Harris NorthStar becomes NorthStar Utilities Solutions.

OTTAWA, CANADA - Harris NorthStar, a utility software division of Harris Computer Systems, changed both its name and visual identity this week to emphasizes its single-minded role in the utility marketplace. The 33-year veteran of CIS design and implementation is now simply called NorthStar Utilities Solutions ("NorthStar").

The change was made for clarity. "We want to be precise about what we do and the customers we serve," says Rob DiMurro, NorthStar's long-time general manager. "NorthStar Utilities Solutions is 100 percent dedicated to providing enterprise level solutions to utilities and municipal governments. We provide utilities with integrated solutions for customer information and billing, financial management and meter data management. Our more than 200 customers in North America and the Caribbean benefit from solutions that allow utilities to manage their revenue, deliver superior customer service and improve efficiencies while reducing total cost of ownership."

With its identity change, NorthStar has also introduced a new logo that echoes the simplicity of the name. The unmistakable symbol is a three-dimensional letter N (for North) with a star at its upper right edge. NorthStar's parent company, Harris Computer Systems, has grown steadily since building its first utility customer information system in 1976. Growth has come through diversification beyond the utility space into sectors including local government, education and health. Yet the NorthStar division remains steadily focused on utilities alone.

About NorthStar Utilities Solutions

NorthStar is the one of the utility sector's foremost developer of enterprise-level customer, billing, financial-management, and meter data management solutions. An industry innovator, NorthStar's has been early to market with new proprietary solutions that significantly reduce a utility's cost of ownership. The company has managed hundreds of data conversions, and has proved expert at transitioning utilities from legacy systems to modern utility applications.

The company makes software applications that manage more than seven million utility accounts each month. These applications fall into three product lines: CIS, Financials, and Meter Data Management. NorthStar Utilities Solutions maintains a strong, active network of customers and partners, and has shown an unmatched ability to understand changes in regulatory and compliance trends, and leverage these opportunities to better support its clients. Among NorthStar's advantages are its seasoned managers and staff, more than 60 percent of whom worked directly in the utilities sector before joining.