Aptumo, the cloud-based water customer billing solution powered by UK-based Echo Managed Services, has launched its Australian business with the opening of a Melbourne office, following recent growth and further expansion opportunities in the country.
The SaaS utility billing software provider recently implemented its solution at Victoria’s Coliban Water, and has also been selected as the preferred solution for a second Victoria-based water company, amidst growing interest in both Australia and the UK of the benefits the software can bring.
Aptumo’s Australian business – Aptumo Australia – will be headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, and the team on the ground will support sales, project implementations and existing client support alongside colleagues in Aptumo’s existing 110-strong team in the UK and India.
Aptumo has also announced two significant hires to its new Australian operations – the appointment of Tony Kelly AM as a new non-executive director, and Richard Harris as general manager of Aptumo. Tony, ex Managing Director at Yarra Valley Water, has more than 30 years’ experience in the water industry and was also recognised in this years’ Queen’s Australian Birthday Honours list for significant service to the sector.
Richard has 30 years’ experience working in a variety of software and technology related roles, and was most recently chief information and technology officer at Hunter Water, New South Wales, where he was a member of the executive management team and established and led business transformation functions within the company.
Aptumo, whose pioneering billing software is built on the Salesforce platform, is building the foundations for further expansion in the Australian market, helping more water companies to transform their customer and stakeholder management systems to deliver a better and more cost-effective customer experience.
Monica Mackintosh, Managing Director of Echo Managed Services, said, “We’re thrilled to open our new business in Australia, and establish a permanent base in Melbourne. Our team on the ground are looking forward to supporting the sector and continuing to share our water billing expertise and knowledge, following increasing interest in our next-generation software.”
Andy Mack, Product Director of Echo Managed Services, added, “We are delighted to appoint Tony as a non-executive director of the business, marrying our knowledge of water billing with his in-depth understanding and experience of the Australian water sector to cement great foundations for the future. Richard is also a fantastic addition to the senior team, and has extensive experience of overseeing significant technology improvements and implementations in the water sector.”
Tony Kelly, Non-Executive Director at Aptumo, commented, “Aptumo is a very exciting product, built by vastly experienced water market experts specifically for the needs of the water sector and its customers. Native to Salesforce, it offers rich out of the box functionality and huge flexibility, helping water companies improve productivity and offer their customers more choice and better service. I am delighted to join the team as a non-executive director and am looking forward to the journey ahead.”
Richard Harris, General Manager of Aptumo, said, “It is an exciting time to join the Aptumo team, as it continues to gain momentum and interest from a number of water utilities. I can’t wait to get started and help lead Aptumo on its growth journey, whilst supporting the water sector to continue to improve customer experience and drive digitalisation.”
