Redwood City, CA - August 4, 2003 -- SupportSoft (Company
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Studies), Inc. (Nasdaq: SPRT), a leading provider of service and support automation software, announced that Assurant Group has purchased the
Company's software to support customers benefiting from Assurant's extended service contracts. Assurant is a leading global provider of risk management programs,
including extended service contracts for consumer electronics and appliances. Assurant services the product support needs of hundreds of thousands of consumers
through a network of office supply and consumer electronics retailers across North America.
Assurant intends to use SupportSoft's solution to provide automated service and support to consumers who have purchased extended service contracts for numerous brands
of personal computers, printers and multi-function copy/fax machines. SupportSoft's Web-based software allows a customer service representative to remotely
access and diagnose a problem with a user's computing system, easily pinpoint the root cause and then quickly resolve the problem.
"Our business is to enable our retail business partners to differentiate themselves by providing more comprehensive service programs for the products they market to
their customers. We chose SupportSoft's solution because it was the only service and support platform that allows us to provide the breadth of service we
demand," said Frank Ferrara, vice president, ESC marketing and business development, for Assurant Group. "With our new SupportSoft-based service we
believe we can shorten the time to serve customers who purchase PCs, increase their satisfaction levels and lower our costs to provide this service."
Using SupportSoft's solution, customer service representatives (CSRs) can remotely and automatically configure a customer's personal computer, eliminating the need for
walking the customer through complicated steps to problem resolution via the telephone. This solution also allows CSRs to push answers via the Internet to customer
questions, as well as deliver automated solutions to problems in the form of a "one-click-fix". As a result, service representatives can respond to both technical
and "how to" questions more effectively. Compared to traditional handling of technical support on the telephone without the benefit of service automation,
SupportSoft's solution can provide a more user-friendly experience for the customer receiving support, as well as a more efficient way for customer service representatives to
solve a customer's problem.
"We are providing Assurant with a window into their customers' problems and giving them the tools and information they need to fix those problems," said Chris
Grejtak, senior vice president of worldwide marketing and business development for SupportSoft. "Today's consumer doesn't want to learn new
technology; they want to benefit from it. As complex technology proliferates in the home, Assurant knows they must keep ahead of the curve by empowering both
their customer service representatives and their customers to solve problems quickly and easily through automating service and support."
About SupportSoft
SupportSoft (Nasdaq: SPRT) is a leading provider of service and support automation and endpoint management software for corporate enterprises and broadband service
providers worldwide. SupportSoft's patented software platform allows businesses to automate and personalize the support they provide to their customers, partners and
employees, helping them reduce costs, increase revenues and drive user satisfaction. Global 2000 companies using SupportSoft's comprehensive family of software
solutions include enterprises like Procter & Gamble, Clorox, GE, Cisco Systems, Bank of America, NEC, BT and Schlumberger, broadband providers like Comcast,
BellSouth and Cox Communications, OEMs and System Integrators like IBM, Sony, Siebel Systems and CSC. SupportSoft has offices and customers located throughout
the world. For more information, visit www.supportsoft.com
About Assurant Group
Assurant Group companies underwrite, market and administer specialty risk management products and services through partnerships with leading financial institutions, auto
and manufactured home dealers and retailers. These products include specialty property insurance, debt protection programs, extended service contracts and certain
membership programs.
Headquartered in Atlanta and Miami, Assurant does business throughout North America, Latin America and Europe. The company has more than 5,600 employees
and operations in 11 states in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.
Assurant is part of Fortis, an international financial services provider active in the fields of insurance, banking and investment.
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