Press Release

Enterprise, Broadband Solutions Becoming More Important to Utility Providers Across the Country Lake Saint Louis, Mo., May 21, 2018 — National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of software and solutions to utility and telecommunication companies, has long been a supporter of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and its members. The IT Cooperative continues to strengthen its presence in the region with the addition of City of Dayton Utilities in Dayton, Tenn., Decatur Utilities (DU) in Decatur, Ala., Murray Electric System (MES) in Murray, Ky. And Sequachee Valley Electric Co-op (SVEC) in South Pittsburg, Tenn. “TVA has been essential to the southeastern United States as an energy provider and partner in economic development,” said Jasper Schneider, Vice President of Member & Industry for NISC. “We’re excited to continue to be the technology partner to SVEC, MES and Decatur Utilities and help them utilize technology that’s critical to their systems and improving the quality of life of their service areas.” SVEC is a distribution cooperative serving more than 34,000 residences and businesses across 3,000 miles of line and 14 substations in southeastern Tennessee. SVEConnect, a subsidiary of SVEC, will provide Fiber to the Home service to the residents of Marion County, Tennessee. SVEConnect will leverage NISC’s experience in the broadband industry to utilize iVUE Connect Service with broadband functionality for their customer care, billing and accounting needs. “We are excited to work with NISC on our fiber deployment,” said Mike Partin, CEO of SVEC. “Having a partner who understands the broadband industry, in addition to the electric industry, is important to us as we begin this new venture. iVUE Connect will make our deployment more efficient for our employees and ultimately our members.” MES offers [...]

The technology cooperative has launched NISC Operations Analytics, an integrated analysis platform for engineers and system operators of electric systems. Lake Saint Louis, Mo., May 3, 2018 — National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), an IT cooperative serving utilities and telecommunications organizations worldwide, announced the launch of NISC Operations Analytics (OA), an integrated platform for engineers and system operators of electric systems, which harnesses hourly AMI reads and the granularity of time-series data for better decision-making. “NISC Operations Analytics is a true paradigm shift,” said Todd Eisenhauer, NISC vice president of Strategy & Operations Solutions. “It changes the way utilities manage and operate for their distribution network, giving users greater visibility into system performance.” Leveraging a time-series approach, NISC Operations Analytics allows users to look beyond peak system analysis to better grasp real system performance. Data gleaned from NISC’s Meter Data Management System (MDMS), GIS, and Members’ Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) allows users to create realistic models and run calculations to make better-informed decisions. The core engine of NISC Operations Analytics is provided by EDD’s Distributed Engineering Workstation (DEW), which can analyze interval AMI data in a detailed electrical model, allowing it to be thoroughly vetted. Users can review large quantities of data collected over long periods of time, and identify trends and patterns in usage to make better planning and operational decisions. Previously, Verendrye Electric Cooperative, Velva and Minot, N.D., had been using seasonal models to make approximations, often over or underestimating equipment sizes and having to redo installations in the field. With the deployment of OA, Verendrye has saved time and money, properly sizing equipment in the field thanks to the ability to analyze real, hourly meter data. “At Verendrye, we see the implementation of OA as [...]

Lake Saint Louis, Mo., February 28, 2018 — National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), an IT cooperative serving utilities and telecommunications organizations worldwide, has reached 50 years in business and kicked off a year of celebrations at the 2018 NRECA TechAdvantage Conference in Nashville, Tenn., and the 2018 RTIME Conference in Austin, Texas. "A 50-year technology cooperative is really something rare," said Vern Dosch, NISC President & CEO. "We wouldn't be here without the support of our Members and the dedication of our employees, and I'm very grateful to everyone for helping us hit such a tremendous milestone." NISC was the product of a merger between Central Area Data Processing (CADP) in Missouri and North Central Data Cooperative (NCDC) in North Dakota in 2000. The two technology cooperatives have been providing IT services to utility and telecommunications companies since the late 1960s, many of which are still Members today. At TechAdvantage and RTIME, NISC recognized 29 utility and telecom Members that have been with the organization for 50 years. Today, NISC serves more than 860 independent telephone companies, electric cooperatives and other public power entities. "It's so exciting to see the dream of one NISC realized," Dosch said. "We are not done. I can't wait to see what the next 50 years bring to NISC, because it’s going to be exciting, innovative and absolutely driven by our Membership." As part of NISC's 50th anniversary celebration, the company launched a charitable component called Giving 50@50. The organization raised $50,000 – half of which came from NISC employees. During the NISC Annual Meeting at TechAdvantage, NRECA CEO Jim Matheson and NRECA International Senior Vice President Dan Waddle joined Dosch on stage to accept a $25,000 donation to NRECA [...]

The technology cooperative has launched iVUE Connect® Service, a web-based customer service and provisioning solution that provides functionality for utilities deploying broadband solutions. Lake Saint Louis, Mo., January 4, 2018 — Today National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of software and solutions to utility and telecommunication companies, announced the launch of iVUE Connect® Service, a web-based customer service and provisioning solution that provides functionality for utilities deploying broadband solutions. "Rural America is making great strides in deploying broadband," said Jasper Schneider, NISC Vice President of Member and Industry. "Utilities are finding areas where their members are underserved, along with upgrading their infrastructure to prepare for the future. With the release of iVUE Connect Service, NISC will ensure that these rural utilities deploying broadband will not only go fast, but also far." NISC's iVUE Connect solution takes the iVUE Enterprise System beyond the desktop into the cloud. IVUE Connect Service focuses on customer service, making it easier for staff to assist customers by finding information more quickly in a web-based, user-friendly environment. NISC's iVUE Connect Service is more than just a customer service tool. It's a unified Customer Care & Billing (CC&B) platform that enables NISC Members to provide the full complement of triple-play telecommunications services including auto-provisioning. It also supports all the needs of the contemporary utility enabling a smarter grid. David Bonnett, NISC Vice President of Product Management, says the cloud-based functionality will allow utilities greater flexibility and improved user experience. "Our unified solution will allow utilities offering broadband service more efficiencies in serving their customers by finding information in a web-based, user-friendly environment. The software isn't just a traditional CIS package, but one that can handle a variety of tasks that [...]

Technology cooperative welcomes Butler Electric Company into its Membership Lake Saint Louis, Mo., October 12, 2017 — National Information Solutions Cooperative® (NISC), a leading provider of software solutions and services for utility and telecommunications organizations worldwide, is excited to announce it will now provide software services in all 50 states in the United States after signing its newest Member, Butler Electric Company, based out of New Jersey. The largest software cooperative in the country, NISC serves more than 820 electric utilities and telecommunications companies across the U.S., Canada, American Samoa and Palau. "True to name, we are National and NISC is pleased to welcome Butler into our membership," said Jasper Schneider, NISC Vice President of Member & Industry. "Our partnership with Butler marks our presence in all 50 states, but also marks significant progress toward serving municipals and the public power sector. We are pleased to expand our services into this market." Butler Electric Company is operated by the Borough of Butler in New Jersey and serves approximately 12,000 customers in Kinnelon, Bloomingdale, Butler and small portions of West Milford and Riverdale. The Borough has continuously operated the electric utility since the early 1900s, and today Butler Electric Company is a $30 million operation. In 2012, Butler invested in Aclara TWACS® Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and soon realized that in order to take full advantage of AMI data, they also needed to deploy robust customer care and billing solutions that are  fully integrated with work management, meter data management and outage management solutions. NISC's iVUE Enterprise System, along with other NISC mobile and data-management solutions, are able to provide an integrated system paired with a proven track record of working with Aclara's TWACS AMI. "We [...]

St. Louis, Mo., September 28, 2017 — National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC®), a leading provider of technology solutions to utility and telecommunications organizations worldwide, hosted its annual Member Information Conference (MIC) in St. Louis, Mo. More than 2,300 attended the event, which was held September 26-28. The IT cooperative’s annual event draws users from all over the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and Canada. With more than 180 learning sessions ranging from Accounting to Billing to Engineering, the MIC is NISC’s premier learning event. Traditionally the MIC has been held over two weeks, but this year, the MIC was streamlined into one. The new format allowed for three keynote speakers, including NISC President and CEO Vern Dosch, CIA Director (2013 – 2017) John Brennan and Global Marketing Expert David Seda. Industry Enterprise Sessions were also hosted by the NISC Executive Team, focusing on industry trends and challenges and how to increase operational efficiencies while reducing costs with NISC’s solutions. "What defines NISC is our service to our Members and spirit of innovation, and the MIC is our way to demonstrate both," said Jasper Schneider, Vice President Member & Industry. The NISC Board of Directors also hosted a Board Meeting during the event. Normal business operations were discussed as well as the approval of new Members of the IT cooperative. At this meeting, the NISC Board approved a new Member from New Jersey, and with that approval, made NISC software now present in all fifty states. "I always marvel at the NISC Membership’s dedication to service," said Vern Dosch, NISC President and CEO. "We keep that in mind when we develop our solutions, so Members can continue to provide that reliable, dedicated service for years to come." [...]

St. Louis, Mo., September 28, 2017 — National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC®), a leading provider of technology solutions to utility and telecommunications organizations worldwide, announced engagement solutions for both utilities and telecoms, focused on empowering Members to connect with their customers in new and innovative ways. "As technology rapidly evolves, so too should Members' approach in providing their customers with the services and tools necessary to meet their growing needs," said Valerie Kniffen, Engagement Lead at NISC. "NISC offers a wealth of solutions to assist Members in developing efficient and effective operations keeping the customer in mind." With engagement tools such as Messenger, SmartHub Marketing, iVUE AppSuite and CalltoOrder, NISC's solutions provide options to strengthen customer relationships thoughtfully and intentionally, not only through electronic communications, but through a variety of processes and functions. NISC is also unveiling a newly redesigned, easy-to-use Community, which is NISC’s internal online community for Members and employees. Members can also now explore new possibilities in printing and customizing bills with the help of iVUE Automated Mailroom Services (AMS). AMS allows Members to create visually appealing printed statements, notices and letters and mail them to end-users at the lowest possible first-class postage rate. "Working with NISC's AMS department in creating a new bill for our partners was a truly enjoyable experience," said Kaye Bernard, Chief Operating Officer at MiEnergy in Rushford, MN. "There were many ideas to pull from; our merged co-op created a full-color presentment opportunity to create more information for our account." About NISC National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) is an information technology organization that develops, implements and supports software and hardware solutions for our Members/Customers. We deliver advanced solutions, services and support to more than 820 independent telephone [...]

St. Louis, Mo., September 27, 2017 — NISC has elevated its efforts to help its Members defend themselves against ever-present and ever-evolving cyber security threats. During the 2017 NISC Member Information Conference (MIC), NISC’s annual premier learning event held in St. Louis, Mo., the technology cooperative announced NISC CyberDetect is now available for implementation as part of its recently launched Cybersecurity ServicesSM offering. NISC is working with security and IT industry leader Rapid7 (NASDAQ: RPD) to provide NISC CyberDetect. Powered by Rapid7’s Incident Detection and Response solutions and services (InsightIDR, Managed Detection and Response), NISC CyberDetect is a fully managed and monitored service designed to detect threats and respond immediately, 24/7. “NISC has great trust in Rapid7 and their incident detection and response technology," said Jeff Nelson, NISC Vice President of Information Security & Risk Management. "We used their offering internally to protect our network and are pleased to now offer it to our Members." The launch coincided with a general session address from John Brennan, CIA Director (2013-2017), who shared insight on how to think about and act quickly in response to events and concerns that can affect your organization, including ever-increasing cybersecurity threats. "NISC is able to leverage the size of our collective Membership to offer a leading-edge technology and 24/7 managed service offering through NISC CyberDetect that otherwise would be prohibitively expensive for most Members," said Nelson. "Our Members will now be able to have seasoned security experts from Rapid7, our valued partner, monitor their systems for intrusions, malicious activity and other threats while at the same time receiving support for NISC CyberDetect directly from NISC." NISC Cybersecurity Services offers a complement of solutions to protect vital operational data: NISC CyberAcademy – [...]

Mandan, N.D., August 30, 2017 — For the fourth consecutive year, National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) has been recognized by Prairie Business magazine as one of the 50 Best Places to Work in the northern plains. Earlier this year, employees nominated companies by submitting an anonymous employee-satisfaction survey, which sought out input on each employer’s benefits, workplace culture and employee morale, among other factors. Prairie Business received more than 1,000 nominations from employees from around the region according to Tom Dennis, Prairie Business editor. “The 50 Best companies clearly recognize employee satisfaction as one of the keys to productivity and profitability,” Dennis said. “That comes through in the surveys over and over again. We all know how hard we’ll work to satisfy a good manager. Turns out people feel the same way about the companies they work for – and when an employer goes the extra mile for its workforce, the workers go all out to return the favor.” The 50 Best Places to Work award is now in its fourth year, and the businesses have been honored in the magazine’s September issue. “This award is an honor for NISC because it is truly driven by the employees and their satisfaction working here," said Kari Reichert, NISC Vice President of People Services. "We are constantly looking for ways to bring a more fulfilling experience to the staff at NISC, as they are the cornerstone of NISC's success. This honor for the fourth consecutive year is an affirmation we are working in the right direction to ensure our employees feel appreciated and empowered.” About NISC National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) is an information technology organization that develops, implements and supports software and hardware solutions for our [...]