Navigating a changing ETRM market
While the energy market is changing rapidly, so too are the software vendors that provide the ETRM solutions to deliver efficiency, effective risk management and offer market advantage. Over recent years there has been a spate of acquisitions by larger companies. At the other end of the scale, there is a regular stream of new entrants. This, together with the evolving nature of the energy market that this software serves, means that the ETRM landscape can be difficult to navigate.
At Contigo software, we believe that those looking to procure an ETRM solution should carefully consider the vendor’s structure, size and approach, as well as how its solution will meet their business requirements.
The energy sector requires a high level of expertise and flexibility from its ETRM solution. It also requires a collaborative and responsive approach. The trend for more super-sized software vendors could potentially leave clients short-changed in terms of these important attributes. Many acquisitions are of overlapping software suites or products with the focus to gain market share rather than improve customer benefits.
Businesses that are able to operate on an independent basis, with a focused approach, can be best placed to deliver the most effective solutions in this demanding market.
Contigo supplies award winning energy trading and risk management solutions for the European markets and already has a strong reputation for leadership in innovation, rapid implementations and the capability to react quickly to changing market requirements. Now part of the Energy One Group, it continues to operate autonomously and maintains its reputation as a reliable independent supplier, but also benefits from being part of a larger team with deeper skills and a breadth of capability.
Together, Energy One and Contigo have a wealth of energy trading software development experience and market knowledge. This partnership has created opportunities to collaborate and further develop best of breed systems to enable generators, retailers, producers and traders to manage their entire wholesale trading portfolio.
The renowned enTrader and enVoy products are continuously being enhanced to meet the needs of present and future customers. The products adopt a modular approach, meaning solutions are tailored to customers’ needs. The latest developments include business intelligence with a Power BI adaptor, capability in short-term trading and increased market access integration for both UK and Europe. The solutions are already fully cloud compliant, meaning users can scale up and down as demand changes. This will provide all the advantages of a multi-tenanted platform, but with the added benefits of supporting bespoke customisations.
The software giants may be growing ever larger but I believe that energy businesses can benefit from choosing a more focused, independent approach. The energy market is having to become more flexible and agile; so should the best fit ETRM partner.