News Releases

01 Nov 2014

Convergence Solutions LLC announces the successful implementation of the newest version of its Gas Tracking System with Iberdrola USA's Operating Companies, New York State Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric.

Convergence Solutions LLC (CSLLC) has successfully completed a multi-year project to replace Iberdola USA's (IUSA) operating companies', New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), legacy Customer Choice/Natural Gas Transportation Services nomination and balancing systems with CSLLC's Gas Tracking System (GTS) version 5.

Anna Tiesi, Supervisor - Gas Supply Transportation at New York State Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric., has this to say about working with CSLLC on the GTS implementation and during support over the years at NYSEG and RG&E.

"We have worked with Convergence Solutions in building a customized Gas Tracking System to manage the Natural Gas Retail Access Programs at NYSEG and RG&E. The knowledge and experience they brought to the project made them invaluable and the professionalism displayed in all facets of the process made them a pleasure to work with. Now, after a successful implementation, they still make us feel like their top priority every time we call." - Anna Tiesi

The multi-year project was broken into phases, Business Requirements and Functional Design Definition, Technical Design and Construction and Implementation. Throughout each of the phases, CSLLC delivered every milestone on time and within the phase budget, resulting in the entire project being delivered on time for the 2014-2015 gas season and within the project budget. The IUSA project and management teams have whole-heartedly agreed that this project, completed by CSLLC and implemented using GTS as its core, has been a complete success.

CSLLC was selected by competitive bid in the fall of 2011 to lead the IUSA Business Requirements and Functional Design Definition phase for IUSA's legacy Customer Choice/Natural Gas Transportation Services systems replacement project. Prior to the GTS release in November 2014, NYSEG and RG&E used individualized versions of their in-house systems to manage each company's Customer Choice/Natural Gas Transportation Services programs with business requirements, operational processes and computer technology circa 1997-2005.

The Business Requirements and Functional Design Definition phase of the project captured the requirements for a single application to encompass all necessary business, operations and regulatory functionality for both companies, including numerous tasks that were handled manually. CSLLC team members brought business experience and knowledge to the project and helped less experienced and newer IUSA team members evaluate business practices and methods for implementation in the GTS application. Most specifically, the implementation of many of the Capacity business functions found in GTS version 5 was supported by CSLLC's business knowledge and experience.

Upon completion of the Business Requirements and Functional Design Definition contract, CSLLC won the competitive bid and was awarded the Technical Design and Construction and Implementation contract for IUSA's legacy systems replacement project. This contract was completed over 18 months and culminated with the successful implementation and release of CSLLC's Gas Tracking System version 5 for both NYSEG and RG&E in November 2014 for the 2014-2015 gas business season.

Version 5 of CSLLC's Gas Tracking System allows users to login to a single application and navigate through the system using operational roles that are defined for one or many operating companies that are included in the implementation. GTS version 5 supports similar business practices among operating companies and also accommodates unique operating, regulatory and business practices per operating company included in an implementation.

GTS can be implemented as a CSLLC-hosted or in-house deployment of the application. IUSA has selected the CSLLC-hosted version of GTS for their operating companies, thereby eliminating the need for in-house support of the technical, security and communications infrastructures for GTS. Using the hosted model, IUSA has reduced the support and maintenance costs for managing their Gas Retail Access/Customer Choice management system while increased the system's reliability, support and resolution response times.

CSLLC's completion of all phases of the IUSA legacy Gas Retail Access/Customer Choice systems replacement project not only provided IUSA with the next generation of Customer Choice/Natural Gas Transportation Services management software that meets their business, regulatory and operational needs of today, but it also enabled the business team members to evaluate and learn all aspects of the Customer Choice/Natural Gas Transportation Services business practices used historically as well as those practices used today. The project team also discovered that other groups in the operating companies are reliant on the information processed and housed in GTS, making the application more wide-reaching and business critical than previously understood by IUSA management.

IUSA project and management team members rated this project a 100% success.

About IUSA Operating Companies' Gas Business Units
NYSEG - Delivers natural gas to 256,000 across more than 40% of upstate New York. The NYSEG territory is serviced by 11 pipelines that deliver natural gas to 8 citygates across the region.

RG&E - Provides natural gas energy to 296,000 residents and businesses in a nine-county region centering around the city of Rochester in upstate New York. RG&E territory is serviced by 4 pipelines that deliver natural gas to 1 citygate.

NYSEG and RG&E have offered Customer Choice/Natural Gas Transportation Services options to their customers and nomination and balancing management tools to the ESCOs/Marketers/Suppliers serving their systems since 1997.

About Convergence Solutions LLC
Formed in 2011, Convergence Solutions LLC is a leading provider of Natural Gas Transportation and Customer Choice Management solutions bringing together the most experienced software development team in the industry. Since 1995, Convergence Solutions’ team has worked together applying proven software development processes and professional utility expertise to analyze business operations to develop Natural Gas management solutions.

Gas Tracking System (GTS) is a secured web solution providing natural gas utilities and suppliers a seamless way to manage their Natural Gas Transportation and Choice programs. GTS provides the channel for tracking, accounting and billing of natural gas delivered through interstate pipelines serving millions of natural gas customers being managed by utilities, energy suppliers and pipelines. GTS SaaS managed services provide the security, reliability, performance and highest level of support utilities expect and require.

Convergence Solutions works extensively with their clients in managing their solutions to meet the continuously changing business and regulatory requirements along with providing support for the solutions they have developed and integrated over the past decade.

Take GTS for a Test Run
Are you interested in seeing first hand the features and capabilities of GTS? Schedule a time to view a software demonstration or call 315.635.1695 x111 to speak with a representative.