Applying the Web to Your Energy Business
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"Energy Companies and the World Wide Web" was developed by Infocast and <%=company%> to specifically address Internet issues unique to the energy industry. Scheduled for February 16-18, 1999 in San Francisco, the conference features an impressive roster of speakers from the energy industry. Three focused sessions examine vital topics in today's electronic business environment: e-commerce, applying the Web to your business, and using the Internet to offer new, web-based products and services. Each of these is specifically tailored to the energy industry.
In these early years of using this new medium, many of us may fail to realize that effective web use requires a fundamental shift in our thinking. Much like the way earlier electronic media, such as radio and TV, revolutionized the way our society obtains information, the Web is impacting that and other areas of the energy business arena. And using the Web to conduct energy business is a lot different from traditional methods. For instance, developing and maintaining an effective corporate Website may well require far greater resources and capabilities than producing a corporate brochure or annual report. Of course, as energy companies are finding out every day, the rewards are often correspondingly high.
"Energy Companies and the World Wide Web" begins with a session designed to help attendees recognize and plan for making this paradigm shift in their energy business communications. After first considering some striking online success stories in other industries (i.e., Preview Travel and Dell Computers, to name a few), the session leaders will focus on the keys to successfully using a web presence to develop closer relationships with the customers of energy companies.
If you've spent any time at all this holiday season keeping your modem line busy rather than standing in line at the mall, you've already realized that one of the biggest areas of application of this new communication medium is electronic commerce. Energy companies are venturing into this new medium for "bread and butter" activities such as electronic billing services. And with good reason. Public Utility Fortnightly recently noted that electronic billing costs are $1.97 per bill less than traditional methods.
Other companies are moving beyond the billing milieu to offering energy-related products or services electronically. For instance, Alliant Energy Resources is offering a mail order catalog featuring home electronics, safety items, and power tools. Consumers can shop online in a secure environment. To help energy professionals assess the value of e-commerce in their own companies, the Infocast conference is devoting an entire session to this topic, featuring presentations on electronic bill presentment, electronic commodity sales, and load-shaped information services.
Unique Web-based Products & Services
The fact that you're reading this column demonstrates the value of the Internet as a tool for offering unique products and services. Perhaps chief among these is industry news and information. Poweronline.com, and other sites such as Energy Central, provide up-to-date information on industry trends, business news about specific energy companies, and information on upcoming requests for proposals. Other sites offer industry specific market research for energy company business and strategic planning.
Other products and services are also being offered via the Web; many energy companies are already using the Web to reserve transmission capacity and to complete ancillary services transactions through the Open Access Same-time Information System (OASIS). Here in California, the Independent System Operator (ISO) furnishes its clients, referred to as scheduling coordinators, with essential account information and system data, via its web site.
Just as we are learning to use the Internet to obtain the information we need to do our jobs and complete various energy transactions, energy companies are also using the Web to find another valuable resource-personnel. Many energy companies now advertise extensively on the Web, enabling them to broaden their search for talented professionals worldwide beyond the circulation of the nearest metropolitan newspaper and a few industry publications.
Recognizing these trends, Infocast has developed a session focusing on these specific areas. Respected experts, such as Wayne Greenberg, president of E Source, Inc., and Steve Heiser, managing editor of Power Online, will explore the explosion of energy information business applications on the Web and how they might fit into specific business strategies. Other topics in this session will include using the medium as a personnel recruiting tool.
On a personal note, I'm delighted to join with E Source in sponsoring Infocast's first-ever Web conference for energy industry professionals. We believe we've succeeded in creating a program that will help your company maximize its profits through effectively using the Web medium. See you in San Francisco!
To register for this conference, call Infocast at 818/902-5400, or log on to www.informationforecast.com.
Steve Hoffman is president of <%=company%>, a California-based firm that specializes in writing for the energy industry. His column appears every Monday on poweronline.