Continental Utility Solutions

What Continental Utility Solutions does

Continental Utility Solutions, Inc. (CUSI) is a privately held Arkansas-based software company founded in 1984 that builds utility billing and customer information system (CIS) software exclusively for municipal utilities and special utility districts in the United States. The company's product portfolio spans four generations of billing software: the cloud-hosted UB4 platform (browser-based, deployed on Microsoft Azure with containerized microservices and Azure SQL) and the on-premise UMS alternative, complemented by the Customer Web Portal (CWP 2.0) for end-customer self-service and payments, the Mobile Meter Reading Service (MMRS) for browser-based wireless meter reads, and a Mobile Service Order application. CUSI serves 1,150+ utilities across all 50 U.S. states, processing 4.2M+ monthly bills through its platform with 150+ existing third-party integrations covering meter vendors (Badger, Neptune, Xylem, Itron), accounting platforms (Sage Intacct, Intuit), GIS, and CMMS systems.

CUSI generates revenue through a hybrid model combining recurring software licensing/subscription for UB4 and UMS, professional services revenue from implementation (averaging 60-70 new utility deployments annually via the proprietary TEAMethodology 6-step process) and ongoing technical support under a 60-minute SLA, managed-services hosting on Azure, transactional fees from bill-form print/mail through OSG, and hardware resale of supported peripherals. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with free training and a $1,195 user-summit ticket as the only published price points.

The company sells primarily through a direct enterprise field-sales motion targeting utility decision-makers, supported by inside sales, account managers, and a dedicated Customer Success organization. Marketing channels include content (blog, quarterly newsletter), annual National User Summit, regional user groups, free virtual trainings, and the CUSI Academy learning platform (100+ modules). The customer base consists exclusively of municipal and quasi-governmental utilities, and CUSI's primary competitive differentiators are domain specialization (40+ years, four software generations), integration breadth (150+ partners), and regulatory-grade security (SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS, NIST 800-171, FIPS). The company is privately held with no disclosed venture or institutional investment and is led by CEO Michael Guerriero, CTO Joe Kerby, CSO David Short, and Director of Customer Success Calandra Short.

Name

Continental Utility Solutions

Legal name

Continental Utility Solutions, Inc.

Website

https://cusi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CUSI is a privately held, Arkansas-based software company that develops cloud-hosted and on-premise utility billing and customer information systems exclusively for municipal utilities and special districts in the U.S., serving 1,150+ utilities across all 50 states with UB4, UMS, CWP, and MMRS products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Billing Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Information Systems (CIS) & Account Management (customer master, service agreements, premise/asset linkage) (EUANAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rate Application, Tariff Setup & Billing Determinants Management (EUAJAHAI)

Keywords

• Utility billing software
• Customer information system
• Mobile meter reading
• Municipal utility management
• Payment processing portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Jonesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing (UB4/UMS): CUSI provides utilities with two excellent options: UMS (on-premise option) and UB4 (hosted application). The hosted UB4 application is cloud-based while UMS is deployed on-premise, allowing utilities to select the deployment model that best fits their unique needs.
2. Professional Services: Implementation services averaging 60-70 successful implementations annually, data conversion services using proprietary tools and processes, training services through CUSI Academy and free virtual trainings, and technical support with performance-based SLAs.
3. Hardware Sales: Sale of supported hardware including receipt printers (Epson TM-L90, Epson Omnilink H6000V), barcode scanners (Honeywell Hyperion 1300g), cash drawers (APG Vasario 16x16), computer systems, printers, and meter reading devices.
4. Managed Services / Hosting: Cloud-hosted solutions with Microsoft Azure infrastructure including security, availability, and operational management. SOC 2 Type II compliant hosting environment.
5. Bill Form Re-Order: Physical bill form ordering and re-ordering service through partnership with OSG for print and mail capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Continental Utility Solutions (CUSI) develops and sells utility billing software and customer information systems for municipal utilities. Its core offerings include UB4, a browser-based hosted utility billing application, and UMS, the on-premise alternative, complemented by the Customer Web Portal (CWP 2.0) for self-service payments and account management, and the Mobile Meter Reading Service (MMRS) for wireless meter data collection.

Product overview

CUSI offers a unified platform-plus-modules architecture for utility management, centered on four generations of Utility Billing software. The core products are UB4 (browser-based hosted utility billing application) and UMS (on-premise option), which handle billing, customer information management, and CIS functions. These integrate with the Customer Web Portal (CWP 2.0) for customer self-service payments and account management, and the Mobile Meter Reading Service (MMRS) for wireless meter data collection. Additional modules include Mobile Service Orders, Communication Tools, and Custom Integrations (150+). CUSI provides implementation services, technical support, cybersecurity services, and CUSI Academy for training. The company also offers a Payment Portal for integrated payment processing, all designed around a Customer-Led Development philosophy that incorporates client feedback into product evolution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UB4: Fourth-generation browser-based utility billing software and customer information system (CIS)
• CWP
• MMRS
• UMS

Products and services

• UB4 (Utility Billing 4th Generation) Browser-based hosted utility billing software and Customer Information System (CIS) for municipal utilities, featuring built-in report writer, configurable administrative dashboards, role-based security, and powerful communication tools.
• UMS (Utility Management System) On-premise utility billing application providing utilities with an alternative to the hosted UB4 platform, allowing deployment on local infrastructure.
• CWP (Customer Web Portal 2.0) Customer-facing web portal that enables utility customers to check usage, view payment history, pay bills online, register for new services, view historical financial and usage totals, and configure communication preferences.
• MMRS (Mobile Meter Reading Service) Mobile meter reading solution that allows utility staff to read meters wirelessly from any internet-enabled device with a modern browser, with high/low usage variance notifications and integration with major meter vendors.
• CUSI Payment Portal Integrated payment processing portal for utility customers to log in, view invoices, and manage bill payments online 24/7, with real-time payment posting and secure tokenized storage.
• Mobile Service Order Application Easy-to-use mobile service order application included at no additional charge that allows management of service orders from any modern internet-enabled device with built-in tools to improve internal communication, reporting, and inventory management.
• Implementation Services End-to-end implementation services for new utility clients including data conversion using proprietary tools and processes, hands-on training, and tailored approach based on client availability and resources.
• Technical Support Ongoing technical support for utility clients available by telephone, email, and online chat from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central, with a 60-minute response time SLA commitment.
• Cybersecurity Services Comprehensive security services for utilities including latest encryption standards, NIST security guidelines compliance, PCI and FIPS compliance, SOC 2 attestation, annual application and network penetration testing, and proactive security monitoring.
• Supported Hardware Devices Tested and recommended hardware compatible with UB4, including Epson TM-L90 receipt printers, Epson Omnilink H6000V receipt printers with check endorsement, Honeywell Hyperion 1300g barcode scanners, and APG Vasario 16x16 cash drawers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased ePayment adoption from 31% to 35%, eliminating over 12,000 office visits per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BluefinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Bluefin is the sponsor and payment processing partner for the 2026 National User Summit. Bluefin provides payment security and encryption technologies for CUSI's payment processing services.
• Sage IntacctcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 December 2024CUSI and Sage Intacct partnered to offer a best-in-class, API-level integration connecting utility billing and financial management. The integration eliminates manual processes, improves financial clarity, and enhances customer satisfaction by automating data transfers between billing and financial systems.
• Neptune (My360)coreTechnology or Integration · 5 December 2024New integration capabilities with Neptune 360 platform bringing together CUSI's Customer Web Portal (CWP) and Neptune's My360 Consumer Portal into a unified experience. Customers can access both platforms with single sign-on, providing transparency into water usage, leak detection, and conservation efforts.
• Output Services Group (OSG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2024CUSI partnered with OSG to enhance utility billing communications, combining advanced billing systems with top-tier printing and mail solutions. The collaboration leverages OSG's Dynamic Messaging system to personalize utility communications and enhance customer engagement. Partnership expected to improve operational efficiencies and help utilities meet evolving customer needs.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Azure serves as CUSI's cloud hosting infrastructure partner. Azure is also SOC 2 compliant. CUSI maintains its own independent SOC 2 compliance rather than relying solely on Azure's compliance, providing dual-layered security assurance.
• Badger MetercoreTechnology or IntegrationBadger Meter is a supported meter vendor integrated with CUSI's billing applications and MMRS mobile meter reading service.
• Neptune Technology GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationNeptune Technology Group is a supported meter vendor with API-level integration through Neptune My360 single sign-on integration with CUSI's Customer Web Portal.
• XylemcoreTechnology or IntegrationXylem is a supported meter vendor integrated with CUSI's billing applications and MMRS mobile meter reading service.
• ItroncoreTechnology or IntegrationItron is a supported meter vendor integrated with CUSI's billing applications and MMRS mobile meter reading service.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Vertex Inc. Vertex provides tax determination, compliance, and indirect tax software across multiple verticals. It is an adjacent technology peer rather than a direct competitor, but is relevant as a comparable recurring-revenue vertical SaaS company of similar scale that has pursued a private-equity-backed growth and platform expansion path.

Direct peers

• SEDC (Southeastern Data Cooperative): SEDC provides utility billing software and customer information systems primarily to water, sewer, gas, and electric utilities in the southeastern United States. It directly competes with CUSI's UB4/UMS in the small-municipal water/sewer billing market with a comparable hosted/on-premise deployment approach.
• Advanced Utility Systems: Advanced Utility Systems, a Harris Computer company, provides Customer Care and Billing (CC&B) software to municipal and cooperative utilities. It competes with CUSI in the mid-market utility CIS space and benefits from Harris Computer's broader portfolio distribution.
• National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC): NISC is a member-owned IT cooperative providing billing, accounting, and operations software to rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, and telecom providers. It is the most direct peer to CUSI in the small/mid-municipal utility billing and CIS space, with overlapping customer profiles and a comparable vertical-specialized go-to-market.

Emerging players

• OpenGov: OpenGov provides cloud-native ERP, procurement, and budgeting software to state and local governments. It is an adjacent rather than direct competitor but increasingly wins municipal RFPs that bundle finance and operational needs, creating substitution pressure on standalone utility billing vendors like CUSI.
• Clevest Solutions: Clevest provides mobile workforce management and AMI/AMR integration software for utilities. While it does not directly compete in core billing, it overlaps with CUSI's MMRS mobile meter reading product and is increasingly used as part of utility AMI rollouts that interface with billing systems like UB4.

Broad incumbents

• Oracle Utilities: Oracle Utilities (formerly Opower and Oracle's customer care and billing products) provides enterprise-grade CIS and billing platforms primarily to large investor-owned utilities. While its typical customer is materially larger than CUSI's, Oracle increasingly targets the mid-market segment and represents a long-tail competitive threat.
• Tyler Technologies: Tyler Technologies is a large public-sector software provider serving courts, schools, and local governments, with utility billing as one module within a much broader suite. It competes with CUSI for municipal utility billing RFPs and bundles utility billing with ERP, payments, and citizen self-service modules that CUSI does not offer.
• Harris Computer Systems (Constellation Software): Harris Computer Systems operates a portfolio of vertical-software businesses serving utilities, public safety, and healthcare through numerous acquired brands. It is a broad incumbent that competes with CUSI in utility CIS/billing through multiple portfolio companies (e.g., Advanced Utility Systems, Adavant) and has the acquisition firepower to consolidate the small-municipal niche.
• SAP Industries & Utilities: SAP provides enterprise utility billing and CIS through its S/4HANA Utilities and IS-U offerings to large utilities globally. It is a broad incumbent rather than a direct small-municipal competitor, but represents the ERP-level alternative that larger municipal or county-level utilities may choose over a vertical specialist like CUSI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/continentalutilitysolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/continental-utility-solutions-inc.
• Xx.com/cusi_tweet

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Continental Utility Solutions