|
Press Release |
|||
|
Astea Client Kunick a Finalist in E-Business Mobile AwardsFully automated service solution identifies, diagnoses and reports remote machine malfunctions, then prioritizes service and sends assignments to field engineers’ PDAs without human intervention.Astea International Inc. (Nasdaq:ATEA), a leading global provider of CRM solutions for companies that sell and service capital equipment, announced that an implementation of its AllianceEnterprise Suite software at Kunick Leisure in the U.K. is among four finalists in an E-Business Mobile Awards Competition sponsored by British Telecom. Kunick’s fully automated service solution identifies, diagnoses and reports remote machine malfunctions, then prioritizes service and sends assignments to field engineers’ PDAs without human intervention.Kunick Leisure is one of the United Kingdom’s largest suppliers of amusement and gaming machines to the pub, club and leisure industry with over 45,000 machines in over 20,000 outlets. Astea integrated AllianceEnterprise with Kunick’s MIDAS (Machine Income Development and Security) system for the automatic call handling and service dispatch, allowing Kunick Leisure to manage machine revenues rather than service response times. "We now have in place a CRM solution that focuses on revenue growth for our customers while providing on-line support and information for everyone involved in customer care," said Alan Merrills, Kunick’s IT manager. The AllianceEnterprise/MIDAS solution is unique for the leisure industry and for customer service in general. In addition to the remote machine service with the MIDAS system, AllianceEnterprise integrates and centralizes management of Kunick Leisure’s call center and field service activities. The consolidated call center uses AllianceEnterprise’s Alliance CTI option for call routing, screen pops and call/screen transfers. The call center handles 15,000 calls per week (a mixture of customer and MIDAS machine calls), which are all automatically assigned by AllianceEnterprise's Automatic Weighting Assignment Rules Engine (AWARE). This feature allocates service requests based on a variety of automatic weighting methodologies utilizing and extending inherent AllianceEnterprise capabilities in service level monitoring and programmable interfaces (APIs). Calls requiring field service are automatically dispatched by AllianceEnterprise via GSM mobile communications direct to field engineers' Windows-powered PDAs. The PDAs incorporate logical screen progressions, instant technical bulletin attachments, and on-board technical and parts management databases, enabling technicians to achieve more first-time fixes and handle more service calls per day. Kunick Leisure follows a service philosophy to serve all customers on a local basis. With AllianceEnterprise, the company is able to handle service response from a central location, instead of 27 locations previously, while continuing its ‘local service’ market differentiation. About Astea International (www.astea.com) Astea International Inc. specializes in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions for companies that sell, service and support equipment. Astea solutions integrate, automate and streamline business processes for sales and marketing, customer contact centers, field service, professional services and mobile CRM, and integrate with back-office systems. Astea’s solutions are used in multiple industries to improve productivity, customer satisfaction, profitability, and top-line revenue growth. Astea offers over twenty years of CRM industry experience and a worldwide sales and service network. # # # © 2001 Astea International Inc. Astea is a registered trademark and AllianceEnterprise Suite is a trademark of Astea International Inc. All other company and product names contained herein are trademarks of the respective holders. This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could materially affect future results. Among these risk factors are possibilities that the companies mentioned in this press release may not purchase licenses for AllianceEnterprise, the continuing acceptance of Astea’s products, general competitive pressures in the marketplace, and continued overall growth in the customer relationship management solutions industry. Further information regarding these as well as other key risk factors and meaningful cautionary statements that could affect the Company’s financial results are included at length in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Editorial Contact: Joe Mitchell Gregory FCA 610 642 8253 joe@gregoryfca.com top of page |
|||