Innovation on the Floor: A Vendor’s View from EMACS 2024
The exhibit floor at EMACS 2024 buzzed with energy, showcasing the bold direction utility technology is headed. As a vendor, you walk into a landscape where every booth promises to solve a critical challenge or unlock new opportunities, and this year was no different—companies delivered.
From the moment you entered, it was clear that the future of utilities is in seamless customer engagement, operational agility, and smarter tech integration. Vendors were demonstrating how they’re not just meeting the expectations of today’s utilities but pushing the envelope toward what’s next.
At the heart of the floor, DataCapable stood out for how it continues to evolve situational awareness in a way that utilities can no longer do without. Our real-time customer-facing outage maps, AI-driven threat detection, and community portal software empowers utilities to see what’s happening as it unfolds—whether it’s outages, severe weather events, or other critical incidents.
As we walked the floor, we saw that others were taking similar paths, bridging gaps in utility operations and customer interaction through AI, automation, and enhanced payment systems. InflowCX and Interactions brought forward customer experience (CX) strategies powered by AI, helping utilities interact more intelligently and proactively. Their platforms are designed to streamline everything from inbound customer calls to predictive alerts, transforming the way utilities think about engagement during both day-to-day operations and crisis events.
The exhibit also hosted key players in the payment space like InvoiceCloud and ACI Worldwide, who are actively reshaping how utilities manage their billing interactions. They’ve taken the traditionally fragmented payment process and made it frictionless, creating a more secure and user-friendly experience for customers. This type of innovation doesn’t just enhance CX—it builds trust and convenience at critical customer touchpoints.
On the side of grid management, GridX brought forward new solutions that showed how utilities could handle the complexity of dynamic billing systems and the integration of electric vehicles (EVs). It’s no longer about simply managing energy; it’s about optimizing every facet of how that energy is delivered, billed, and consumed.
At EMACS 2024, one thing became clear: utilities are moving toward a future where technology is an enabler, not just for customer interaction but for building more agile, resilient operations. As vendors, we’re playing a critical role in that evolution, and with innovations like real-time data integration and AI-driven insights, we’re driving the change that utilities need to thrive in an increasingly complex energy landscape.
DataCapable
At DataCapable, we understand the critical need for rapid and accurate information during emergencies and outages. Our suite of solutions is meticulously designed to revolutionize the utility industry. Our comprehensive platform leverages the latest in AI and machine learning technologies to provide utilities with unparalleled operational insights and enhanced decision-making capabilities. To discover how the DataCapable Platform can assist utility companies like yours, please schedule a demo.
About the Author: David Fay, CISSP
David spearheads business development and marketing initiatives at Datacapable, where he leverages his extensive expertise in developing critical security control strategies and tactical implementations tailored to the utility industry. With a broad background in leading, planning, and executing complex technology projects, David ensures that solutions align with and drive business objectives.
