Press Release - WebTone Technologies

WebTone Technologies
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S1Corporation and WebTone Sign Agreement to Offer Integrated Internet Banking and Customer Service Solution

ATLANTA, Ga., December 9, 1999 -- S1 Corporation (Nasdaq:SONE), the premier global provider of Internet-based financial services solutions, and WebTone Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of web-based customer service solutions, announced today a multi-faceted agreement under which S1 will incorporate WebTone’s enterprise customer care solution, Harmony Customer Care Suite™, into its S1 Consumer Suite. With this agreement, S1 continues to execute against its enterprise strategy to deliver reliable and consistent customer interaction and support across all delivery channels.

The technology is being demonstrated in the S1 booth (#883) and WebTone booth (#1249) at BAI’s Retail Delivery ’99 this week in Miami, where more than 10,000 of the world’s largest and most innovative financial services providers are in attendance. Customized specifically for the financial services industry, WebTone’s Harmony Customer Care Suite is the industry’s most advanced customer service and contact management solution. When integrated with the S1 Consumer Suite, the application will enable S1 customers to offer their customers immediate service request recognition and complete problem resolution.

“As more and more consumers begin communicating with their financial institutions through multiple channels, it is becoming increasingly difficult for these businesses to maintain the level of support their customers have come to expect. With the integration of WebTone’s Harmony Customer Care Suite, S1 is enabling its leading financial institution clients to empower their online customers with superior service regardless of how they choose to interact with their bank,” explained Michael C. McChesney, founder and chairman of WebTone Technologies, Inc. “In addition to expanding our distribution channel, this agreement with S1 further validates WebTone’s strategy and commitment to developing next-generation customer care solutions for the new economy.”

The emergence of new channels of communication between businesses and their customers has overwhelmed many existing call centers. GartnerGroup, one of the world’s largest industry analyst firms, estimates that more than 90 percent of enterprises are not responding to e-mail requests on a timely basis, nor to their customers’ satisfaction. According to a recent study of 125 of the most popular web sites that provide travel, retail and financial services, Jupiter Communications found that 46 percent took at least five days to respond to customer inquiries, up from 38 percent a year ago.

“As these relationships move from the physical world to the electronic world, many institutions are struggling to maintain these relationships and high levels of customer service,” said James S. Mahan III, CEO of S1 Corporation. “By partnering with innovative solution providers such as WebTone, we can further execute on our vision to provide leading institutions with end-to-end Internet-based solutions that empower them to strengthen customer relationships, generate revenue and gain competitive advantage.”

Customized specifically for the financial services industry, WebTone’s Harmony Customer Care Suite offers seamless customer service and contact management. Integrating traditional telephony functionality, such as ACD, CTI, IVR and PBX, with web-based e-mail management, self-help, chat and VoIP, Harmony’s unified multi-media queue and integrated workflow management enables banks and other businesses to consolidate, track and respond to customer service requests according to the institution’s own criteria and the consumer’s preferred delivery channel. Also, because service solutions are integrated within the institution’s Internet banking applications, Harmony enhances web site ‘stickiness’ by encouraging consumers to return to the institution’s site often.

The S1 Consumer Suite of Internet-based financial services applications provides hundreds of the world’s leading financial institutions with fully transactional financial portal solutions. This suite includes banking, investments, insurance, bill presentment and personalized one-to-one marketing and relationship management capabilities. Based on its proven, open architecture, the Consumer Suite can also be further enhanced with other value-added products, such as insurance, tax preparation, financial planning tools and customizable content.

About S1 Corporation
S1 (Nasdaq:SONE), the pioneer of Internet banking, is today’s leading provider of innovative Internet-based financial services solutions. S1 offers a broad range of applications that empower financial organizations to increase revenue, strengthen customer relationships and gain competitive advantage by meeting the evolving needs of their customers across various lines of business, market segments and delivery channels. Through its professional services organization, S1’s applications can be implemented in-house or outsourced to the S1 Data Center. Additional information about S1 is available at www.s1.com.

About WebTone Technologies, Inc.
Atlanta-based WebTone Technologies provides leading end-to-end customer care solutions for companies conducting business on the Internet. Combining traditional technologies with web-based communications, WebTone’s innovative solutions enable businesses to build stronger, more profitable relationships with their customers. Available as in-house or outsourced solutions, WebTone customer care systems transform everyday transactions into relationship-building opportunities. For more information regarding WebTone or its products and services, visit www.webtonetech.com, or call (800) 877-0556.

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Editorial Contact:
Kim Humphreys
Humphreys Communications
404-307-4227
khumphreys@mindspring.com

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