In the spring of 2007, UtiliPoint International, Inc. began a survey of European energy traders and utility companies with the objective of benchmarking and understanding their trading application and IT environment, application portfolio and levels of integration. In some respects, the study was similar to that conducted by UtiliPoint in North America in 2004. The survey did not ask about their ETRM software solution but rather the systems used around it and the levels of integration between them. The current study also looked at the IT architectures and infrastructure that support the broader trading business function.

This report provides a view of the levels of maturity of the different application areas around trading & risk management in Europe. For completeness, data has also been utilized from other UtiliPoint reports including the 2007 Benchmarking of European ETRM Software study, the North American survey referenced above and the 2005 North American Gas Company study.

The CommodityPoint TRM Vendor Perception study is repeated every two years and represents a view of how users and prospective buyers perceive the market landscape. By capturing a representation of user and buyer perceptions about the vendors in the space much is learned regarding market maturity and the overall evolution of TRM software. This study was conducted during the first quarter of 2009 and represents user and buyer views as of the close of 2008.

The survey indicates that the TRM software market landscape is becoming increasingly dominated by a group of transnational vendors and products that includes OpenLink Financial (OLF), Triple Point, SunGard Energy, Allegro Development, SolArc and Ventyx. Other vendors have a higher degree of importance in particular geographies (for example Navita in Europe and OATI in North America) or in particular industry segments (e.g. TradeCapture in Crude Oil and other segments, Abacus Solutions in the Generation segment and so on). In terms of brand recognition, this smaller group of more dominant vendors is increasingly well known.

The study was kindly sponsored by Navita and supported by SolArc

This breakthrough survey of European users of Energy Trading, Transaction and Risk Management (ETRM) software was conducted by UtiliPoint International, Inc. during November and December, 2006 and January 2007, and fifty valid responses to the survey instrument were collected. The fifty responses include a variety of ETRM users and recommending companies across the broader European Union. Responses were obtained either by interview or by completion of an internet-based version of the questionnaire.

The report details the findings of the study including;

• - ETRM vendor brand recognition in Europe
• - Who is the perceived market leader and why
• - Installed base among respondents
• - What European buyers want in a new ETRM system
• - Replacement rates and procurement rates in 2007 and beyond
• - Where buyers go for vendor and product information
• - And a comparison with North American ETRM buyers