Concerto Software Named a Microsoft Business Solutions Partner (email this article)

WESTFORD, Mass.--Nov. 17, 2003--Concerto Software, Inc.(Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies), a proven provider of customer interaction management (CIM) solutions, announced today that it has been named a Microsoft® Business Solutions ISV partner. Concerto Software's EnsemblePro(TM) unified, multichannel CIM solution will complement Microsoft CRM, developed by Microsoft Business Solutions, a leading provider of business applications designed to help small and mid-market businesses become more connected to customers, employees, partners and suppliers.
 
Concerto Software's contact center solutions help companies better manage customer interactions via voice, email, the Web and fax. With multiple strengths - including financial stability, talented people, innovative technology, more than 20 years of industry expertise and a singular focus on the contact center - Concerto Software is a trusted partner to companies across the globe.
 
Microsoft CRM is a powerful, comprehensive system that supports the development of profitable customer relationships by providing lead and opportunity management capabilities, a searchable knowledgebase, and reporting tools with Microsoft Business Solutions CRM modules. Built using Microsoft.NET-connected technologies, Microsoft CRM is easy to deploy, integrate, and customize.
 
EnsemblePro brings a powerful superset of the best functionality from all of the Concerto Software products together in a single unified solution. Designed from the ground up to incorporate the broad multimedia functionality required by today's contact centers - including ACD, predictive dialing, IVR, email, Web chat and collaboration, universal queuing, recording and reporting - EnsemblePro also offers the ability to connect with and add value to existing contact center point solutions.
 
"Companies today are looking for ways to reduce complexity in their contact centers. They need CIM solutions that create a unified experience across communication channels and are also capable of seamlessly integrating with CRM systems," said Ralph Breslauer, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Concerto Software. "The combination of Concerto and Microsoft gives businesses the ability to quickly implement a cost-effective, robust solution that enables companies to deliver top-quality customer service."
 
"We are pleased to have Concerto Software join the ranks of Microsoft Business Solutions ISV partners," said Jigish Avalani, director of the US ISV team for Microsoft. "Concerto Software's extensive experience in CIM solutions and the contact center will provide our joint customers with increased functionality that will maximize the return on their investment."
 
Note: Concerto Software and EnsemblePro are trademarks of Concerto Software, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 
In addition to historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future expected financial, operating results, and product and marketing strategies. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, estimates of future business prospects or financial results and statements containing the words "believe", "estimate", "project", "expect" or similar expressions. Concerto Software's future actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements discussed or implied herein because of risks or uncertainties including, but not limited to, the difficulty in the development, marketing or selling of the company's solutions, difficulty with the recruitment and training of additional partners, risks associated with competition and competitive pricing pressures, technological change, the risk of not releasing products on time, new product introduction and market acceptance stock price volatility, the ability of Concerto Software to attract and retain key personnel, weakness in IT spending, weakness in the contact center market, general economic conditions in the United States and worldwide markets served by Concerto Software, delays as a result of acts of terrorism, the war in Iraq and other geopolitical conflicts, regulatory changes, including restrictions placed on predictive dialing, telemarketing and web technologies and those other factors discussed from time to time in Concerto Software's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as those discussed under "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in Concerto Software's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements and reasons why results might differ included in this release are made as of the date hereof, and Concerto Software assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements or reasons why results might differ.