What Northstar Utilities Solutions does

NorthStar Utilities Solutions is a private Canadian software company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario (1 Antares Drive), providing customer information and billing systems (CIS) and related customer-experience software specifically built for water, gas, electric, and wastewater utilities, as well as municipalities operating multi-service utility operations. Founded in 1976 as the original business unit of Harris Computer Systems, the company operates today as a division of N. Harris Computer Corporation, which in turn is a division of Constellation Software (CSU). NorthStar serves over 200 utility customers across North America and the Caribbean, with explicit geographic exclusions covering the United Kingdom, European Union, and European Economic Area. The product portfolio is organized as a configurable platform-plus-modules architecture: the core NorthStar CIS7 Suite (cloud or on-premise deployment) anchors billing and customer master data, complemented by SilverBlaze (web customer portal), mCare and Service-Link (mobile workforce management), CustomerConnect (consumer engagement), NorthStar Cloud (managed AWS hosting), Managed Security Services / Covalence (24/7 MDR), Personalized Video Engagement, plus Business Process Reviews and Technical Services consulting. The technical stack is cloud-native and hosted on AWS with Tier 3+ data centers, SOC 2 Type 2 controls, PIPEDA and CCPA compliance, with PCI DSS handled through partner InvoiceCloud for payment processing.

The business model is enterprise SaaS-plus-services targeting utility and municipal decision-makers through direct field sales, supported by an event-driven go-to-market motion (Diamond/Platinum sponsorships at APPA, AWWA ACE, EDIST, IUCX, MISAC, CS Week, plus multiple regional user groups and the Harris Customer Training Conference). Revenue is generated across four streams: software licensing and subscriptions (recurring, cloud or on-premise), cloud and managed services, professional services including implementation and business process reviews, and add-on modules (mobile workforce management, customer engagement, advanced reporting). Pricing is quote-based, tailored to utility size, services offered, deployment model, and module selection, sold under multi-year contracts; no public pricing tiers are disclosed. Customer segments span water utilities, electric utilities (public power and cooperatives), gas utilities, municipalities/local governments operating their own utilities, and multi-service utilities, with go-to-market emphasis on small-to-mid-sized municipal and cooperative customers rather than large investor-owned utilities.

Competitive positioning rests on nearly 50 years of utility-domain specialization, deep operational integration with customers (which produces high switching costs), and a comprehensive product portfolio covering the meter-to-cash and customer engagement lifecycle. Recent strategic activity has focused on product extension (Service-Link launch in March 2024), strategic ecosystem partnerships (KUBRA in February 2024), and continued mobile product rollouts (SilverBlaze Mobile App at Alameda Municipal Power in January 2025 and Kings Mountain in March 2026). The parent-company relationship with Harris/Constellation provides operational scale and capital allocation, but NorthStar competes in a market where utility digital transformation demands are accelerating and where newer entrants increasingly bring AI-native capabilities that NorthStar's current product portfolio does not yet address.

Name

Northstar Utilities Solutions

Legal name

NorthStar Utilities Solutions

Website

https://northstarutilities.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NorthStar Utilities Solutions is an Ottawa-based private software provider of customer information and billing systems (CIS) for water, gas, electric, and wastewater utilities across North America and the Caribbean, serving 200+ utility customers as a division of Harris Computer/Constellation Software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Customer Information Systems (CIS) Software

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Self-Service & Customer Portals (web/mobile, e-bill, notifications, consumption dashboards) (EUANAIAI), Customer Self-Service Portals & Digital Experience (Web/Mobile) (EUAJAHAK), Customer Information System (CIS) Administration & Configuration (EUAJAHAF), Customer Onboarding, Move-In/Move-Out & Account Maintenance (EUAJAHAH), Customer Satisfaction, QA & Performance Analytics (VoC, NPS/CSAT) (EUAJAHAN)

Keywords

• Utility billing software
• Customer information systems
• Mobile workforce management
• Managed cloud hosting
• Utility cybersecurity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Core CIS software licensing including cloud-hosted (SaaS) and on-premise deployment options. Revenue generated from software subscriptions with different deployment models.
2. Cloud and Managed Services: Fully managed cloud hosting, infrastructure management, and security services bundled with or separate from core software licenses.
3. Professional Services: Technical services including implementation, setup, configuration, business process reviews, and ongoing technical support.
4. Add-on Modules and Extensions: Additional modules such as mobile workforce management (mCare, Service-Link), customer engagement tools, and advanced reporting capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Northstar Utilities Solutions develops and sells customer information system (CIS) software, mobile workforce management applications, customer self-service portals, and managed cloud hosting and cybersecurity services for water, gas, electric, and wastewater utilities. The company also delivers professional services including business process reviews and technical consulting to support utility client operations across North America and the Caribbean.

Product overview

NorthStar Utilities Solutions provides a unified platform-plus-modules architecture for utility customer experience management. The core of the offering is the NorthStar CIS7 Suite — a Customer Information and Billing system available as cloud-based or on-premise deployment — which serves as the central system of record for utility customer data, billing, and operations. The CIS integrates with complementary modules including SilverBlaze (web-based customer self-service portal), mCare / Service-Link (mobile workforce management for field dispatch and staff), CustomerConnect (consumer engagement self-service tools), and NorthStar Cloud (managed AWS-hosted cloud infrastructure). Additional add-on services include Managed Security Services / Covalence (24/7 MDR cybersecurity), Personalized Video Engagement, Business Process Reviews (consulting), and Technical Services (infrastructure hosting and maintenance). The portfolio is designed to address the full meter-to-cash lifecycle and customer engagement needs of modern utilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SilverBlaze: Utility Billing Customer Portal - a web portal designed specifically for utilities that prioritizes customer needs with self-service options.
• Service-Link
• mCare
• Covalence
• CustomerConnect
• CIS7 Suite
• NorthStar Cloud

Products and services

• NorthStar CIS7 Suite Core customer information system (CIS) suite for water, gas, electric, and wastewater utilities handling billing, customer management, and back-office operations.
• SilverBlaze Customer Portal Web-based customer self-service portal enabling utility customers to access account information, pay bills, and manage service requests.
• mCare Mobile Workforce Management Mobile workforce management application designed for utility field crews to dispatch, track, and complete service work orders.
• Service-Link Mobile workforce management solution for utility field operations, enabling technicians to receive work orders, capture field data, and complete service tasks.
• NorthStar Cloud Managed cloud hosting solution built on AWS infrastructure that hosts Northstar utility applications with operational support.
• Covalence Managed Security (MDR) Managed detection and response (MDR) cybersecurity service providing 24/7 monitoring and threat protection for utility IT environments.
• CustomerConnect Consumer engagement platform designed to improve interactions between utilities and their end customers through digital channels.
• Personalized Video Engagement Personalized video communication tool that allows utilities to deliver tailored video messages to individual customers for billing, service, and outreach purposes.
• Business Process Review Services Consulting engagement where Northstar analysts review utility client business processes and recommend operational and system improvements.
• Technical Services Technical consulting and implementation services supporting deployment, configuration, and optimization of Northstar software for utility clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68% increase in self-service e-payment adoption
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KUBRAcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 February 2024Strategic partnership announced February 2024 to elevate NorthStar's billing, payment, and customer communications experience. KUBRA's customer experience management solutions complement NorthStar's end-to-end CIS solutions, fostering a strategic partnership for enhanced utility customer communications.
• InvoiceCloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint solution provider for payment processing and electronic bill presentment. Dalton Utilities case study shows successful integration resulting in 68% increase in self-service e-payment adoption, 150% paperless enrollment, and 64% AutoPay enrollment increase.
• SilverBlaze SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to release mobile app for utilities. Kings Mountain partnered with SilverBlaze Solutions to provide mobile customer engagement capabilities powered by NorthStar infrastructure.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCloud infrastructure provider for NorthStar Cloud. AWS provides Tier 3+ data centers with full redundancy, SOC compliance, and enterprise-grade security for utility customer data hosting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tyler Technologies: Tyler Technologies' Munis / Tyler Utility Billing platform sells a directly comparable suite of utility CIS, billing, and citizen-self-service software to U.S. municipalities and counties — the same buyer that NorthStar's CIS7 Suite, SilverBlaze portal, and CustomerConnect modules target.
• Cogsdale: Cogsdale is a sister division within Harris Computer / Constellation Software, providing utility ERP and customer service solutions for water, wastewater, and electric utilities. It is the closest internal comparable to NorthStar and the most natural benchmark for vertical-market CIS economics.
• Vertex Inc: Vertex's utility billing and customer engagement solutions overlap with NorthStar's CIS, bill presentment, and self-service functionality for small and mid-sized utilities and municipalities.
• Advanced Utility Systems: Another Harris Computer / Constellation Software utility CIS division (specializing in wastewater and water districts). It targets the same small/mid-municipal utility buyer with a comparable CIS-plus-portal architecture, making it a directly relevant internal comparable.
• CentralSquare Technologies: CentralSquare's public-sector ERP and utility billing suite directly competes with NorthStar's municipal utility customer information and billing offering, including citizen self-service portals and payment features comparable to SilverBlaze.

Broad incumbents

• Oracle Utilities: Oracle's Customer Care and Billing / Opower suites serve investor-owned and large municipal utilities with an end-to-end CIS, MDM, and customer-engagement stack that competes with NorthStar at the upper end of the market and as a platform threat over time.
• SAP for Utilities: SAP's industry solutions for electric, gas, and water utilities offer CIS, billing, and customer engagement as part of a broader ERP suite, providing large-incumbent competition to NorthStar, particularly for utilities looking to consolidate vendors.
• Infor (Hansen CIS): Infor's Hansen CIS for water and electric utilities is a long-standing competitor in the utility customer information and billing market, with overlapping capabilities in billing, AMI, and customer engagement that directly rival NorthStar's CIS7 Suite.

Emerging players

• Trimble Unity: Trimble Unity offers cloud-based utility asset, GIS, and mobile workforce solutions that overlap with NorthStar's mCare/Service-Link mobile workforce and SilverBlaze portal, particularly for water and wastewater utilities modernizing away from on-premise CIS.
• Clevest Solutions: Clevest provides mobile workforce management and field-service automation specifically for utilities, competing most directly with NorthStar's Service-Link and mCare modules and pressuring the workforce-management leg of the suite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HarrisNorthStar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northstar-utilities-solutions

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Northstar Utilities Solutions