History
After more than 26 years of firsthand experience in engineering, computer systems, research and systems integration, Ali Vojdani saw an urgent need for a specialist system integration company – dedicated exclusively to serving the unique needs and business process challenges of the utility industry.
In February of 2002, UISOL began with two employees and the goal of becoming the premier utility industry integration specialist. Together with his wife, Jana – herself a veteran financial manager – he laid the foundation for a company that would deliver innovative solutions to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and flexibility of utility business processes. Soon after, they were joined by Scott Neumann, a respected thought leader in utility integration standards with 20 years experience in the EMS and DMS marketplace.
UISOL has grown rapidly in both revenue and staff — attracting dozens of utility industry technology veterans to a team drawn together by the company’s innovative, employee-centric culture and its utility integration specialist mission.
In the six years since its formation, UISOL has served over 40 utility companies. By 2008, UISOL had tackled some of the largest and most challenging integration and business process transformation projects for many of the largest utilities and market operators in the United States.
Highlights of UISOL History:
- 2002: UISOL founded in Lafayette, California with California ISO as one of its earliest customers.
- 2003: Scott Neumann joins UISOL and the company adds Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) as key customers.
- 2004: UISOL organizes and chairs the first of its annual Utility Integration Conferences. Entering its fourth year in 2008, the conference plays a key role in teaching, provoking discussion, and sharing knowledge on standards and integration strategies.
- 2005: UISOL celebrates its third anniversary, achieving a fivefold increase from first year revenue while signing a national agreement with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) as its MultiSpeak™ integration testing certification agent.
- 2006: UISOL attracts nationwide attention in a successful field simulation in California of the DRBizNet, a multi-year project designed to provide an end-to-end solution to automate demand response business processes, help develop enabling infrastructure and standardize protocols.
- 2006: UISOL launches one of the nation’s largest integration projects for ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the electric grid and manages the deregulated market in Texas. The multi-year nodal market project involves over 400 information flows between more than eight enterprise software systems and over 150 web service interfaces.
- 2006: UISOL nearly triples revenues again while adding key new customers including ERCOT, Sempra and over 15 others.
- 2007: UISOL accelerates its growth – tripling revenue again and more than doubling staff, including key veteran principals with expertise in the distribution, advanced metering, meter data management and smart grid systems markets.
- 2007: UISOL launches its free for public use, licensed CIM Visualizer and Analyzer (CIMvian) tool that provides CIM XML and schema visualization.
- 2008: UISOL adds 10 new customers in the first quarter and garners a 100 % approval rating in its annual customer and employee satisfaction survey.
- 2008: UISOL expands its capabilities for utility distribution companies with dedicated advanced metering and smart grid service programs.
- 2008: UISOL Secures Contract for DRBizNet Demand Response System Roll Out at PJM
- 2009: UISOL Expands its services teams for demand response
- 2009: UISOL Delivers PJM DRBizNet Project on Time and On Budget