Retail Energy Providers (REPs) or RE Marketers (REMs)?
We have been searching for the genesis from where the acronym “REPs” came from. I think the word “Providers” subconsciously does not position most of our REPs for higher success. I do not think our REPs provide anything. I believe they are Retail Energy Marketers (REMs). I am glad that our friends at EMC introduced the word “M” instead of “P”. It would be more awkward to call the EMC conference “EPC Conference”.
Some may argue, “what’s in a name?”. Logically, a name should not be a big deal. But I think subconsciously, a name can be an identity and drive our focus and priorities down a sub-optimal path. We have been fortunate to serve a majority of the REP brands in the USA and a few of the brands in Canada and Europe. I see some patterns of their technology spend which is closer to them being a provider than a marketer. For example, our customers’ highest technology spend is in billing systems. 
I am not suggesting that REPs do not know what they are doing. The truth is far from that. There are several reasons for this. Most of the large and medium-sized REPs have 3 or more billing engines. Dozens of enrollment websites. We also know that these situations exist because historically different markets were open at different points of time. There was a frenzy to be an early entrant to a market to support a land grab strategy. Compromises were made. Sub-optimal decisions were taken. These REPs have been successful, and those compromises and sub-optimal decisions are proving to be a detriment to being nimble and effective. I am hoping that REPs will make a move to become REMs. Otherwise, I have no doubt that there will be Netflix/Amazon-type players who will displace the Blockbuster or Barnes & Noble of this industry.
Saurajit Kanungo is President at Cyber Group, an IT Consulting company that helps companies grow in unison with the ever-changing marketplace by guiding its clients to leverage information technology solutions with fast entry-to-market results.
