Charming, Funky, and Innovative

Wilson, North Carolina has always embodied innovation. Once considered the “World’s Greatest Tobacco Market,” Wilson now stands as the largest manufacturing base in Eastern NC. It is charming, funky and innovative, featuring the world’s largest collection of whirligigs and boasting the state’s fastest internet speeds.

Following our exploration of Morrisville’s smart city journey, we continue our series with Wilson’s own digital evolution.

This article explores how Lithios partnered with Wilson to tackle the challenge of fragmented utility management systems and create a unified digital experience for residents. As cities increasingly turn to mobile apps to engage their citizens, the MyWilson portal demonstrates how thoughtful solutions can simplify everyday tasks while strengthening community connections.

Discover how this collaboration transformed residents' interaction with essential services and how the city’s future plans continue to position itself as a leader in smart city initiatives.

‍

The Collaboration Backstory

Before the City of Wilson began working with Lithios, their citizens were juggling multiple utility accounts across different websites. The process to manage essential services was time consuming and frustrating.

“We had a handful of unique challenges since our utility and broadband systems run on different software but share an almost identical customer base,” said Matthew G Nestor, Wilson’s Assistant Director of Finance, “Our goal was to provide a unified online customer experience that merged the two systems into a unified UX.”

In late 2020, the City of Wilson partnered with Lithios to create an intuitive platform where residents could manage all their city services in one place. The team focused on integrating water, power, and internet services into a single, cohesive experience, eliminating the frustration of navigating multiple systems.

After thorough development and testing, MyWilson was launched in early 2024, marking a significant milestone in Wilson’s smart city journey. MyWilson not only simplifies life for residents, it also equips city administrators with better tools to manage issues, track customer data, and deliver a more responsive service to the community.

‍

Where We Are Now: MyWilson in Action

Today, MyWilson serves over 21,000 validated users and has more than 12,00 unique monthly logins. The platform has become an essential part of daily life for Wilson residents. Furthermore, it has processed over 240,000 payments since its launch, demonstrating its central role in how citizens interact with city services.

“Combining what was previously two separate websites with separate logins, wallets, flows and visuals was extremely well received,” said Nestor. This consolidation has eliminated the frustration of managing multiple accounts, creating a seamless experience that residents have embraced.

While the shopping-cart style payment system remains the most heavily used feature, the portal offers much more than simple bill payment. "We provide granular utility meter data to our customers that allows them to monitor and analyze their usage patterns to find efficiencies and, hopefully, savings," explains Nestor.

During Wilson’s unusually cold weather this past winter, many residents reported using the meter data to observe how temperatures affected their usage in real-time. Some even experimented with thermostat adjustments to see the immediate impact on their consumption, empowering them to make informed decisions about their energy use.

‍

What’s to Come: Expanding MyWilson’s Potential

Looking ahead, the City of Wilson has ambitious plans to further enhance MyWilson. The platform's success has created a strong foundation for expanding digital services that will continue to simplify life for residents while increasing engagement with city resources.

"We have plans to incorporate two-way messaging," says Nestor, highlighting the city's commitment to improving communication between administrators and citizens. This feature will transform the portal from a one-way information source into a dynamic communication channel where residents can get real-time assistance with their utility questions and concerns.

Another key initiative on the horizon is the integration of additional city resources into the MyWilson ecosystem. "We hope to add access to more city resources through MyWilson to eliminate 'login fatigue' and increase usage of those services," continues Nestor. 

As Wilson continues to grow as a smart city, MyWilson will evolve alongside it, empowering residents with even more tools to understand their utility usage patterns and manage their services efficiently.

‍

Continuing Wilson’s Digital Evolution

Just as the iconic whirligigs showcase Wilson's creative spirit, MyWilson demonstrates its commitment to innovation and digital transformation. This smart city initiative has improved residents' daily lives, with over 21,000 users and 240,000 processed payments testifying to its community impact.

As the city implements two-way messaging and integrates more resources into the platform, Wilson continues to embody a smart city with cutting-edge solutions. MyWilson proves that when technology is thoughtfully applied to address specific community challenges, it results in more than just convenience. It ultimately builds a stronger, more connected city.

‍