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Cognitor(R) Partners with Astea(R) for Intelligent Knowledge Management With AllianceEnterprise CRM SuiteDynamic, Self-Learning, Knowledge Management Technology Expands Astea's CRM Value Proposition for Companies That Sell and Service Capital EquipmentHORSHAM, Pa., Dec. 18 -- Astea International Inc. (Nasdaq: ATEA - news) announced that Cognitor has become a technology partner and is offering Cognitor's Inteligine® Problem Resolution System (PRS) as a fully integrated capability of its AllianceEnterprise CRM Suite. The two companies are also collaborating on joint sales and marketing opportunities.Astea is a leading global provider of CRM solutions for companies that sell and service capital equipment. Astea's AllianceEnterprise Suite connects employees, customers and partners across enterprises with comprehensive integrated solutions for sales and marketing, customer contact centers, field service, professional services automation, mobile CRM and e-business portals. Cognitor is a leading developer of business analytics solutions that are observation-based and possess the ability to learn. Cognitor's Inteligine PRS is a dynamic, self-learning knowledge management technology that improves the performance of customer contact centers, help desks and self-service portals with automated search and retrieval of the most appropriate answer in response to user inquiries. ``Inteligine is a major step above text-based and engineered 'static' knowledge management systems, and thereby substantially expands our value proposition with AllianceEnterprise,'' said Greg Cicio, vice president of strategic planning and corporate development at Astea International Inc. Inteligine is a radical departure from knowledge management systems, which are typically text based or engineered. Text based systems become unwieldy for Customer Service Representatives because as the knowledge base grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to find answers quickly. Engineered knowledge bases are expensive to develop and difficult to maintain as products change because they require the expensive and costly process of authoring and publishing, which Inteligine does not. ``Inteligine provides all of the benefits of traditional knowledge management systems, and much more,'' said Donna Salvatore, President & CEO of Cognitor. ``Our ability to rapidly implement our solution coupled with an extremely low cost for sustaining the knowledge base leads to a total cost of ownership which is orders of magnitude below other knowledge management vendors.'' Benefits of intelligent knowledge management with Inteligine as a fully integrated capability within AllianceEnterprise include: No requirements for knowledge base authoring and publishing Rapid knowledge base implementation (days instead of months) Low cost of ownership and rapid return on investment Fully integrated within AllianceEnterprise system and user interface Enterprise scalability tested at Microsoft's usability lab Improved first-call resolutions and call handling times Reduced call escalations and associated costs Improved customer service productivity, efficiency and profitability Knowledge sharing for entry-level employees to be as effective as seasoned staff Reduced call center attrition rate Inteligine can access external repositories across the enterprise for product information including owner's manuals, HTML product bulletins, existing knowledge packs, and wiring schematics. User Defined Solutions Groups may be created based on customer, product, or business unit segmentation. An early warning capability allows for proactive customer service and early recognition of a pattern of problems or new problem, which may lead to root cause analysis. About Astea International Astea International Inc. (www.astea.com) 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. About Cognitor Cognitor develops and markets enterprise business applications, based on its unique and proprietary intelligent framework called ``Inteligine''. Cognitor's software is driven by observation of real time events coupled with core ERP and CRM data to drive actions that can maximize opportunities or resolve business challenges. The Cognitor engine is unique in that is ``bi-directional'' -- there is a continuous real time feed back loop that causes the engine to adjust after every transaction real time. Not only does it recommend an action or solution, but it also observes the results of such recommendations and activities, and can be used to manage outcomes and implement high-level policies. Recommended solutions or actions will also take into account general enterprise or functional business goals. Cognitor can be reached at (312) 463-1300 or at www.cognitor.com. 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 |
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