Industry
Utilities & telecoms
High volume, many routine requests: AI agents for meter readings, tariffs and bills, outage communication at peak times, payment reminders with consent checks. Documents for your NIS2 obligations on request.
Requirements
What matters in customer contact.
The requests, rules and peaks that shape this industry – and how Univerx answers them.
Meter reading, instalment, move
Routine requests make up the daily work. AI agents resolve them on the phone and in chat and act in connected systems.
When the network fails
During an outage everyone calls at once. Announcements, proactive notices and callbacks absorb the wave.
Tariff changes and advice
New tariffs raise questions. The agent sees contract, consumption and open items and advises in the conversation.
Bills and payment
Reminders and payment plans via Outbound, with call windows, suppression lists and consent checks.
Planning for annual bills
Billing season is predictable. Forecasting and scheduling set up the team in good time.
Critical infrastructure
Energy and telecoms fall under NIS2. Documents on supply chain, reporting lines and evidence on request.
#High volume, lots of routine
Utilities and telecoms providers talk to a great many people about recurring topics. Meter reading, instalments, moving house, bills, tariffs. Each request is simple; together they tie up the team.
Univerx separates routine from advice. AI agents resolve recurring requests on the phone and in chat. The service agent takes over when it comes to advice, complaints or exceptions.
#Automating routine, with clear limits
A voicebot takes the meter reading by voice, reads it back for confirmation and records it in the connected system. It is disclosed as AI, acts only in approved systems and hands over with context when unsure.
| Request | Who takes it on |
|---|---|
| Submit a meter reading | AI agent on the phone or in chat |
| Change an instalment | AI agent, with rules and a log |
| Tariff advice | Service agent with Univerx Assist |
| Complaint | Service agent, with history and callback |
#Advice with context
A tariff change, a complaint or a move with special circumstances needs a person. The desktop shows contract, consumption, recent contacts and open items. Univerx Assist suggests replies from the knowledge base and cites the source.
After the conversation, Assist summarises what was agreed. The summary goes into the case, and the service agent checks it before saving.
#When everyone calls at once
A network outage creates a wave of calls within minutes. Univerx sets out an order that is planned in advance and takes effect when it matters.
- Announcement: one central outage message in IVR, chat and self-service.
- Notice: notifications to those affected, with updates.
- Callback: a callback instead of hold for everyone who wants to talk.
- Planning: short-term scheduling for the next few hours.
The post When everyone calls at once describes this order in detail.
#Payment with respect
Reminders and payment plans are part of daily business. With Univerx Outbound they run via SMS, email, messaging or call, with call windows, suppression lists and consent checks. More in the collections use case.
#NIS2 and critical infrastructure
The NIS2 Directive (EU) 2022/2555 lists energy and digital infrastructure, including public electronic communications services, among the sectors of high criticality. Univerx supports your obligations with documents on request; see NIS2 in the Trust Center.
Building blocks
The capabilities behind it.
These capabilities and add-ons carry the solution. Each one is described on its own – with flow, use and rules.
- Univerx AI
AI Agents
AI agents understand the request, act in connected systems and hand over to people with context. On the phone as a voicebot, in chat as a text agent, always disclosed as AI.
Learn more - Univerx AI
Voicebots
AI agents on the phone: they understand natural speech, clarify the request, act in connected systems and hand over to people with context. Disclosed as AI, available around the clock.
Learn more - Univerx Contact Center
IVR & self-service
Voice menus and speech dialogues resolve simple requests around the clock. Those who need a person arrive with context, and instead of hold music there is a callback on request.
Learn more - Univerx Outbound
Notifications
Automated reminders and notices with no agent involved: appointment confirmations, delivery status, deadlines, outage information. By SMS, email, messaging or voice message, with a way to reply.
Learn more - Univerx Workforce
Scheduling
Scheduling turns forecast demand into shift plans that meet service levels and respect the rules. With a swap board, preferred shifts, exceptions and real-time adherence.
Learn more
Use cases
Flows teams here start with.
From first contact to resolution: the use cases that often come first in this industry.
Peak load & crisis communication
When everyone calls at once: inform proactively, offer callbacks instead of hold, let AI agents answer the most frequent question and reset teams with forecasting and short-term scheduling. In an order that has been planned in advance.
Self-service around the clock
AI agents resolve routine requests on the phone and in chat, at any hour. They are disclosed as AI, act only in approved systems and hand over with context as soon as a person is needed.
Collections
Payment reminders that stay respectful: tiered notices by SMS, email, messaging and call, payment plans in the conversation or in self-service, call windows, suppression lists and consent checks through Univerx Outbound and Journeys.
Contact centre modernisation
A guided move to the cloud, channel by channel rather than everything in one weekend. Connect existing telephony step by step or replace it via SIP, train teams and hand over operations without customers noticing.
Rules & evidence
The regulations that apply here.
How Univerx meets the requirements is in the trust center – with a status per topic and documents on request.
NIS2
NIS2 obliges companies in essential sectors to manage risk, report incidents and secure their supply chain. Univerx is a link in that chain and is designed to support your duties with documents and clear reporting lines.
Designed forLearn moreSecurity & availability
Encryption in transit and at rest, identity and access management, network and API security, multi-zone availability and continuity plans: what Univerx is designed for so your customer service keeps running.
Designed forLearn moreEuropean Accessibility Act
Since June 2025, Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act has applied to many consumer services. Univerx sets accessible customer interfaces as a goal: WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549 for web messaging, the Univerx Channel and self-service.
Designed for · WCAG 2.1 AA as a goalLearn moreEU AI Act
AI disclosure in dialogue, human oversight, logging and model approval: Univerx is designed for the duties of the AI Act. Which risk class your use case falls into, we work out together.
Designed forLearn more
Frequently asked questions
Which requests can AI agents take on in utilities?
Typical ones are meter readings, instalment changes, moving house, bill copies and status questions. You define what the agent may do; every action is logged.
How does Univerx help during a major outage?
With one central announcement in IVR and chat, proactive notices to those affected, callbacks instead of hold and short-term rescheduling of teams.
Can we keep our existing telephony?
Yes. Existing phone systems can be connected step by step or replaced via SIP. You set the pace.
Does the Accessibility Act apply to telecoms services?
Yes, electronic communications services are among the services the European Accessibility Act names. Univerx is designed for WCAG 2.1 AA in customer interfaces.
Further reading
Guides2 November 2026 · 11 min readIntroducing AI agents responsibly
Disclosure, handover, permissions, logging, approval and measurement: what should be settled before an AI agent goes live in customer service – step by step, with a checklist for the project team.
Guides2 November 2026 · 11 min readWorkforce planning in the contact centre: the basics
Forecasting, staffing requirements, scheduling, adherence and capacity: how the parts of workforce planning fit together, which terms you need, where working-time law and co-determination come in, and where best to start.
Contact centre2 November 2026 · 5 min readWhen everyone calls at once: communication during outages
In an outage, the best answer is the one that arrives before anyone has to ask. A sequence for the first few hours.
Contact centre30 October 2026 · 5 min readCallback instead of hold: a small switch with a big effect
Waiting is unavoidable when more people call than there are seats staffed. Your customers do not have to stay on the line while they wait.
See Univerx on your own example.
In a demo we show the platform along your channels and requests, from AI agents to video, workforce scheduling and analytics.
Online, in German or English, with no preparation on your side.