; nor (ii) any revenue or profits lost by Customer or its Affiliates from any End User(s), irrespective whether such lost revenue or profits is categorized as direct damages or otherwise; nor (iii) any In /Out Costs; nor (iv) manual meter read costs and expenses; nor (v) damages arising from maincase or bottom plate breakage caused by freezing temperatures, water hammer conditions, or excessive water pressure. The limitations on liability set forth in this Agreement are fundamental inducements to Sensus entering into this Agreement. They apply unconditionally and in all respects. They are to be interpreted broadly so as to give Sensus the maximum protection permitted under law. To the maximum extent permitted by law, no Cause of Action may be instituted by Customer against Sensus more than TWELVE (12) MONTHS after the Cause of Action first arose. In the calculation of any damages in any Cause of Action, no damages incurred more than TWELVE (12) MONTHS prior to the filing of the Cause of Action shall be recoverable. 10. Non - Waiver of Rights. A waiver by either party of any breach of this Agreement or the failure or delay of either party to enforce any of the articles or other provisions of this Agreement will not in any way affect, limit or waive that party's right to enforce and compel strict compliance with the same or other articles or provisions. 11. Amendments. No alteration, amendment, or other modification shall be binding unless in writing and signed by both Customer and by a vice president of Sensus. 12. Survival. The provisions of this Agreement that are applicable to circumstances arising after its termination or expiration shall survive such termination or expiration. 13. Severability. In the event any provision of this Agreement is held to be void, unlawful or otherwise unenforceable, that provision will be severed from the remainder of the Agreement and replaced automatically by a provision containing terms as nearly like the void, unlawful, or unenforceable provision as possible; and the Agreement, as so modified, will continue to be in full force and effect. 14. Four Corners. This written Agreement, together with the Terms of Sale, represents the entire understanding between and obligations of the Parties and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, negotiations, and proposals, written or oral, between the Parties. There are no other terms or conditions, oral, written, electronic or otherwise. There are no implied obligations. All obligations of Sensus are specifically set forth in this Page 7 of 27 sEnsus Agreement and the Terms of Sale. Further, there are no representations that induced this Agreement that are not included in it or in the Terms of Sale. The ONLY operative provisions are set forth in writing in this Agreement and the Terms of Sale. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the day and year first above written. Exhibit List Exhibit A Service Territory Exhibit B Intentionally Omitted Exhibit C Software Listing Exhibit D Hosting & Support Services (if applicable) Exhibit E FCC Licenses Exhibit F Customer Support Exhibit G Customer Acceptance Plan (CAP) Exhibit H Terms and Trademarks Page 8 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit A Service Territory and Sensus Propagation Study (Placeholder) Page 9 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit B Intentionally Omitted Page 10 of 27 stnsus Exhibit C Software Listinas THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE Software Version BUNDLED THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE Apache Tomcat Version 5.5.23 Apache Camel Version 2.5 Geos Version 2.2.3 -1 Java Version 1.6.20 JMS /Active MQ Version 5.4.2 Ntpd Version 3.9 Open LDAP Version 2.3.43 -3 Open SSH Version 4.4 Open SSL Version 0.9.8e -7 Per) Version 5.8.8 PostgreSQL Version 8.4 Spring Framework Version 3.0.5 Apache HTTP Server Version 2.2.3 copSSH Version 2.1.0 cURL Version 7.15.5 -2 PostGIS Version 1.3.5 -1 Sarissa Version 0.9.7.1 ImageMagick Version 6.2.8.0 -4 Ghostscript Version 8.15.2 -9.4 NON - BUNDLED THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE Oracle database OR MS SQL Server (standard edition) Oracle Database: 11g MS Windows Server 2003 (Stats) Enterprise Edition (64 bit installation) MS Windows Server 2008 (Database /Parser) Enterprise Edition (64 bit installation) RedHat Linux RedHat Enterprise Linux AS 5.5 Premium Edition Big Brother or HP Open View Version 3.1 Version 7.51 or newer Red Gate SQL Backup or Veritas Netbackup Standard Edition Version 6.0 or newer Google Earth Version 4.1 or newer SENSUS SOFTWARE LIST Software Version FLEXWARETM SOFTWARE Sensus RNI Version 3.0 FlexNet Base Station Software Version 100120 DA SOFTWARE PowerVista Application Customer will only have a license to the DA Software if Customer specifically pays for such DA Software pursuant to the Distributor Agreement. Such DA Software license shall immediately cease if the Customer does not make timely payments. SCADA- XchangeTM Software Page 11 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit D Hosting & Support Services (if applicable) I. Description of Services This exhibit contains the details of the hosting services that Sensus shall provide to Customer for the prices set forth in the Distributor Agreement. A. Termination of Hosting & Support Services. Customer shall have the option at any time after full deployment but before the end of the Term to terminate the Hosting & Support Services by giving Sensus one hundred twenty (120) days prior written notice. Upon delivery of the notice, Customer shall purchase the necessary RNI(s) and shall pay all applicable fees, including any unpaid hosting fees. Such notice, once delivered to Sensus, is irrevocable. Should Customer elect to terminate the Hosting & Support Services, it acknowledges that; (a) it shall purchase the RNI hardware; and (b) Sensus will cease to provide the Hosting & Support Services. B. Hosting & Support Services Definition. 1. " Hosting & Support Services means only the following services: i. Use of RNI hardware, located at Sensus' or a third party's data center facility (as determined by Sensus), that is necessary to operate the AMI System. ii. Providing Updates and Upgrades to latest Sensus FlexWare Software releases. iii. Providing FCC spectrum, pursuant to the terms of the spectrum lease, to operate the AMI System (for USA customers). iv. Providing remote firmware maintenance for FlexNet Base Stations and SmartPoint Modules (Customer must provide IP access to each FlexNet Base Station in order to perform secure shell (SSH) functions). v. Providing certain third party software required to operate the RNI (specifically, Microsoft SQL server, Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Linux OS, and other Bundled Software). vi. Providing secure Web portal access to the hosted FlexWare Software application for the Customer (Customer system administrator grants RNI access to authorized Customer personnel as they are added). vii. If requested, submitting a "daily reading file" in standard file format containing hourly consumption reads and all available alarms collected by the AMI System, including exception reports, such as zero consumption reads and non - responding meters (including traceability to the meter location when the meter installer provides the location information). viii. 24x7x365 server and network monitoring and trouble ticket generation, advanced security monitoring and preventative maintenance monitoring using diagnostic software tools. ix. Network optimization after the final propagation study and FlexNet Base Station site plan is verified by Sensus, and network tuning of endpoints deployed in the service area Page 12 of 27 sEnsus x. Performing daily off -site vaulting of encrypted backup tapes containing one year of history for auditing purposes. A. Providing current Sensus fixed base reporting software (for up to 50,000 SmartPoint Modules) for up to thirteen (13) months of hourly data retention for basic reporting, route processing and querying functionality. xii. Providing telephone support consistent with the Sensus Customer Support Procedures as set forth in Exhibit F. xiii. Providing "hot failover" disaster recovery solution within twenty four (24) hours. xiv. Providing FlexNet Base Station parts repair or replacement, at Sensus' discretion. This excludes field repair labor and field maintenance labor. 2. " Hosting & Support Services does not include any of the following services: L Normal periodic processing of accounts or readings for Customer's billing system for billing or other analysis purposes (other than daily file delivery). ii. Field labor to troubleshoot any SmartPoint Modules in the field in meter populations that have been previously accepted. iii. First response labor to troubleshoot FlexNet Base Station, Echo Transceivers, Remote Transceivers or other field network equipment. iv. Parts or labor required to repair damage to any field network equipment that is the result of a Force Majeure event. v. Customer understands that the Sensus route manager meter data management (MDM) application is limited to 50,000 or fewer SmartPoint Modules, and Customer must utilize an enterprise MDMS (or other suitable solution) to manage reading data when system size exceeds 50,000 SmartPoint Modules. If an item is not listed in subparagraphs (1) or (2) above, such item is excluded from the Hosting & Support Services and is subject to additional pricing. II. Further Agreements A. System Uptime Rate Sensus (or its contractor) shall host the FlexWare Software application on computers owned or controlled by Sensus (or its contractors) and shall provide Customer access to the hosted FlexWare Software application via internet or point to point connection (i.e., Hosted - Access use), according to the terms below. Sensus endeavors to maintain an average System Uptime Rate equal to ninety - nine (99.0) per Month (as defined below). The System Uptime Rate shall be calculated as follows: System Uptime Rate = 100 x ( TMO — Total Non - Scheduled Downtime minutes in the Month TMO 2. Calculations Page 13 of 27 sEnsus i. "Targeted Minutes of Operation" or "TMO" means total minutes in the applicable month ( " Month ") minus the Scheduled Downtime in the Month. ii. "Scheduled Downtime" means the number of minutes during the Month, as measured by Sensus, in which access to the FlexWare Software is scheduled to be unavailable for use by Customer due to planned system maintenance. Sensus shall provide Customer notice (via email or otherwise) at least seven (7) days in advance of commencement of the Scheduled Downtime. iii. "Non- Scheduled Downtime" means the number of minutes during the Month, as measured by Sensus, in which access to FlexWare Software is unavailable for use by Customer due to reasons other than Scheduled Downtime or the Exceptions, as defined below (e.g., due to a need for unplanned maintenance or repair). 3. Exceptions. " Exceptions " mean the following events: i. Force Majeure; ii. Emergency Work, as defined below; and iii. Lack of Internet Availability, as described below. 4. Emergency Work. In the event that Force Majeure, emergencies, dangerous conditions or other exceptional circumstances arise or continue during TMO, Sensus shall be entitled to take any actions that Sensus, in good faith, determines is necessary or advisable to prevent, remedy, mitigate, or otherwise address actual or potential harm, interruption, loss, threat, security or like concern to any of the Host Systems or the FlexWare Software ( " Emergency Work "). Such Emergency Work may include, but is not limited to: analysis, testing, repair, maintenance, re- setting and other servicing of the hardware, cabling, networks, software and other devices, materials and systems through which access to and /or use of the FlexWare Software by the Customer is made available (the " Host Systems "). Sensus shall endeavor to provide advance notice of such Emergency Work to Customer when practicable and possible. 5. Lack of Internet Availability. Sensus shall not be responsible for any deterioration of performance attributable to latencies in the public internet or point -to -point network connection operated by a third party. Customer expressly acknowledges and agrees that Sensus does not and cannot control the flow of data to or from Sensus' networks and other portions of the Internet, and that such flow depends in part on the performance of Internet services provided or controlled by third parties, and that at times, actions or inactions of such third parties can impair or disrupt data transmitted through, and /or Customer's connections to, the Internet or point -to -point data connection (or portions thereof). Although Sensus will use commercially reasonable efforts to take actions Sensus may deem appropriate to mitigate the effects of any such events, Sensus cannot guarantee that such events will not occur. Accordingly, Sensus disclaims any and all liability resulting from or relating to such events. B. Host Site - Security. Although Sensus may modify such security arrangements without consent or notice to Customer, Customer acknowledges the following are the current arrangements regarding physical access to and support of the primary hardware components of the Host Systems: Page 14 of 27 stnsus 1. The computer room(s) in which the hardware is installed is accessible only to authorized individuals. 2. Power infrastructure includes one or more uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices and diesel generators or other alternative power for back -up electrical power. 3. Air - conditioning facilities (for humidity and temperature controls) are provided in or for such computer room(s) and can be monitored and adjusted for humidity and temperature settings and control. Such air systems are supported by redundant, back -up and /or switch -over environmental units. 4. Such electrical and A/C systems are monitored on an ongoing basis and personnel are available to respond to system emergencies (if any) in real time. 5. Dry pipe pre- action fire detection and suppression systems are provided. 6. Data circuits are available via multiple providers and diverse paths, giving access redundancy. C. Responsibilities of Customer 1. Customer shall pay all hosting & support fees according to the pricing schedule in the Distributor Agreement. 2. Customer may not (i) carelessly, knowingly, intentionally or maliciously threaten, disrupt, harm, abuse or interfere with the FlexWare Software, Host Systems or any of their functionality, performance, security or integrity, nor attempt to do so; (ii) impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, Sensus, a Sensus employee or another user; or (iii) forge, falsify, disguise or otherwise manipulate any identification information associated with Customer's access to or use of the FlexWare Software application. 3. The provisioning, compatibility, operation, security, support, and maintenance of Customer's hardware and software ( "Customer's Systems") is exclusively the responsibility of Customer. Customer is also responsible, in particular, for correctly configuring and maintaining (i) the desktop environment used by Customer to access the FlexWare application hosted by Sensus; and (ii) Customer's network router and firewall, if applicable, to allow data to flow between the Customer's Systems and Sensus' Host Systems in a secure manner via the public Internet. Each of Customer's authorized users will receive a username and password upon completion of the applicable Sensus registration process ( " Users "). Such usernames and passwords will allow Authorized Users to access the FlexWare Software application. Customer shall be solely responsible for maintaining the security and confidentiality of each user ID and password pair associated with Customer's account, and Sensus will not be liable for any loss, damage or liability arising from Customer's account or any user ID and password pairs associated with Customer. Customer is fully responsible for all acts and omissions that occur through the use of Customer's account and any user ID and password pairs. Customer agrees (i) not to allow anyone other than the Authorized Users to have any access to, or use of Customer's account or any user ID and password pairs at any time; (ii) to notify Sensus immediately of any actual or suspected unauthorized use of Customer's account or any of such user ID and password pairs, or any other breach or suspected breach of security, Page 15 of 27 sEnsus restricted use or confidentiality; and (iii) to take the Sensus- recommended steps to log out from and otherwise exit the FlexWare Software application and Host Systems at the end of each session. Customer agrees that Sensus shall be entitled to rely, without inquiry, on the validity of the user accessing the FlexWare Software application through Customer's account, account ID, usernames or passwords. D. Disaster Recovery. In the case of a disaster and loss of access to or use of the FlexWare Software application, Sensus shall use commercially reasonable efforts to restore operations at the same location or at a backup location within twenty four (24) hours. Customer acknowledges and agrees that such an event may result in partial or degraded service when restored. The pre- disaster /loss level of service shall be restored as a soon as commercially reasonable. Page 16 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit E FCC Licenses (Placeholder) Call Sign Market Channel Market Name Number Block Page 17 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit F Customer Support 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose. The purpose of this document is to outline Sensus Technical Services procedures for identifying, tracking, escalating, and resolving user issues 1.2. Function. Sensus Technical Services provides utility customers with a single point of contact for Tier 1 support of technical issues as well as any coordination of additional resources required to resolve the issue. Requests that require specialized skills are to be forwarded to a senior support engineer or Technical Advisor within the team for further analysis. If Technical Services has exhausted all troubleshooting efforts for the product type, the issue will escalate to the Engineering Support Team. Occasionally, on -site troubleshooting /analysis may be required. The preferred order of on -site support is: a) The customer (for assistance with the easiest and lowest time - consuming activities such as power on /power off). b) The local distributor. c) Sensus employees or contracted personnel, if required to fulfill a contract commitment. The following sections categorize and describe levels of support and procedures 2. Support Categories 2.1. General questions regarding functionality, use of product, how -to, and requests for assistance on Sensus AMR, AMI, RF Network Equipment, Metering Products, Sensus Lighting Control, and Demand Response Management System (FlexNet Home). 2.2. Proactive reporting and resolution of problems. 2.3. Reactive reporting to isolate, document, and solve reported hardware /software defects. 2.4. Responding to service requests and product changes. 2.5. Addressing customer inquiries with printed or electronic documentation, examples, or additional explanation /clarification. 3. Support Hours 3.1.Standard Support Hours: Toll -free telephone support (1- 800 - 638 -3748 option #2) is available Monday thru Friday from 8:OOAM EST to 6:OOPM EST. After - hours, holiday and weekend support for Severity 1 and Severity 2 issues is available by calling 1- 800- 638 -3748, option #8. Page 18 of 27 sEnsus 4. Support Procedures 4.1.Customer identifies an issue or potential problem and calls Technical Services at 1- 800- 638 -3748 Option #2. The Customer Service Associate or Technical Support Engineer will submit a SensusCare ticket. 4.2. The Customer Service Associate or Technical Support Engineer will identify the caller name and utility by the assigned software serial number, city, and state in which the call originated. The nature of the problem and severity levels will be mutually agreed upon by both parties (either at the time the issue is entered or prior to upgrading or downgrading an existing issue) using the severity definitions below as a guideline. The severity level is then captured into SensusCare for ticket creation and resolution processing. Any time during the processing of this ticket, if the severity level is changed by Sensus, the customer will be updated. a. Severity Levels Description: Sev1 Customer's production system is down. The system is unusable resulting in total disruption of work. No workaround is available and requires immediate attention. Example: Network mass outage, all reading collection devices inoperable, inoperable head end software (e.g., FlexWare, Sensus MDM). Sev2 Major system feature /function failure. Operations are severely restricted; there is a major disruption of work, no acceptable work - around is available, and failure requires immediate attention Examples: Network equipment failure (e.g., FlexNet Echo, FlexNet Remote, Base Station transceiver, or VGB); inoperable reading devices (e.g., AR5500, VXU, VGB, or CommandLink); head end software application has important functionality not working and cannot create export file for billing system operations. Sev3 The system is usable and the issue doesn't affect critical overall operation. Example: Minor network equipment failure (e.g., Echo /Remote false alarms or Base Station transceiver false alarms); head end software application operable but reports are not running properly, modification of view or some non - critical function of the software is not running. Sev4 Minor system issues, questions, new features, or enhancement requests to be corrected in future versions. Examples: Minor system issues, general questions, and "How -To" questions Brief description of questions, problem symptoms, or error messages depending on nature of the incident. b. Brief description of questions, problem symptoms, or error messages depending on nature of the incident 4.3. The Customer Service Associate or Technical Support Engineer identifies whether or not the customer is on support. If the customer is not on support, the customer is advised of the service options as well as any applicable charges that may be billed. 4.4. Calls are placed in a queue from which they are accessible to Technical Support Engineers on a first - come - first -serve basis. A first level Customer Service Associate Page 19 of 27 sEnsus may assist the customer, depending on the difficulty of the call and the representative's technical knowledge. Technical Support Engineers (Tier 1 support) typically respond /resolve the majority of calls based on their product knowledge and experience. A call history for the particular account is researched to note any existing pattern or if the call is a new report. This research provides the representative a basis and understanding of the account as well as any associated problems and /or resolutions that have been communicated. a. Technical Services confirms that there is an issue or problem that needs further analysis to determine its cause. The following information must be collected: a detailed description of the issue's symptoms, details on the software /hardware product and version, a description of the environment in which the issue arises, and a list of any corrective action already taken. b. Technical Services will check the internal database and product defect tracking system, to see if reports of a similar problem exist, and if any working solutions were provided. If an existing resolution is found that will address the reported issue, it shall be communicated to the customer. Once it is confirmed that the issue has been resolved, the ticket is closed. c. If there is no known defect or support that defines the behavior, Technical Services will work with the customer to reproduce the issue. If the issue can be reproduced, either at the customer site or within support center test lab, Technical Services will escalate the ticket for further investigation / resolution. If the issue involves units that are considered to be defective with no known reason, the representative will open a Special Investigation RMA through the SensusCare system. If it is determined that a sample is required for further analysis, the customer will be provided with instructions that detail where to send the product sample(s) for a root cause analysis. Once it is determined that the issue cannot be resolved by Tier 1 resources, the ticket will be escalated to Tier 2 support for confirmation /workarounds to resolve immediate issue. Technical Services will immediately contact the customer to advise of the escalation. The response and escalation times are listed in Section 5. At this time, screen shots, log files, configuration files, and database backups will be created and attached to the ticket. Page 20 of 27 sEnsus 5. Response and Resolution Targets. Sensus Technical Support will make every reasonable effort to meet the following response and resolution targets: Severity Standard Target Standard Target Resolution Resolution (one or more of the Response following Immediately assign trained and • Satisfactory workaround is provided. qualified Services Staff to • Program patch is provided. 1 30 Minutes correct the error on an expedited basis. Provide •Fix incorporated into future release. ongoing communication on the • Fix or workaround incorporated into status of a correction. SensusCare Knowledge Base. • Satisfactory workaround is provided. Assign trained and qualified . Program patch is provided. 2 4 hours Services Staff to correct the error. Provide communication • Fix incorporated into future release. as updates occur. • Fix or workaround incorporated into SensusCare Knowledge Base. • Answer to question is provided. • Satisfactory workaround is provided. 3 1 Business Day 90 business days • Fix or workaround incorporated into SensusCare Knowledge Base. • Fix incorporated into future release. • Answer to question is provided. 4 2 Business Days 12 months • Fix or workaround incorporated into SensusCare Knowledge Base. 6. Problem Escalation Process. 6.1. If the normal support process does not produce the desired results, or if the severity has changed, the issue may be escalated as follows to a higher level of authority. 6.1.1. Severity 1 issues are escalated by Sales or Technical Services to a Supervisor if not resolved within 2 hours; to the Manager level if not resolved within 4 hours; to the Director level if not resolved within the same business day; and to the VP level if not resolved within 24 hours. 6.1.2. A customer may escalate an issue by calling 1- 800 - 638 -3748, Option 2. Please specify the SensusCare ticket number and the reason why the issue is being escalated. 6.1.3. In the event that a customer is not satisfied with the level of support or continual problem with their products, they may escalate a given SensusCare ticket to Manager of Technical Services (1- 800 - 638 -3748, Option 2). 7. General Support Provisions and Exclusions. 7.1. A Dell- provided three -year ProSupport hardware service plan plus a 4 hour "Mission Critical" upgrade accompanies the server /system hardware that Sensus procures on behalf of the customer. Sensus does not warrant third party server hardware. The customer may renew the ProSupport service plan directly with Dell. The "Dell Master Services Agreement' and "Pro Support for IT Services Page 21 of 27 s sEnsus Description" documents may be found at www.dell.com /service contracts. 7.2. Sensus procures certain third party software licenses (e.g. Red Hat Enterprise Linux) required to operate the FlexNet -based applications on the Dell hardware. Sensus registers all the applicable third party software licenses in the customer's name and ships all documentation and licensing information to the customer with the server. The customer is responsible for maintaining all third party software licenses. 7.3. In the event of a server hardware failure at the customer site, Sensus will provide replacement Sensus proprietary software (e.g., FlexWare) either on digital media or downloadable from an internet site, as necessary. The method of software redistribution is at Sensus' discretion. The customer is responsible for re- installing the replacement software. Sensus installation support is not covered under this standard customer support program but may be provided as a fee -based service. 7.4. Sensus provides online documentation for Sensus products through the Sensus User Forum (http: / /myflexnetsystem.com /Module /User /Login). All Sensus customers are provided access to this online database, which includes operation, configuration and technical manuals. Sensus also hosts periodic user group teleconferences to facilitate the interchange of product ideas, product enhancements, and overall customer experiences. The customer shall provide names and email accounts to Sensus so Sensus may provide access to the Portal. 7.5. Specialized support from Sensus is available on a fee basis to address support issues outside the scope of this support plan or if not covered under another specific maintenance contract. For example, specialized systems integration services or out of warranty network equipment repair that is not covered under a separate maintenance contract. Page 22 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit G Customer Acceptance Plan (CAP) The objective of the CAP is to verify that the AMI System will operate and meet or exceed the criteria set forth in this Exhibit. All capitalized words not defined in this Exhibit shall have the meaning set forth in the Agreement to which this exhibit is attached. The CAP shall consist of the Test Equipment, as defined below, and such additional goods as set forth below. The parties will jointly administer the CAP. Customer may choose to waive testing of any requirement if it believes that such testing is unnecessary. Should any specific test be waived, such test shall be deemed to have passed. " Test Equipment means the quantity and types of Server Hardware and RF Field Equipment set forth in the final version of Customer's propagation study, as provided by Sensus. For all tests below, Sensus will calculate the applicable performance requirements using the existing software features within the AMI System. Unless stated otherwise below, any disputes regarding the performance of the AMI System shall be settled using printouts of meter read data from the RNI's database ( " RNI Database "). 1. Water Acceptance Test The objective of Water Acceptance Test is to verify that the water meters and water SmartPoint Modules in the AMI System, when actually installed in specific, mutually agreed reading routes (each a " Route "), will operate and meet or exceed the criteria set forth below. The test is intended to provide incremental acceptance of distinctly defined geographical areas and populations of meters. Each Route shall contain a statistical sample of water Available Meters ( " Water Route Units "). Water Route Units only includes the water Available Meters installed in the applicable Route. Before beginning the Water Acceptance Test, the Test Equipment must be installed in locations defined in the propagation study. Additionally, all Water Route Units must be installed. Customer shall send written notice to Sensus once all Water Route Units are installed ( " Water Deployment Date "). Within thirty (30) days of the Water Deployment Date, the parties shall begin the Water Acceptance Test on the Water Route Units. For purposes of clarity, the tests in this section shall only be conducted on Water Route Units, and Water Route Units shall only include deployed water Available Meters. Customer and Sensus shall work in good faith to undertake reasonable efforts to complete the Water Acceptance Test no later than thirty (30) days after commencement of testing. The Water Acceptance Test shall consist of only one test: Water Read Success. A. Testing Specifications -Water Read Success The Water Read Success will test whether water Available Meters deliver billing reads within the Billing Window. Water Read Success shall only include Water Route Units that are Available Meters throughout the entire Billing Window. This test is achieved when Water Read Success reaches a level of 98.5% successful reads during a Billing Window that begins on a mutually agreed upon date. Water Read Success = 100 x ((number of Water Route Units read during the Billing Window) / (Water Route Units population)). Page 23 of 27 sEnsus If Water Read Success is equal or greater than 98.5, then Customer shall promptly issue written notice to Sensus that Sensus has successfully completed the Water Read Success test for the applicable Route Such notice shall specify the applicable Route and shall state the date on which the Water Read Success test was successfully completed. If such notice is not provided to Sensus within five days after successful completion of the Water Acceptance Test for an applicable route, then the test shall be deemed completed and maintenance responsibility will pass to Customer at that time. This process shall continue until all Routes have successfully completed the Water Acceptance Test. B. Completion of Water Acceptance Test Once all Routes have successfully completed the Water Acceptance Test, Customer shall promptly issue written notice to Sensus that Sensus has successfully completed the Water Acceptance Test for all Routes. Such notice shall specifically state that the test is successfully completed for all Routes, and shall state the date on which the test was completed for all Routes. If such notice is not provided to Sensus within five days after successful completion of the Water Acceptance Test, then the test shall be deemed completed. Page 24 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit H Terms and Trademarks 1. "Affiliate" of a party means any other entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such party, where "control" of an entity means the ownership, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of either; (i) the shares or other equity in such entity; or (ii) the voting rights in such entity. 2. "AMI System" identifies the Sensus FlexNet Advanced Meter Infrastructure System comprised of the SmartPoint Modules, RF Field Equipment, Server Hardware, software licenses, FCC licenses, and other equipment provided to Customer hereunder. The AMI System only includes the foregoing, as provided by Sensus. The AMI System does not include goods, equipment, software, licenses or rights provided by a third party or parties to this Agreement. 3. "Available Meter" means an installed Sensus FlexNet meter or a Sensus SmartPoint Module which has been installed on a third party meter, and which, in either case, is not an Unavailable Meter (or on an Unavailable Meter in the case of SmartPoint Modules on third party meters) and which satisfies all of the following criteria: A. it functions properly, is powered and is not a damaged or failed meter B. it is in a deployment area of meters for Customer such that a sufficient number of two -way meters are in range of each other; C. it is serviced by a tower FlexNet Base Station or Echo Transceiver or Remote Transceiver that has not been subjected to a power failure greater than eight (8) total hours; D. neither it nor the FlexNet Base Station, Echo Transceiver or any other network equipment that serves that meter has been affected by a Force Majeure event; E. illegal or unauthorized jamming of the radio spectrum is not preventing or interfering with radio communication to or from the meter; F. it is installed in the Service Territory; G. it has not been reported to Customer under Sensus' or Customer's preventative maintenance; H. its functioning or performance has not been adversely affected by a failure of Customer to perform its obligations or tasks for which it is responsible under this Agreement, I. its functioning or performance has not been adversely affected by a failure or insufficiency of the back haul telecommunications network of Customer for communications among the components of the Sensus AMI System; and J. it has been installed in compliance with the procedures and specifications approved by Customer and Sensus. 4. "Billing Window" for a meter means the four day period commencing one day prior to the relevant billing day for such meter and ending two days after such billing day. 5. "CPI" means the percentage change, for the relevant period, of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI -U) "All Items Less Food and Energy" for the U.S. City Average for All Items, 1982 -84 = 100, not seasonally adjusted, or substantially similar succeeding index. Any CPI increases called forth in this Agreement shall be calculated to the third decimal point (e.g. 2.576 %). 6. "Echo Transceiver" identifies the Sensus standalone, mounted relay device that takes the radio frequency readings from the SmartPoint Modules and relays them by radio frequency to the relevant FlexNet Base Station. 7. "End User" means any end user of electricity /water /gas that pays Customer for the consumption of electricity /water /gas, as applicable. Page 25 of 27 sEnsus 8. "Field Devices" means the meters and SmartPoint Modules 9. "FlexNet Base Station" identifies the Sensus manufactured device consisting of one transceiver, to be located on a tower that receives readings from the SmartPoint Modules (either directly or via an Echo Transceiver) by radio frequency and passes those readings to the RNI by TCP /IP backhaul communication. 10. "FlexWareTM Software" identifies the Sensus software listed in Exhibit C under the heading "FlexWareTM Software" and any Updates and purchased Upgrades to such software. 11. "In /Out Costs" means any costs and expenses incurred by Customer in transporting goods between its warehouse and its End User's premises and any costs and expenses incurred by Customer in installing, uninstalling and removing goods. 12. "Intellectual Property' means patents and patent applications, inventions (whether patentable or not), trademarks, service marks, trade dress, copyrights, trade secrets, know -how, data rights, specifications, drawings, designs, maskwork rights, moral rights, author's rights, and other intellectual property rights, as may exist now or hereafter come into existence, and all renewals and extensions thereof, regardless of whether any of such rights arise under the laws of the United States or of any other state, country or jurisdiction, any registrations or applications thereof, and all goodwill pertinent thereto. 13. "Ongoing Fee" means the annual or monthly fees, as applicable, to be paid by Customer to Distributor, pursuant to the Distributor Agreement. 14. "Remote Transceiver" identifies the Sensus standalone, mounted relay device that takes the radio frequency readings from the SmartPoint Modules and relays them directly to the RNI by TCP /IP backhaul communication. 15. "RF Field Equipment' means, collectively, FlexNet Base Stations, Echo Transceivers and Remote Transceivers. 16. "RNI" identifies the regional network interfaces consisting of hardware and software used to gather, store, and report data collected by the FlexNet Base Stations from the SmartPoint Modules. 17. "Service Territory' means the geographic area described in Exhibit A. 18. "Server Hardware" means the RNI hardware 19. "SmartPointTM Modules" identifies the Sensus transmission devices installed on devices such as meters, distribution automation equipment and demand /response devices located at Customer's End Users' premises that take the readings of the meters and transmit those readings by radio frequency to the relevant FlexNet Base Station, Remote Transceiver or Echo Transceiver. 20. "Software" means the Sensus software listed in Exhibit C under the heading "Sensus Software List" and any Updates and purchased Upgrades to such software. 21. "TouchCoupler Unit' identifies an inductive coupler connection from a water register to the SmartPoint Module. 22. "Unavailable Meters" include meters with sockets with power cut at the pole, meters that are booted on the line side, sockets that are not provided power due to a power delivery system failure, meters with tamper, theft or other human induced failures that render the meter or SmartPoint Module incapable of providing a read, a Force Majeure event induced failures of the power delivery system, socket or meter, and /or any system or meter maintenance issue that precludes the meter from transmitting its message to the network. Examples of Unavailable Meters include: A. Cut At Pole — a meter for which power has been turned off to the socket by Customer Page 26 of 27 sEnsus B. Booted on Line Side – nominally a meter for which power has been turned off by placing "boots" in the socket from which the power to the meter has effectively been turned off. C. Failed or flawed power delivery to the meter socket – Customer power generation, distribution or delivery system failure that has effectively turned off power to the socket and /or meter. D. Tampered Meters – sockets, meters or distribution assets that have been modified by unauthorized personnel rendering the meter incapable of providing accurate usage readings from that meter. E. Broken TouchCoupler unit — the TouchCoupler unit is damaged by intentional or unintentional acts. F. Broken Clip — the clip that holds the TouchCoupler unit into the radio package housing is broken and the unit can not complete the inductive electrical connection. G. Improper installation of the TouchCoupler unit — the TouchCoupler unit is not pushed all the way into the housing clip causing the unit to not be able to complete the inductive electrical connection. H. Unit not installed through the pit lid — the unit is not installed with the antenna positioned through the pit lid and properly secured with the retaining nut. The radio unit must also be securely attached to the antenna section. I. Radio unit not securely attached to the Antenna unit — The water -proof SmartPoint Module housing is not properly installed and secured to the antenna unit. J. Damaged antenna - the unit's antenna is damaged by intentional or unintentional acts.' K. Damaged radio package — the unit's water -proof radio package is damaged by intentional or unintentional acts. L. Data Base errors — the unit is removed from the system but not updated in the database. Still shown as in the system when in fact has been removed. M. Phantom Units — the unit is removed from the system but is still transmitting and being heard by the system. N. Other Installation Defect —the unit is otherwise installed improperly so that it does not communicate with the FlexNet Base Station. 23. "Updates" means patches or other maintenance releases of the Software that correct processing errors and other faults and defects found in the last two previous minor or major releases of the Software. 24. "Upgrades" means all releases of new versions of the Software which constitute a significant improvement in functionality or architecture of the Software. 25. "WAN Backhaul" means the communication link between the FlexNet Base Stations and Remote Transceivers and the RNI. Page 27 of 27 sEnsus Exhibit A Service Territory and Sensus Propagation Study (Placeholder) In this section please include: 1. Copy of final propagation study 2. Map of the utilities service territory a. This can be a picture of large map of utility map. b. Lat / Long coordinates of "four corners" of service territory. Page 1 of 1 sr.=nsus O O O O 00 0 0 O o 0 0 m a' Lri o iri 0 0 0 r al tD O W rl Lf1 N o O O O O O c r 00 0 -Zt ui m aJ c-I r ah N —i ro ii p, w c rn o a) 00 0 0 0 aj lD O N Ol LQ O N 75 -iE V O w O 1--4 O c-1 N O O M W O LD > V lrl 00 rl lD O lD C m w m m CY to Ol y y m I 1-1 00 r1 Q1 1-1 O ri N LL If) tf� tn lf� m m O O H H aJ a) C +' 3 v o O } 2 � c O a ' LA ~ L aJ O N O O E a O O O N C U c CD N in O v CD C � O " N _7 Q cu d Q {n Q x C O O O O LU a O Gl NO Lr' N 4 U N ' a m ta = C v O 1 ani w a! Qf f0 _N cu LL 7 a) u c 03 a LL w ai In > n a J O a C l 4- C C v o ) v �v v ^ o ai < 0 L d L } c C C) E r'I v m O m 6 N C N v m 3 m - - o � y 2 t a n ai O O n m C LL CL n 3 a v o 7 V 0 E LL � _ O a N U tw m U m C y 00 Q K 2 C C c O O O O o o _0 a cu al C +' 0 2 �� 000(?� florida AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET Meeting Date: June 18, 2013 Contact Name: Contact Number: Item # (A , / Reviewed By., C Charles K. Smith, P.E. Department Director: Charles 407 - 905 -3159 City Manager: Robert Frank Subject: Aquahawk Web Portal Background Summary: In August 2007, the City of Ocoee Utilities Department began the implementation of an advanced radio meter reading system, "FlexNet ", by Sensus, Inc. The metering system records hourly meter readings that can be queried and evaluated, which can assist both customers and staff to better manage the City's water resources. Since the system's implementation, over 4,000 meters have been installed with the intent to migrate all meters to the FlexNet system within 12 years. Also since the implementation, there have been significant technological upgrades to the FlexNet system and mobile computing. Three important results of the upgrades are better query and reporting methods, an easier user interface and the porting of the data to a web application for either desktop computers or mobile devices. To take advantage of this constantly improving technology, Staff is recommending 1) "cloud" hosting the FlexNet system with a subscription upgrade service; and 2) porting the customer data to a friendly, web based interface where customers can utilize their respective data to better manage their water usage. To ensure maximum data usage capabilities for customers, the interface needs to have both desktop and mobile device support enabled. HD Supply Waterworks is the City's local "Value Added Reseller and Authorized Distributor" for Sensus Inc., and also represents American Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc., Aquahawk Customer Portal Product. HD Supply Waterworks is making the Aquahawk product available to the City utilizing the Strategic Partnership Agreement — Utility Materials, City of Punta Gorda Agreement N06177 /UTILMAT0506, which is the same contract the City uses to purchase FlexNet appurtenances (meters, MXUs, etc.). HD Supply Waterworks will provide the technical management and integration of the FlexNet and Aquahawk solutions. Issue: Should City Commission authorize HD Supply Waterworks to provide the City with a customer web portal through Aquahawk for better management of potable and reclaimed water usage? Recommendations: Motion to authorize the City Manager to procure from HD Supply Waterworks the " Aquahawk Alerting" customer portal solution for $9,562.50. Attachments: - HD Supply Waterworks Hosting Facilitation Agreement - Scope of Work - Customer Portal and Web Alerting Solution - Aquahawk Alerting Datasheet - America Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc. "White Paper" Financial Impact: This was not a planned expenditure, however, Utilities has sufficient funding to cover the cost of the setup fee and prorated annual fee within the water and wastewater field operations divisions. The Department plans to include the $8,250 annual fee, split between the two divisions, in the Fiscal Year 2014 and future budgets' contractual services G/L accounts. Type of Item: (please mark with an x') Public Hearing For Clerk's Dept Use Ordinance First Reading Consent Agenda Ordinance Second Reading Public Hearing Resolution Regular Agenda X Commission Approval Discussion & Direction anginal uocumenVC;ontract Attached for Execution by City Clerk Original Document/Contract Held by Department for Execution Reviewed by City Attorney _ Reviewed by Finance Dept. Reviewed by N/A N/A N/A 2 HOSTING FACILITATION AGREEMENT HD Supply Waterworks, Ltd. ( "HDS Waterworks ") and the City of Ocoee, FL ( "City of Ocoee ") hereby enter into this Hosting Facilitation Agreement ( "Hosting Facilitation Agreement ") as of , 2013. WHEREAS, The City of Punta Gorda and HDS Waterworks entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement — Utility Materials, City of Punta Gorda Agreement N06177 /UTILMAT0506 dated March 21, 2007 (the "Cooperative Purchasing Agreement "); and WHEREAS, by Participating Addendum dated October 5, 2010, the City of Ocoee was added as a Participating Entity to purchase from the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement; and WHEREAS, City of Ocoee desires to purchase hosted third -party "software -as -a- service" customer portal services under the terms and conditions of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the agreements herein, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows: 1. HDS Waterworks shall provided hosted third -party "software -as -a- service" customer portal services to the City of Ocoee through American Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc. ( "AmCoBi ") as set forth in the attached Aquahawk Alerting "Software -As -A- Service" Managed Services Agreement (the "Managed Services Agreement "), the terms of which are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. The City of Ocoee agrees to the terms of the Managed Services Agreement and agrees to be bound to HDS Waterworks to the same extent HDS Waterworks is bound to AmCoBi thereunder. 2. The terms of the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement shall govern this transaction. CUSTOMER: CITY OF OCOEE, FL Signed: Name: Title: HD SUPPLY WATERWORKS, LTD. Signed: Name: Title: Scope of Work Customer Portal and Web Alerting System HD Supply Waterworks in conjunction with its sub - consultant, American Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc. (AmCoBi), (herein referred to as TEAM) will provide the City of Ocoee with AquaHawk Alerting Web Portal for customer data and alerting interface. 1. General: A. AquaHawk Alerting is a hosted customer portal solution that enables utilities to present water consumption data to their clients in a secure, password - protected website. After registering online, customers gain access to their current usage, past usage, and can perform a variety of useful comparisons. B. AquaHawk Alerting offers the following capabilities: • Leak Detection & Notification: City of Ocoee employees use this module to notify customers via telephone or e -mail, when potential leaks or over - irrigation have occurred. Leak alerts are also posted online to each customer's account • Task Management: City employees can assign follow -up tasks, designate due dates /times, and efficiently manage a variety of action items • Estimated Bill -to -Date: Customers can see an estimate of their bill anytime during the billing cycle • Billing Threshold: Customers can establish a monthly billing threshold ($ or gallons) and be notified when their bill amount/consumption is trending to exceed that value • Water Conservation Management: This module offers integrated indoor /outdoor audit forms that can be customized to the City's requirements. This module requires an additional fee. • New Features, Capabilities and Functionality: As new features, capabilities and /or functionality become available additional charges may be required. As an example, text notification, and various reporting tools will be released in the near future. C. Hardware and /or Software Requirements: The City shall not be required to provide any special equipment and /or software because AquaHawk Alerting uses the City's current meter reading data (Sensus). The data shall be remotely obtained from either the City's on -site server or a remote hosted server. A unique instance of AquaHawk Alerting will be provided to the City of Ocoee. Authorized staff members and customers operate the system using a standard Web browser. The City of Ocoee will always run the most current version of the application. D. The TEAM shall deploy City's AquaHawk system and provide training via WebEx within 90 days from notification of acceptance (issued Purchase Order). E. High Performance Hosting The TEAM shall utilize a reputable, reliable hosting provider for the AquaHawk solution on a cloud -based computing platform. The hosted site shall be secure, durable, and maintained in accordance with certifications and audits: ISO 27001 and SAS 70 Type II. The TEAM's data centers shall have multiple layers of operational and physical security so you can be sure your data is safe and protected. AquaHawk uses a commercial database noted for speed, fault tolerance, and high performance. Backups are automated and geographically diverse replication prevents any data loss in the event of a hardware failure, network disruption, or large scale power outage. Disaster recovery is built -in. Comprehensive Training and Support Included: The AquaHawk system is intuitive, user - friendly, and easy to learn. To ensure, however, that your staff members can manage the application effectively, comprehensive online training and support is provided. A dedicated account manager will be assigned so you'll always be able to reach a live person via telephone or e- mail. AquaHawk will train city personnel via WebEx over a one day period. 2. Scope of Work To initiate this project and make AquaHawk Alerting available to City of Ocoee customers, the following tasks need to be completed: • Configure the AquaHawk Alerting portal • Import customer account information and historical consumption data • Integrate consumption data from the Sensus AMI system • Provide software training to City of Ocoee employees • Launch initial business release (beta site) so AquaHawk Alerting can be tested by City employees and select customers • Implement any needed software changes or fixes • Launch the production site and notify customers of the new service • Provide ongoing support to City of Ocoee employees. The following is a draft timeline for implementing the AquaHawk Alerting solution: Due Date Task Description Responsible Part Week I Sign contract with City of Ocoee to proceed with this p roject. City of Ocoee Week 2 Customize the AquaHawk Customer Alerting portal for City of Ocoee. Provider Week 2 Import customer account information and historical consumption data. Provider Week 3 Integrate AMI consumption and weather data into Customer Portal (daily). Provider Week 4 Provide software training to City of Ocoee employees. City of Ocoee & Provider Week 5 Launch the first business release and test the application. City of Ocoee & Provider Week 7 Complete software application changes and fixes. Provider Week 8 Launch the production site. City of Ocoee & Provider 3. References Please feel free to contact the following organization to learn more about similar projects we've conducted: Castle Pine Metropolitan District (CPMD) Ms. Emily Coll 5880 Country Club Dr. Castle Rock, CO 80108 (303) 688 -8330 4. Pricing Pricing for the AquaHawk Alerting service is comprised of the following: • A one -time setup fee to configure the system, upload customer information and data, and for initial system training • An annual fee for each account in the system. This fee includes ongoing e- mail and telephone support. Description Setup Fee (One -time) Annual Fee AquaHawk Alerting Web Portal (up to 5,000 accounts) $ 7,500 $ 3,000 Option - Leak Detection & Notification - $ 1,500 Option - Estimated Bill -to -Date + Billing Threshold - $ 750 Option - Indoor /Outdoor Audit Forms - $ 3,000 For all 15,000 accounts, the following pricing would apply: Description Setup Fee (One -time) Annual Fee Aqua Hawk Alerting Web Portal (up to 15,000 accounts) $ 10,000 $ 6,000 Option - Leak Detection & Notification - $ 3,000 Option - Estimated Bill -to -Date + Billing Threshold - $ 1,500 Option - Indoor /OutdoorAudit Forms - $ 6,000 NOTE: As the City increases the number of accounts in AquaHawk above 5, 000, any previously paid setup /annual fees will be credited towards the new rates. For example, if the number of accounts increases from 5, 000 to 15, 000, an additional setup fee of S3, 000 will be charged (S10, 000 - $7, 500) to the City and the annual fee will increase by S3, 000 ($6, 000 - $3, 000). \ a American v Conservation & Billing Solutions A Customer Information Portal for Municipal Water Utilities Engage Customers and Improve Client Satisfaction. AquaHawk Alerting is a Web- based, customer information portal for municipal water utilities that use fixed -base, Advanced Metering Infra- structure (AMI) or Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems. This application will transform the way your utility educates, engages, and communicates with customers. AquaHawk presents high value information, in an intui- tive, easy -to- understand way, that encourages customer self- service and increases client satisfaction. Enhance the Value of Your AMI System If you've invested in an AMI /AMR system, you're collecting valuable data every day. With AquaHawk, this data can be used to help customers: • Manage their consumption and conserve water • Save money • Prevent costly property damage AquaHawk Alerting enhances the value of your AMI investment by delivering a service your customers want and need. Our platform independent solution works with Datamatic MOSAIC'", Sensus FlexNet — , Neptune R450'"" and R900`•, Aclara STAR' Network, and other leading systems. Utility customers login to a password- protect- ed site and view their water consumption in near real -time. Dynamic graphs present data in an intuitive, easy -to- understand format. AquaHawk provides the context customers need to understand how they are using water and what they can do to be more water efficient. Customer Benefits By flagging leaks and over - watering, custom- ers can make repairs more quickly, adjust their irrigation patterns, and save money. Custom- ers can prevent high water bills and manage their water expenses by setting the amount of money /water they want to spend /use each month. AquaHawk monitors their consump- tion and only sends an e -mail if their usage is trending to exceed the budgeted amount. Affordable and Effective AquaHawk is one of the most affordable customer information portal services avail- able. Recognizing that water utilities work under tight budgets, this solution is offered on a "cafeteria plan" so providers can pick and choose which modules and capabili- ties they want to use. Architected to be very user - friendly, staff training is minimal and customers will find the system immediately understandable. Improving Leak Detection & Customer Notification Many AMI systems require utilities to run daily reports to find leaks, tampering, theft, and other problems. It's not uncommon for these systems to flag hundreds if not thousands of potential problems. In many cases, these leak flags are not accurate. Moreover, the reading systems don't have efficient tools for reaching out and informing customers. AquaHawk Alerting incorporates advanced statistical data analysis to determine when leaks, over - irrigation, unnecessary usage (e.g., broken sprinkler head), potential main- tenance issues, and other problems have occurred. It utilizes certain alerts from the AMI system - -e.g. continuous flow leak- -but ig- nores flags that don't indicate real problems. AquaHawk prioritizes leaks and presents them in a way that water utility personnel can manage effortlessly. The system simpli- fies the communication process so that staff can notify customers, in their preferred mode (e -mail, cell phone, home phone, etc.), and resolve problems quickly. Aq uaHawk � ALERTING! Features & Benefits • Improve client satisfaction by providing information customers want and need • Helps customers save water and money • Transforms how utilities communicate with customers • Promotes customer engagement and self- service • Encourages water conservation • Get more value from your AMR / AMI investments • Utilities don't need to purchase or install hardware or software; uses the Software -as -a- Service (SaaS), cloud -based hosting model • Easy to implement • Affordably priced Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions for Water Utilities j EALIERTING! A Customer Information Portal for Municipal Water Utilities INEE Designed for Configurability One of the key strengths of the AquaHawk Alerting Software -as -a- Service (SaaS) is that it was designed to accommodate fu- ture customizations. Your requirements will change over time and new system capa- bilities will be required. AquaHawk supports these changes ensur- ing that the solution will continue to pro 11- —: 1234567 001 vide high value to your 11 30 Ap r, organization now and 1,._r': Dec 31.1009 Estimated I'M d 0°L in the future. As& L- 19, 1011 585.33 Easy to Implement Implementing the ser- vice has no impact on your billing operations and requires minimal time and effort from water utility person - nel. The system can be deployed quickly and easily, enabling customers to take im- mediate advantage of its capabilities. Comprehensive Training & Support Even though AquaHawk Alerting is easy -to -use, comprehensive training and ongoing support are provided to ensure that your team can operate the system ef- fectively. Outstanding, personalized service is what you can expect every time you call and speak with a "live" representative. Highly Secure & Scalable Cloud Hosting AquaHawk Alerting is hosted at one of the premier cloud -based service providers in the U.S. This company offers a secure, du- rable technology platform with industry - recognized certifications and audits such as: ISO 27001 and SAS 70 Type II. Each data center has multiple layers of operational and physical security to ensure the integrity and safety of your data. Backups are automated and geographi- cally diverse replication prevents data loss in the event of a hardware failure, network disruption, or large scale power outage. Get Started Today! To see an online demonstration of AquaHawk Alerting, give us a call or send us an e-mail. This solution can be the cornerstone of your customer engagement and water conserva- tion program. Your customers will thank you! 101 H^:,i 51 co.— 5D g , c0 80;04 7 — 145 am 1.90 ar, ::. ,", 1 tee, d'l Optional Modules Offering customers online access to their consumption data is the first step. AquaHawk Alerting provides a host of other modules such as: Irrigation Efficiency Guidance AquaHawk is the only system that combines landscape area, weather, and consumption data to help customers know when they are over - irrigating, and how to correct the situation. Estimated Bill -to -Date By incorporating your organization's price tiers, customers can login anytime during the billing cycle and see an estimate of their bill. Threshold Billing If you've ever received a call from an angry customer about a high bill, you understand the benefit of Threshold Billing. Customers can prevent large water bills by setting an amount of money ($) or water (gallons) they don't want to surpass each month. Aqua- Hawk monitors their consumption and sends an alert if they are trending to exceed their budget. Mobile Device Support Customers can view consumption, billing, and leak information via a smartphone (mobile Web browser), tablet computer, or other Internet - enabled devices. Comprehensive Task Management Utility staff can add notes, assign follow -up tasks, and designate Mw5 sti >�:: dates /times when ac- tion items are due. This makes it easier for utili- ties to track customer interactions and follow through to ensure is- sues are resolved. Water Conservation Management Water conservation professionals now have a tool they will use every day to perform their duties. Accounts that participate in different conservation programs -- rebates, irrigation audits, educational programs, etc. - -can be tagged and placed into monitoring groups. Staff members can view how those accounts are responding to the conserva- tion initiatives, and final evaluations can be performed each year measuring actual water savings AmCoBi American Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc. (AmCoBi) P.O. Box 51356 Colorado Springs, CO 80949 Toll Free: (877) 410 - 0167x1 Phone: (719) 532 -0167 Fax: (719) 599 -4057 Sales @AmCoBi.com Copyright 0 2012 American Conservation & Billing Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions for Water Utilities a trademark All Rights Reserved. AquaHawk Alerting is o a trademark of AmCoBi. Ito • 1111:444 I rP 14'I'll4ilt C*YATITMU-- Table of Contents Financial Pressures Abound ..... 3 E- banking Provides a Sound Model for Water Utilities ..... 4 Your Customers Expect More ..... 4 Crossing the "Last Mile ".....5 It Starts with the Web .... 5 Supporting the Mobile Channel......5 Getting Customers Engaged in Water Conservation ..... 6 If People Want to Save, Why Don't They? ..... 6 Incorporating the Psychology of Persuasion ..... 6 The Ideal Customer Engagement Solution ..... 7 Intuitive Web Portal and Mobile Support.....7 Water Usage Tracking.....7 Leak Detection & Notification.....7 Irrigation Efficiency.....8 Cloud -based Hosting.....8 Versatile Data Analysis.....8 Configurability.....8 Integrated Task Management.....9 Management Reporting.....9 Customer Engagement is Here and Now.....9 About AmCoBi.....10 Copyright © 2012 AmCoBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities - 2 s IV /gym Customer Engagement for Water Utilities Breakthrough Technologies that Improve the Customer Experience There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. This couldn't be truer for water utilities and the idea of customer engagement. Water providers have an exciting opportunity to use new technologies, data, analytics, and the science of persuasion, to create a higher quality experience for customers. Utilities can meet their customers' demands for more choice, greater flexibility, and actionable advice. And they can even provide the motivation clients need to participate in worthwhile activities like conservation. Financial Pressures Abound The ability to connect with customers in new and efficient ways couldn't come too soon for all of us. Many customers are under substantial financial pressure and are demanding greater access to their water usage and billing information. At the same time, water utilities are also suffering from bleak economic conditions and constrained resources that range from depleting water supplies or expected shortfalls to falling revenues. Costs related to employee salaries, healthcare, and benefits continue to go up, as does the basic price of water. Add in an aging infrastructure in need of repairs, and you have a not -so- perfect economic storm. Water utilities are being asked to do more with less but luckily, that's a challenge that the customer engagement model can address. Customer engagement involves broadening the existing communication channels your organization uses to connect with clients and it entails offering more self- service options. By using technology to deliver personalized information to each of their accounts, providers can incre customer satisfaction while strengthening client relationships. �I Copyright © 2012 AmCoBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities - . In the area of water conservation, if utilities are going to create lasting results, customer engagement is a necessity. When it's really working and clients are truly engaged, they become active collaborators in the process to drive water efficiency. E- banking Provides a Sound Model for Water Utilities Electronic banking offers a model for water providers. Banks have really pushed the envelope on customer engagement over the last couple years, and that can be seen in the breadth of services and interaction channels available to banking clients. For example, bank customers can login to a secure website and check their bank balances anytime during the day. They can see which checks/ deposits have cleared and make online payments. They can automate monthly tasks, receive bills electronically, and be notified via. e-mail if they fall below a certain balance. They can even scan checks they've received and deposit them remotely, using a smartphone or mobile device. These are all processes that five years ago, could only be performed at a bank's physical location. What banks discovered, however, is that by offering more self- service options, in a variety of "channels," and incorporating modern communications technologies, they have increased customer satisfaction, expanded their services, and cut their costs. These are certainly goals shared by municipal water providers. Your Customers Expect More Most water utilities are already hearing the message from their customers: "Give me access to my consumption whenever I want, help me manage my costs, and show me places where I can use less water." Luckily, advances in meter reading, Internet technologies, and analytics are making it possible to satisfy these requests. For those utilities that have invested in fixed base Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) reading systems, the foundation is in place. With AMI, utilities can read water meters on a daily basis and if necessary, more frequently. They offer a host of features but more importantly, they provide the usage data needed to answer questions that customers are beginning to ask about such as: Copyright © 2012 AmCoBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities -4 - • What's my current bill? • How are my rates changing? • How does my usage compare with previous time periods and my neighbors? • Do I have a leak? • Am I irrigating properly? Crossing the "Last Mile" The "last mile" in the telecommunications and cable TV industries refers to the final distance a provider must cover to actually bring telephone, TV, or Internet service to a customer. Many companies spent a lot of money laying miles and miles of wire and cable that would bring Internet service, for example, right to the end of a customer's driveway or block. The last leg- -into the client's home -- although shorter, often proved too costly and challenging to cover. The equivalent of the last mile for water utilities is accessibility to information. Even though providers invest in automatic meter reading systems, giant databases, and trained staff members, if the information contained in those resources is not usable by clients, its value is limited. It Starts with the Web The greatest communication channel ever created is the World Wide Web. The first step a water utility can take to build customer engagement is to provide a Web portal where customers can: • See how much water they're using • View an estimate of their bill during the billing cycle • See how their usage compares to previous time periods. Supporting the Mobile Channel The next step is to support the communications channel used by millions and millions of people - -cell phones and mobile devices. This involves making information that is delivered via the Web portal, accessible in a mobile Web browser or smartphone software application format - -e.g. Android or Apple "app." It also means offering e -mail and text (SMS) notification capabilities. s,4 ti devices G "' 9 Copyright © 2012 AmCOBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities -5 - Getting Customers Engaged in Water Conservation Copyright © 2012 AmCoBi Water Conservation is definitely an area where utilities could use more consumer engagement. Studies show that most people want to save water- - whether for economic, environmental, or ethical reasons. The reality is that many simply don't. Organizations promoting energy efficiency suffer from the same paradox. What often goes unstated but everyone knows is that water utilities have a natural conflict of interest when it comes to conservation. Providers' revenues are directly tied to water sales. At the same time, water resources are limited and it's important for utilities to be good stewards. If there are water shortages, and utilities encourage consumers to conserve, it's not unusual for rates to increase. This leads to strong customer dissatisfaction and even resentment. Customer engagement creates balancing pressures by enabling utilities to hear feedback directly from customers and to incorporate that into their policy decision making processes. If People Want to Save,Why Don't They? A nationwide "Energy Efficiency and Attitudes Survey" conducted by Opower in 2010 related to electricity usage found that "87% of households want to save more energy at home." Despite this fact, "utility efficiency programs typically have less than I% participation." The million dollar or million megawatt question is "why ?" If consumers aren't participating in water conservation, the likely causes are that they don't have the tools necessary to do so, or they lack necessary motivation. If water utilities can address these hurdles, they can dramatically improve consumer participation and their conservation results. Incorporating the Psychology of Persuasion "Social proof, also known as informational social influence, is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation. Social proof... maintains that people are especially likely to perform certain actions if they can relate to the people who performed the same actions before them. "' White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities -6 . People were most likely to conserve when presented with information about their peer s exhibiting tiie desired Lie - avier One way to leverage the dynamic of social proof in the context of water conservation is to bring positive peer pressure by showing customers how they're water consumption compares to neighbors in similar sized homes with equal numbers of occupants. And even stronger motivator would be to show customers how they compare to their most water efficient neighbors. The Opower study showed that "...people were most likely to conserve when presented with information about their peers exhibiting the desired behavior." These comparisons can strongly influence consumers to be more water -wise and encourage them to seek out the assistance necessary to do so. The Ideal Customer Engagement Solution What does the ideal customer engagement solution look like? It should incorporate several of the following characteristics: Intuitive Web Portal and Mobile Support The system should incorporate technologies so that customers can access information anytime, anywhere they want. The system should be intuitive, easy -to -use, and support smartphone and mobile device access. Water Usage Tracking The system should allow customers to see how much water they're using and how much they're spending, during the billing cycle. Another useful capability would be to support customers in establishing a monthly water budget. Sometimes referred to as "threshold billing," clients can specify an amount of money /water they want to spend /use each month and be alerted if they're consumption is trending to exceed that value. The system could provide positive pressure and value to the customer by entering a default amount that is the average consumption for similar users. Leak Detection & Notification The EPA estimates that "the amount of water leaked from U.S. homes could exceed more than I trillion gallons per year. That's equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined."' Copyright 0 2012 AmCOBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities _ 7 _ The system should be able to detect a variety of leaks- -e.g., continuous and intermittent - -and facilitate proactively notifying customers so that problems can be fixed quickly. The system should also support alerting the provider when meters have been tampered with, or are not operating properly. Irrigation Efficiency Irrigation efficiency is a key area where water utilities can share their expertise to help customers maintain healthy, vibrant landscapes while using the least amount of water. Most consumers don't know the basics of landscape area, evapotranspiration (ET) and irrigation requirements (IR). And they certainly don't know how these factors can be used to avoid over - irrigation. If the provider can combine these elements, calculate an accurate IR for each account, and then present the information in a way that consumers can easily understand and use it, they can substantially reduce the amount of wasted water that is unnecessarily poured on residential and commercial landscapes each year. Cloud -based Hosting A solution that is Web -based and hosted in the "cloud" offers a cost - effective option for most water utilities. Given that utility budgets are tight, the Software -as -a- Service (SaaS) model is ideal because it requires no hardware or software to purchase or install, and no onsite IT resources for support. Cloud -based systems can be configured for security, data is continually backed up, and they can scale easily to support large numbers of users. Versatile Data Analysis The system should manage large data sets seamlessly and incorporate statistical analysis in order to extract usable information from the data. It should support viewing data in varied ways by different staff members performing different roles. It should accommodate adding other measurements in the future. Configurability Each utility will have different requirements so the customer engagement system needs to be configurable. It should support different stakeholders- - customers, utility personnel, and management - -by giving them access to the tools and data they need to perform various tasks. Copyright © 2012 AmCoBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities -8 - Integrated Task Management As utilities engage with customers across multiple communications channels, they'll want to record these interactions and manage follow -up tasks. For example, your customer service team may try to contact an account but not get through and need to schedule a follow -up. The water operations team may need to visit the customer site to make meter repairs. The conservation team may need to provide individualized assistance to help an account solve an irrigation problem. Whatever the tasks, utilities will want to assign, classify, and track them. The solution should support this process, provide visibility to management, and offer supportive workflow and notification to ensure things get done efficiently. Management Reporting see re In addition to delivering useful information to customers, the solution should enable "big picture" or macro -views that management is interested in E fi ? seeing. If management can see trends and summary information, forecasting ,, J and planning is easier, and they can make more informed decisions. Customer Engagement is Here and Now Customer engagement solutions offer powerful leverage for water utilities. Your organization already has useful data and lots of know -how. If you synthesize these elements and proactively deliver them to the customer in a variety of channels, you can measurably improve the customer experience. Not only will you establish greater trust and build stronger client relationships, you'll change from "the utility that just sends customers bills" to "the utility that cares and is helping clients save water and money." It's easy to get started with customer engagement solutions, and you'll see results quickly. Customers want your help, and many will actively collaborate with you. They just need a little motivation and the right tools. The solutions are affordable, they can be implemented easily, and they have the power to transform your organization. - End - Copyright©2012 AmCoBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities - - Customer Engagement for Water Utilities Breakthrough Technologies that Improve the Customer Experience About AmCoBi AmCoBi develops Web portal solutions that help water utilities improve customer engagement, customer communications, and water conservation results. These solutions enable water providers to deliver actionable information to their customers so they can save water, save money, and be more efficient. Designed for utilities that use fixed base, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and mobile Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems, AmCoBi solutions increase customer satisfaction, encourage client self - service, and deliver unmatched value. Endnotes I. Wikipedia: http: / /en. wikipedia.org /wiki /Social_proof 2. http: / /www.epa.gov /WaterSense /pubs /fixleak.htmi American Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc. (AmCoBi) P.O. Box 51356 Colorado Springs, CO 80949 -1356 Tel: (877) 410 -0167 E -mail: Sales @AmCoBi.com Website: www .AmCoBi.com /AquaHawk- Alerting Copyright © 2012 by American Conservation & Billing Solutions, Inc. Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of AmCoBi. For permission, contact Sales @AmCoBi.com. Copyright © 2012 AmCoBi White Paper I Customer Engagement for Water Utilities -10-