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Delano Adds Web Collaboration to Customer Service Offering With Acquisition of Continuity SolutionsAcquisition Will Enable Delano Customers to Engage in Live Customer Contact On the Web Through Web-based Chat, Browser Sharing and Personalized Self-helpTORONTO--Sept. 7, 2000-- Delano Technology Corporation (NASDAQ:DTEC), a leading provider of interaction-based e-business solutions for the enterprise, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Continuity Solutions, Inc., whose Web collaboration products deliver personalized interactions to customers through Web-based self-help, browser sharing, and live chat.The acquisition will enable the tight integration of Continuity's Web collaboration products with Delano's customer service offering, providing Delano(TM) customers with additional cost-effective communication channels for customer interaction in the areas of sales, service and support. Delano will issue 1,450,000 shares of its common stock in the acquisition, and will also be assuming all outstanding Continuity stock options. The transaction is valued at approximately US$17.5 million based on Delano's current stock price. The acquisition has been approved by Continuity's shareholders and is expected to close promptly. ``The acquisition of Continuity, which is part of our ongoing strategy to expand our product offering, will enable us to very quickly provide our customers with the real-time Web collaboration functionality they require to bolster their own customer service offerings,'' said John Foresi, president and CEO of Delano. ``Continuity has built a solid foundation in the Web collaboration space, and together, we will deliver a complete and fully integrated, best-of-breed, multi-channel customer interaction management solution.'' The integration of Continuity's PinPoint Web collaboration products with Delano's eCRM application suite, Customer Velocity(TM), will enable Delano customers to fully leverage the Web to develop loyal and profitable customer relationships, reduce customer support costs, and increase revenue through cross-selling and up-selling at the time of online purchase. Delano customers will be able to reduce the load on customer support departments by providing personalized, item-specific self-help information on each Web page. Companies will also be able to deploy intelligent auto-responses to inquiries when appropriate, or offer the option to escalate the inquiry using chat, e-mail or the Web to select customers based on their profile. By conducting live interactive sessions with Web site visitors, including responding to questions asked while on a Web page, Delano customers will be able to help their customers complete commerce transactions. For example, a customer may find that it cannot complete an order online with a supplier because it has reached its credit limit. By launching an interactive Web session using chat and browser sharing, the supplier can bring the customer to a credit application page on the Web site, and complete it together. According to a recent Sales and Marketing Magazine e-business survey, less than 10 percent of e-businesses currently provide interactive support or chat systems on their Web sites. The value of implementing this type of functionality is reinforced by a recent META Group research report, which stated that adding real-time interaction technologies to Web sites can increase conversion to sales ratios by as much as 25 percent. ``Web-based customer interaction strategies must include integration of real-time technologies, such as chat and Web collaboration. Effective placement of these technologies on customer Web sites can significantly increase conversion to sales and service enrollments,'' said Timothy Hickernell, Program Director for META Group's Web & Collaboration Strategies service. ``The addition of Continuity Solutions' chat and Web collaboration products to Delano's products will provide their customers with important new functions to add to their customer Web sites.'' Delano Acquires Continuity Solutions ``This acquisition represents tremendous opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners,'' said Eric Gaut, co-founder and President of Continuity. ``Continuity's Web collaboration products, in tandem with Delano's market-leading e-business solution, will enable our customers to truly embrace the multi-channel anytime, anywhere customer interaction dynamic that the Internet has enabled.'' Delano is undertaking a multi-phased integration project to combine Continuity's PinPoint Suite with its e-business solution, including the Delano e-Business Interaction Suite(TM), its e-business platform, and Customer Velocity. The first phase of the project, which is expected to be completed by December 2000, will focus on providing the components to link the Continuity and Delano solutions together. This will be followed by broader integration of the Continuity product into Customer Velocity. The second phase is expected to be completed in the first quarter of calendar 2001. About Delano Technology Corporation Delano Technology Corporation is a leading provider of interaction-based e-business solutions that enable an enterprise to interact with its customers, partners, suppliers, and employees, for fast measurable results. Delano's solution, which includes a robust e-business platform and fully integrated eCRM application suite, is powering some of today's leading enterprises, including BCE Emergis, Charles Schwab Canada, Nortel Networks Clarify eBusiness Applications unit, Commerx (for PlasticsNet.Com), Ericsson, Harborfreight.com, Macromedia, and MSAS Global Logistics. Delano is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with offices in New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and London, England. For additional information, contact Delano Technology Corporation, 302 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham, ON, L3R 0E8; Tel: 905-947-2222; Fax: 905-947-2120; www.delanotech.com . About Continuity Solutions Continuity, the company that helps you build e-loyalty with your customers, is a leading provider of integrated, multi-channel eCRM solutions, consisting of licensed and ASP offerings. Continuity's customers rely on the Continuity eCRM infrastructure and its integrated suite of modules, to strengthen competitive advantage by increasing conversion of browsers to buyers, promoting repeat and referral e-business, and efficiently allocating e-support resources. Continuity is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Visit Continuity on the Web at www.continuity.com. Delano, Customer Velocity, and the e-Business Interaction Suite are trademarks of Delano Technology International SRL. All other company and product names mentioned are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Forward-looking statements in this press release, including statements relating to the anticipated benefits from Delano's acquisition of Continuity Solutions, Inc. are made pursuant to the ``safe harbor'' provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks relating to rapid technological change and increased levels of competition within our industry, our ability to manage growth, continued acceptance of our products, intellectual property rights and other risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Editorial Contact: Jodi Echakowitz Delano Technology Corporation 905-947-2222 jechakowitz@delanotech.com top of page |
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