Portsmouth Water has become the first water company to license Octopus Group’s Kraken platform, in a landmark deal for the sector.
The move, which was first revealed by Utility Week in May this year, will see Portsmouth use the customer service platform to manage all of its 324,000 customers.
Kraken currently serves more than 30 million energy customers globally, including several million in the UK via Octopus, Eon, EDF and Good Energy.
Portsmouth Water is the second non-energy provider to adopt the platform, with broadband service Cuckoo recently being unveiled as the first telecoms company to license it.
Kraken said the deal with Portsmouth will allow the company to drive down per capita consumption within the water stressed region – an important regulatory target for the sector.
Furthermore, it said, leveraging the platform will allow the water company to roll out smart meters.
Bob Taylor, chief executive of Portsmouth Water, said: “We are thrilled to be the first water utility to license the Kraken platform, which we believe will provide our customers with a more efficient and transparent service, meanwhile ensuring our systems are safe and secure.
“Most vitally, Kraken will allow us to supercharge the smart meter rollout in the water industry and will help our customers understand their consumption and identify leaks quickly and easily.”
Deepak Ravindran, chief executive of Kraken for Utilities, said: “Portsmouth Water has proven it is one of the most forward-thinking utility companies in the UK, and is committed to improving the water industry through better customer experience and products.
“By partnering with Kraken, Portsmouth Water will be able to unlock new levels of efficiency and benefit from a formula that has seen countless energy companies improve their relationships with customers and regulators.”