# Beyond the Call: Reinventing Utility Customer Engagement with Cloud and AI Tools

By Energy · Published 2025-06-03 · Updated 2026-05-19 · Energy on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/energy/voice-security-as-a-strategic-asset-in-the-utility-industry

> At the 2025 Distributech trade show in Dallas, the focus wasn’t just on the latest in energy infrastructure—it was also on the invisible front line of utility operations: the contact center. With customer expectations rising and regulatory pressure intensifying, utility companies are discovering that outdated voice systems are no longer just a nuisance—they’re a…

## Key points

- Legacy voice systems in utility contact centers are becoming a liability as customer expectations and regulatory scrutiny grow.
- Cloud and AI tools are enabling utilities to modernize customer engagement at scale.
- The 2025 Distributech conference highlighted contact center transformation as a strategic priority alongside physical energy infrastructure.

Block Field

At the [2025 Distributech](https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/events/distributech-2025/) trade show in Dallas, the focus wasn’t just on the latest in [energy infrastructure](https://marketscale.com/industries/energy/understanding-modern-energy-infrastructure-demands-and-resiliency-needs-with-abb/)—it was also on the invisible front line of utility operations: the contact center. With customer expectations rising and regulatory pressure intensifying, utility companies are discovering that outdated voice systems are no longer just a nuisance—they’re a liability. As utility customers demand [more interactive and personalized experiences](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/articles/6464_Consumer-engagement-for-power-utility/DI_Consumer-engagement-for-power-utility.pdf)—combining real-time support with flexible self-service tools—many legacy systems are falling short of delivering on these rising expectations.

So how can [utility providers modernize voice interactions](https://www.accenture.com/ie-en/blogs/utilities/tech-vision-2025-utilities-industry-perspective), protect sensitive data, and drive down operational costs—all without sacrificing compliance?

In the latest episode, host [Troy Cryer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/troycryer/), Connected Experience Advisor for [Verizon Business](https://www.verizon.com/business/en-au/), is joined by [Jerad Johnson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeradjohnson/), the company’s Principal Consultant for Customer Experience. Together, they explore how upgrading voice infrastructure with AI tools and cloud capabilities can radically improve both customer experience and business outcomes.

-  **Cloud-first modernization unlocks powerful features.** Moving from self-hosted systems to cloud platforms allowed one [utility client to integrate AI-powered tools](https://www.plumvoice.com/resources/blog/how-utility-companies-use-conversational-ai/) like [Google Dialogflow and Cisco CCAI](https://www.nojitter.com/customer-experience/decoding-dialogflow-integrating-ccai-with-contact-centers), improving both efficiency and caller insights. 
-  **IVR improvements drive down costs.** By enhancing Interactive Voice Response flows and enabling smarter self-service options, customers are better directed—meaning fewer calls to live agents and a measurable reduction in toll-free minutes. 
-  **Regulatory readiness through better metrics.** The modernization effort didn’t just enhance customer experience—it also provided the tools to track and report on metrics required by industry regulators, improving compliance management. 

Jerad Johnson is a seasoned contact center transformation expert with over a decade of experience in professional services consulting, specializing in platform engineering, systems integration, and process optimization. At Verizon Business, he has led end-to-end implementations involving ICM and VXML scripting, integrated QM/WFM/Analytics tools, and developed scalable workflows that drive operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. His career highlights include deploying over 2,000 contact center agents, managing large-scale global transformations, and delivering multimillion-dollar solution engagements across complex technical and regulatory environments.

*Article written by MarketScale.*

Tags: 2025 Distributech, customer experience, energy infrastructure, IVR systems, Jerad Johnson, Troy Cryer, Verizon, Verizon Business

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