STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Information Services Group () (Nasdaq: ), a leading global technology research and advisory firm, has launched a research study examining providers of IT and business process outsourcing services and solutions targeted to the utilities industry.

The study results will be published in a comprehensive ISG Provider Lens™ report, called Utilities Industry – Services and Solutions, scheduled to be released in May. The report will cover a range of business process management services, including procurement, HR and customer management, as well as next-generation IT services, including artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Enterprise buyers will be able to use information from the report to evaluate their current vendor relationships, potential new engagements and available offerings, while ISG advisors use the information to recommend providers to the firm’s buy-side clients.

The new report will examine IT and BPO providers as the utilities sector undergoes a major transformation to clean energy, distributed generation and the digital grid, said Bob Lutz, partner, ISG Energy & Utilities.

“Utility companies need to make substantial capital investments to upgrade aging infrastructure, transform distribution and storage systems, harness smart grid technologies and shift to renewables. At the same time, they are under pressure to reduce operational and maintenance costs and improve customer service in an era of economic uncertainty,” Lutz said.

ISG has distributed surveys to more than 50 providers of IT and BPO services and solutions for the utilities industry. Working in collaboration with ISG’s global advisors, the research team will produce three quadrants representing the services and products the typical utility customer is buying, based on ISG’s experience working with its clients. The three quadrants that will be covered are:

• Intelligent Business Process Management Services, assessing business process outsourcing providers that offer a range of business process management services to utility companies, including customer management services, finance and accounting, meter-to-cash, procurement services, HR services, legal and regulatory compliance services, knowledge management, capital project management and document management. Also included are field workforce/services management, maintenance, repair and operations, operational business intelligence and supply chain management services. The nature of these transactions requires a service provider to understand domain and industry specifics, as well as active use of automation and analytics at utility companies.

• Next-Gen IT Services, covering IT service providers that offer managed services, including application development and maintenance services, infrastructure services and systems integration services to utilities customers across the value chain. Services may also include emerging technologies such as automation, analytics and artificial intelligence and IoT. These are aimed at enabling utility companies to increase productivity and efficiency, ensure compliance, minimize costs, optimize assets and maximize customer satisfaction.

• Digital Transformation Services and Solutions, looking at service providers that help utility companies assess, design, build, run and accelerate their digital transformation initiatives. The quadrant will also assess providers based on their capability to innovate, leverage emerging technologies, transform business processes and provide proprietary platform-based solutions. These are aimed at enabling utility companies to enhance customer satisfaction, streamline operations, reduce costs and achieve greater efficiencies.

The report will cover the global utilities market and also examine products and services available in the North American market. ISG analysts Amar Changulani and Sagnik Biswas will serve as authors of the report.

A list of identified providers and vendors and further details on the study are available in this . Companies not listed as providers for the utilities market can and ask to be included in the study.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., France, the Nordics, Brazil and Australia/New Zealand, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this .

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: ) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit .

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