We developed a secure, smart home IT eco-system for E.ON consisting of new IoT components and cloud services, flexible APIs, automated process control, event management, model-based onboarding of new sensors and analysis of the huge amounts of data generated by connected devices.
In brief
Challenge
Since market deregulation in the 1990s, it’s been easy for consumers to switch between suppliers. Electricity companies need to offer customers a much better service than simply providing electricity. Our challenge was to help E.ON develop a way to do this.
Solution
100Koll is an app-based control system that enables customers to manage electricity in the home. The smart home solution is built on a modern IoT-based service platform. The architecture is designed for continued agile service and business development.
How we did it
Working closely with enterprise architects at E.ON, we developed a new platform for IoT services. We then trialed the service with 10,000 E.ON customers, before rolling out nationally across Sweden.
Benefits
E.ON offers customers added value through Smart Home functionality, transparent usage and billing and potential energy savings. 100Koll meets the immediate needs of the market while catering for future IT and market developments.
About the client
E.ON is one of the largest companies in the European energy markets. The company serves many millions of people in Europe and beyond.
Market deregulation
In 1996 the Swedish electricity market was deregulated. Ever since it’s been easy for consumers to switch between providers. Competition is fierce. Energy companies faced a major challenge: convincing customers that a kWh from their company is better than a kWh from a competitor.
In the main they reacted by developing new websites to improve communication with customers. However, most had limited functionality. A standard “My Pages” menu rarely provided significant added value for people.
This remained the case for many years, but more recently the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened up new possibilities for companies willing to embrace change. We were asked to help E.ON utilize IoT and develop a game-changing service for their customers.
Secure, smart home IT eco-system
E.ON has launched a unique smart home solution. It’s built on the Crossbreed platform for IoT and service integrations which complement the existing IT infrastructure.
A new secure smart home IT eco-system was developed to integrate the existing infrastructure with new IoT components and cloud services. Requirements included flexible APIs, automated process control, event management, model-based onboarding of new sensors and related data models, as well as management and analysis of the huge amounts of data generated by connected devices.
E.ON customers also had to be provided with new hardware – such as temperature sensors – that could constantly relay data while ensuring it remained securely stored for analysis. Moreover, web and app solutions had to be developed reflecting real-time power usage on their screens while enabling customers to control electrical equipment in the home.
100Koll
Today, E.ON no longer only supplies electricity but also an expandable service platform to complement customers’ smart homes.
Developers can now quickly and easily develop apps for mobiles, tablets and computers. These apps, or more complete applications, give the ultimate customer experience on the web or a smartphone, adding value to both E.ON’s customers and E.ON.
With the 100Koll service, E.ON offers a brand new customer experience. The user can actively be online and receive real-time information, compared to the old days when customer interaction consisted mainly of monthly invoices.
What the customer is saying
“With the help of 100koll, we simplify the everyday lives of our customers a little and improve safety in the home. And for those that are environmentally conscious, they can choose to use greener energy. Basically, 100koll is aimed at all solving many of challenges faced by our customers.”
Tobias Övall, Technical Product Manager for 100Koll at E.ON