The EnSite Safari Suite^® application contains a dedicated component infrastructure for Utility Data Interface operations. Since this is a common need for any energy marketing client, and there exists a defined set of basic transaction set definitions for utility-marketer operations, the application incorporates a robust data interface for utility interaction.

This component allows the definition, import and export of transaction data related to all common utility operations, including such things as enrollment, metering, billing, payments, and others. The component utilizes a common XML data interface format, which can be mapped both incoming and outgoing to virtually any defined file format. The component was designed with EDI in mind, but does not rely on strict EDI transaction formats. This allows the component to be utilized in any market utilizing electronic utility data interfaces.

The need for customized business logic was anticipated in the design of the component, which features fully customizable sets of transaction logic for each unique combination of transaction set, utility, commodity and customer class/type. Many of the business logic parameters are implemented in user-configurable settings for ease of maintenance and expansion in new markets. Because the component code is separate from the rest of the application, the full flexibility of program customization is always available as well.