Press Release

Lake Saint Louis, Mo., March 13, 2019 – National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of software and solutions to utility and telecommunication companies, has expanded its SmartHub® web and mobile app into the smart home. SmartHub’s new voice assistant functionality allows utility consumers to access the app via a Google Home or Amazon Echo, just by using their voice. "One of our goals as an organization is to keep our solutions at the forefront of technology," said David Bonnett, NISC vice president of product management. "The new voice assistant functionality in SmartHub takes advantage of the latest innovations in the smart home to help give consumers an easier way to interact with their utility." SmartHub allows utility consumers to interact with their utility provider anytime, anywhere via the web or a mobile device. Launched in 2012, SmartHub allows consumers to pay their bill, view their usage and interact with their provider by submitting outage updates and receiving important news right at their fingertips. The new voice assistant functionality takes SmartHub into the smart home. These new features allow users to utilize their Amazon Echo or Google Home devices to interact with their utility similarly to how they would when using the SmartHub app. Consumers can ask their device to talk to their utility and perform a variety of tasks like checking account balance and news updates, getting payment history, checking outage information and soon making a payment. "Consumers value convenience," said Nate Boettcher, NISC product line manager. "SmartHub's voice assistant functionality helps to continue leveraging new technology to give consumers options on how and when they communicate with their utility." For more about SmartHub's voice assistant capabilities, visit www.nisc.coop. About NISCNational Information Solutions [...]

Lake Saint Louis, Mo., March 7, 2019 – National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of software solutions to utility and telecommunication companies, is sponsoring and exhibiting at NRECA's TechAdvantage Conference & Expo March 10-13 in Orlando, Fla. NISC will be exhibiting in Halls B4 and C of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Monday, March 11, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, March 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expo attendees are encouraged to stop by booth No. 1678 to hear the latest in NISC innovations, test drive solutions and speak one-on-one with our dedicated regional business managers. Visitors will also have an opportunity to check out NISC's new SmartHub Voice Assistant, combining the features of NISC's SmartHub web and mobile app with smart home devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home. Attendees will also have a chance to win an Apple iPad or a Google Home Hub. TechAdvantage is the leading technology event for professionals in the electric cooperative sector, focused on new innovations and critical technologies that will be instrumental for electric cooperatives' success in the future. The conference brings together thousands of attendees from across the country in departments including engineering, information technology, energy services, operations and supply management. For more information on TechAdvantage, please visit www.techadvantage.org. Annual Meeting to Provide NISC HighlightsIn conjunction with TechAdvantage, NISC will be hosting its Annual Meeting Sunday, March 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Valencia D, located in the west concourse of the Orange County Convention Center. NISC president and CEO Vern Dosch alongside the vice presidents and representatives from NISC's Board of Directors will report on NISC's finances, [...]

Lake Saint Louis, Mo., Feb. 13, 2019 – National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of software solutions to utility and telecommunication companies, announced the 2019 NISC workshops schedule in preparation for another exciting year of learning opportunities for NISC Members. NISC’s workshops are an integral piece of the continued education provided by NISC each year. They provide an opportunity for NISC staff to connect one-on-one with Members and discuss key features of the iVUE Enterprise software. Workshops also enable NISC Members to collaborate with one another, build relationships and share stories about how their organization uses NISC’s software.  “We are so excited to continue enhancing our workshops and to add even more dates to the schedule for this year,” said Jasper Schneider, NISC vice president of Member & Industry. “Though our annual Member Information Conference is our main learning event, the workshops enable us to work with NISC Members directly, providing one-on-one instruction and guidance, and really connect with our Members on how to best utilize NISC solutions for their organization.” NISC’s workshops are also one of the features highlighted in NISC’s new advertising campaign, Membership Amplified. The advertisements, which will run in industry publications including NRECA’s RE Magazine and NTCA’s Rural Telecom Magazine, focus on the key identifiers that set NISC apart, the unique advantages of partnership and how Members play an integral role in every aspect of the technology cooperative. The campaign will continue to highlight different NISC features throughout the year. NISC’s first workshop of 2019 will be held Feb. 20-21 at San Luis Valley REC in Monte Vista, Colo. To learn more about the 2019 NISC Workshops and to view the full schedule, please visit the NISC Community. To [...]

Lake Saint Louis, Mo., Feb. 1, 2019 – National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of software solutions to utility and telecommunication companies, will be sponsoring and exhibiting at NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association’s Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & Expo (RTIME) Feb. 3-6 in New Orleans, La.

Tool kit includes animations, digital content and marketing materials to spread cyber security awareness and safety More than 130 large-scale targeted breaches occur in the United States each year, and that number is growing by 27 percent each year. (Accenture) The average cost of a malware attack on a company is $2.4 million. (Accenture) Ransomware attacks are growing more than 350 percent annually. (Cisco) For every one of these statistics, there are hundreds more. Cyber security threats loom. Attacks are intensifying. Every second, hackers are targeting people, homes, small businesses and international corporations. The urgency is real, and National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) is responding. October brings National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the technology cooperative has added another tool in its cyber security arsenal, with the launch of CyberSense, a free educational toolkit available to organizations nationwide. Designed specifically for rural electric cooperatives, public power utilities and telecommunications companies, the kit includes three short animated videos, downloadable bill stuffers, social media content and retractable banners. "Our target audience is end consumers/customers," says Jeff Nelson, NISC general counsel and vice president of Information Security and Risk Management. "Awareness starts at home. If we can bring a cyber security culture into our homes, we are not only providing a service to our communities, but we're helping to mitigate threats and strengthen our nation against these cyber crimes." NISC's leadership in cyber security extends into its software solutions, with a full suite of solutions designed to help Members protect their organizations from attacks, including training modules, detection and response solutions, endpoint protection, perimeter defense tools and vulnerability management solutions. "As a technology cooperative, it is our responsibility to arm our Members with premier protection solutions so they [...]