VertexOne, a leading provider of cloud software designed to revolutionize the customer experience within the energy and utility industry, is pleased to be wrapping up this year’s 49th annual IUCX (formally CS Week) Conference on a celebratory note after its client, the City of Round Rock, Texas, took home top honors in two categories at this year’s IUCX’s Expanding Excellence Awards.
The city was honored for its leadership in digital engagement and project innovation, including a multi-phase customer portal initiative that helps residents gain greater control over their water usage and avoid high-bill surprises. The recognition capped off a high-visibility week for VertexOne, which launched its new customer engagement engine, VXconnect, on the first day of the conference.
Built on the foundation of proven value and functionality, VXconnect, was reimagined from the ground up as a single, unified SaaS system designed to help energy and utility providers evolve engagement, drive efficiency, and scale for what’s next.
A panel of IUCX judges selected winners in six categories – including four company, and two individual awards – with two of the four company categories featuring two winners based on company size: Level I for utilities grossing more than $1 billion in revenue, and Level II for those with an annual gross below $1 billion.
Innovation in Digital Engagement – Winner, City of Round Rock, Texas
The City of Round Rock, Texas taking home IUCX’s Innovation in Digital Engagement award, which salutes utilities that showcase technologically complex projects that improved services in the meter-to-cash CX lifecycle through digital engagement.
Round Rock awarded for their two-phased customer payment portal project which they undertook to empower customers with real-time usage information and customizable alerts for leaks and consumption thresholds to make informed decisions and avoid high bills.
IUCX Rising Star Award – Winner, Debbie Seman, City of Round Rock, Texas
Additionally, the City of Round Rock’s Utility Billing & Revenue Supervisor, Debbie Seman, was individually bestowed one of two distinguished 2025 Rising Star Awards for spearheading the utility’s consumption portal project, where she collaborated with IT, various departments and vendors as its project manager.
Seman, heralded specifically for her, “remarkable talent for implementing creative problem-solving techniques, approaching challenges collaboratively and refining processes with an unwavering can-do attitude,” according to her nominator. Adding that her excellence in “streamlining processes, introducing innovations, and fostering a positive work environment” as other accolades typical of Seman’s work ethic.
“Watching Round Rock succeed on this stage is incredibly meaningful,” said Keith Ahonen, SVP of Partners and Channels at VertexOne and former COO of Accelerated Innovations, acquired by VertexOne in December 2024.
“It’s gratifying to see the evolution – not just of the technology, but of the outcomes,” Ahonen added. “This kind of recognition shows how collaboration and innovation can come together to create real results.”
“These awards spotlight what’s possible when utilities have both a strong vision and the right tools to bring it to life,” said VertexOne Chief Operating Officer Tina Santizo. “Round Rock’s success reflects exactly why we built VXconnect; to empower forward-thinking teams with a unified, modern solution that moves beyond engagement into impact.”
Earlier in the week VertexOne leaders contributed to three high-impact IUCX sessions addressing key customer experience challenges and future-facing strategies:
- Reaching vulnerable customers through proactive, personalized engagement
- Advancing water conservation with data-driven personalization
- Transforming passive customers into active participants through behavior-based incentives.
IUCX is the premier educational and networking conference serving electric, gas and water/wastewater utility professionals across North America and around the world. It provides learning and connection opportunities in support of the utility CX lifecycle: Billing & Payments, Contact Center, Credit & Collections, Digital Engagement, Disruptors, Field Services, and Strategies & Analytics.
Click here for more information and a full list of this year’s slate of IUCX’s 2025 Expanding Excellence Award (EEA) winners and finalists.