Witness Systems Partners with Richardson Extending its Dynamic Learning Environment for the Contact Center(email this article)

ATLANTA, PHILADELPHIA & PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2003-- Witness Systems (Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies) (NASDAQ: WITS - News), a leading global provider of performance optimization software and services, announced here today that the company is partnering with Richardson, a leading provider of comprehensive blended sales and service training programs. The partnership will leverage Richardson's highly interactive, Web-based Richardson QuickSkills(TM) e-learning courseware with Witness Systems' eQuality® Now dynamic learning environment software to further agent development to foster career growth; achieve consistent, high quality customer service; and generate new revenue opportunities for the company through the contact center.

With Witness' eQuality suite, an integrated performance improvement suite for global contact centers, management can evaluate and identify skill and competency deficiencies and then prescribe and deliver targeted training to customer service agent's (CSRs) desktops. Richardson's QuickSkills offer customized and off-the-shelf Web- based, instructor-led, and blended learning courses to address flagged skill gaps and teach best practices to agents. Thus, this integrated process creates a dynamic learning environment for CSRs to hone skills and continue career advancement.

"Our proven methodology of a dynamic learning environment is further enhanced with Richardson's highly interactive, best practice training modules and is designed to create the most effective learning platform for agents to learn and retain important business information," states Bill Byron Concevitch, director, eLearning business, Witness Systems. "This joint solution enables our customers to address some of the biggest considerations in a contact center including performance, training, and development needs all through one integrated solution."

Heightened competitive markets, tighter regulations, globalization, cost pressure, and the demand for increased revenue generation have caused a shift in call center management's strategic thinking. This industry trend creates the need for more contact centers to focus on revenue generating opportunities and capitalize on upselling and cross-selling opportunities while interacting with customers. Underscoring the importance of building customer loyalty and retention through the contact center is the fact that customers who call into centers are more likely to do repeat business by more than 18%.(a)

In order to achieve these goals, CSRs must possess, demonstrate and improve skills to effectively capture the highest level of customer interaction, revenue, and loyalty without compromising the need to provide superior and personalized service on every interaction. Coaching and training are critical factors in developing specific sales skills in agents and Richardson's QuickSkills courseware is highly effective in helping agents develop those particular techniques. Such training modules include learning how to identify up- and cross-selling opportunities, creating need dialogues, effectively handling customer objections, and managing irate customers, just to name just a few.

"This combined solution between Richardson and Witness represents an unrivaled and leading-edge offering. The comprehensiveness of the components will allow customers to address their technology, performance, training and development needs. This unique solution will help our clients to provide their agents with a one-stop training solution that will build skills to improve individual and company performance," states David Distefano, COO, Richardson.

(a) Source: SOCAP consumer loyalty study.

About Richardson

Richardson (www.richardson.com) is a leading sales training and consulting firm. We accelerate the productivity of sales people by ensuring they have the skills, strategies, and processes to achieve their objectives and implement their organization's strategy. Utilizing our comprehensive curriculum, coaching, and consulting, we help develop the critical skills sales organizations need to win. Our curriculum includes sales, sales management, strategy, negotiations, and service training delivered through seminars, one-on-one and team coaching, and interactive eLearning. Leveraging more than 25 years of seminar and consulting experience, Richardson now offers eLearning Richardson QuickSkills as a flexible, interactive, high-impact eLearning alternative to clients and individuals worldwide.

About Witness Systems

Witness Systems (NASDAQ: WITS - News) provides the contact center industry's first integrated performance optimization software suite to help global enterprises capture customer intelligence and optimize workforce performance. Comprised of business-driven and/or full-time customer interaction recording, performance analysis and e- learning management applications, the browser-based eQuality® solution is designed to enhance the quality of customer contacts across multiple communications media, including the telephone, e-mail and Web. The closed-loop suite enables companies to record, evaluate, analyze and learn from customer contacts and the touch points they use to develop staff, generate revenue, reduce costs, and achieve greater customer retention and loyalty - all by sharing captured customer and business intelligence throughout the entire organization. An integrated business consulting, implementation and training methodology provides services to support an effective, rapid deployment of eQuality that enables organizations to maximize their return on investment. For additional information about Witness Systems and its eQuality software suite, visit www.witness.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this release that involves Witness Systems' expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. They are identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions. These statements are based upon information available to Witness Systems as of the date of this release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. Forward- looking statements believed true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Some of the factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include fluctuations in customer demand and the timing of orders; the company's ability to manage its growth; the risk of new product introductions and customer acceptance of new products; the rapid technological change which characterizes the company's markets; the risks associated with international sales as the company expands its markets, including the risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations; the ability of the company to complete and integrate successfully any acquisitions or investments it may make; and the ability of the company to compete successfully in the future, as well as other risks identified under the caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, and any other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Witness, eQuality and the Witness logo are United States registered trademarks of Witness Systems, Inc., protected by laws of the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.