At its 2011 Annual Meeting held in Orlando, FL, members of the National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) heard reports on a strong financial performance, Director elections and new products and relationships.
In his report to members, Board Chairman Larry Hinz said that NISC’s 2010 was a year of record revenues, at more than $120 million, and margins, at $3.1 million. “The current fiscal year has also started off strong,” he said. “While I won’t make any predictions, NISC’s 2011 financials could set another record. “
Chief Executive Officer Vern Dosch, reflecting on NISC’s tenth anniversary celebrated last July, said, “NISC can say to our member owners, we’ve had the highest membership growth, the highest sales, highest margins, highest equity, highest cash, and I believe that what we’ve seen in the last ten years will pale in comparison to what we’re going to see in the next ten years.”
Dosch told Members that NISC’s commitment to research and development is key to its success. “This is the most significant part of our budget,” he said. “The Board approves more than $20 million annually to invest in emerging technologies, new products and enhancing and maturing existing products,” he said.
During his presentation, Dosch used an Apple iPAD to demonstrate a new NISC consumer energy management application. “NISC is moving iVUE software towards applications,” Dosch said. “For 45 years, our software has been used in the office. And then software reached out to the field through support of the lineworkers. Then to consumer on Web sites; and now we are working on iPad, iPhone and Android apps.” He added that this kind of software will add a new dimension to how NISC members serve their consumers.
Dosch reviewed recent discussions between NISC and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative. He said that the Boards of both organizations have passed a joint resolution confirming the intention of working together. “This is a commitment to search out ways to best use our collective resources to benefit our members,” he told the audience.
During the meeting, Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative, Cambridge Springs, PA was the subject of a video which highlighted the co-op’s use of NISC software to enhance service to its members.
Michael Goodroe, president and CEO of Sawnee EMC, Cumming, GA addressed the audience, talking about the importance of technology planning at the co-op. ““We invested in technology,” he said. “We knew it would be a requirement to meet our needs.” Goodroe added that Sawnee EMC encourages and empowers its employees to be innovative, and, “to look for those things that drive us in a direction to deliver not only the value proposition that our members ask us to deliver, but also that quality of service that separates us from other utilities.”
NISC Chairman Larry Hinz presented the results of Director elections for open Board seats held during the fall 2010 utility and telecom Member meetings. At the Annual Meeting, Members ratified the election for the three-year terms of:
- Michael (Mickey) Miller, District 3, Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative, Kentucky,
- Delbert Smith, District 10, Lamb County Electric Cooperative, Texas, and
- Larry Knegendorf, District 11, Baldwin Telecom, Wisconsin.
Also, during the NRECA Annual Meeting, in sessions held during TechAdvantage, NISC announced that it had successfully integrated Lockheed Martin’s SEEloadTM Demand Response Management Solution (DRMS) with NISC’s cloud-based Meter Data Management System (MDMS). The integrated NISC and Lockheed Martin solution establishes a complete path for smart meter data, from a distribution system’s smart meter all the way to the power supplier.
NISC also announced that its Meter Data Management System now supports Sensus FlexNet™ Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) network.
