REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 3 -- SupportSoft (Company
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Studies) (Nasdaq: SPRT - News), a leading provider of Real-Time Service Management (RTSM(TM)) software, today announced that the majority of the world's largest IT outsourcers including ACS, CompuCom, CSC, HP Managed Services, and IBM Global Services, among others, have selected SupportSoft service automation software to assist in managing service level agreements (SLAs) for a number of their clients. These same IT outsourcers are also positioned in the leaders' quadrant in the Gartner Magic Quadrant analysis for North American Desktop Outsourcing, 2004, and "...have demonstrated that they have significant desktop service experience and clearly comprehend the requirements to successfully deliver these services(i)."
SupportSoft provides IT outsourcers with business-critical solutions that can automate client service delivery for faster, more effective end-user resolutions to technical problems. The result can be lower operational costs for the outsourcer, while ensuring that the quality standards mandated by their customers' SLAs are met successfully. Service automation is rapidly becoming a key ingredient for successful outsourcing for both managed service providers and their clients. In fact, some clients make service automation a standard requirement when soliciting proposals from outsourcers to meet the client's IT support needs.
Gartner, Inc., the world's largest IT research firm, notes in a recent report that service automation tools are set to change the way desktop outsourcing services are delivered. The firm predicts that by 2008, 40% of service requests in an outsourced desktop management environment will be resolved using completely automated means. Gartner further indicates that several key technologies will be utilized more widely by IT outsourcers to achieve higher levels of automation, including:
* Tools that automate desktop service processes which involve a high
degree of human involvement such as help desk;
* Software deployments and upgrades; and
* System configuration and provisioning.
(ii)
IT outsourcers using SupportSoft software are recognizing the advantages of a comprehensive service automation solution:
More Accurate Problem Diagnosis -- SupportSoft software helps provide
faster, more accurate problem diagnosis and automated resolution.
Outsourcer customers can remotely diagnose and fix an end-user's
technical problem from anywhere in the world, shortening call times and
returning callers to productivity more quickly. For example, one
outsourcer using SupportSoft software in over 45 countries has been able
to consolidate its help desk centers from thirty-five to just four, and
reduce its cost per support incident by 21%.
Productivity Gains for End-Users and Analysts -- SupportSoft software
enables IT support analysts or end-users to quickly find answers to end-
user questions within a rich, support knowledge-base. If end-users
can't solve their problem via self-service, they can easily escalate the
issue to assisted service. As a result, the best answer is often quickly
within reach to maximize the productivity of both the analyst and the
end-user. For example, one outsourcer using SupportSoft service
automation software reported a 10% drop in assisted support incidents for
30,000 employees of a multinational company.
Personalized Problem Resolution -- SupportSoft software provides more
effective end-user self-service by creating context-sensitive answers for
personalized problem resolution. For example, one global managed service
provider with more than 70,000 employees speaking in 12 languages has
tightly embraced service automation, with 35% of its employees now
turning to self-service first for technical support answers.
"Customers are taking advantage of outsourcer investments in service automation tools," said Bob Igou, principal analyst for Gartner, Inc. A Gartner survey on utilization of support automation tools shows that 70 percent of respondents now use tools provided by external service providers, such as outsourcers. This is an 18 percent increase in utilization compared to a similar survey a year earlier.(iii)
"Working with many of the world's leading outsourcers has taught us that while operating more efficiently is important to them, it can't come at the expense of great customer service," said Mark Vranesh, vice president of managed service provider solutions for SupportSoft. "That's a key reason why service automation has become so appealing to outsourcers. Not only can it help control their costs to ensure profitability, it can result in greater customer satisfaction. Moving to a service and endpoint automation solution for IT support delivery can help a service level agreement become a true 'win/win' for both parties."
Magic Quadrant Disclaimer
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted June 2005 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission, which permission should not be deemed to be an endorsement of any company or product depicted in the quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is Gartner, Inc.'s opinion and is an analytical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It measures vendors against Gartner defined criteria for a marketplace. The positioning of vendors within a Magic Quadrant is based on the complex interplay of many factors. Gartner does not advise enterprises to select only those firms in the "Leaders" quadrant. In some situations, firms in the Visionary, Challenger or Niche Player quadrants may be the right matches for an enterprise's requirements. Well-informed vendor selection decisions should rely on more than a Magic Quadrant. Gartner research is intended to be one of many information sources including other published information and direct analyst interaction. Gartner, Inc. expressly disclaims all warranties, express or implied, of fitness of this research for a particular purpose.
About SupportSoft
SupportSoft, Inc. is a leading provider of Real-Time Service Management (RTSM(TM)) software designed to improve enterprise endpoint automation and technical support and enable triple play service automation for VoIP, video or broadband delivery by service providers to their customers. Digital service providers benefiting from SupportSoft solutions include Auna, Belgacom, BellSouth, Casema, Charter Communications, Comcast Communications, Cox Communications, Time Warner, TDC Cable TV, TeliaSonera, UPC and Verizon. Enterprises that have licensed SupportSoft software for IT requirements include ADP, Bank of America, BT, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Siebel Systems, Sony and Thomson Financial. Managed service providers that utilize the Company's solutions to provide outsourced services to their enterprise customers include ACS, CGI, CompuCom and CSC. For more information, visit www.supportsoft.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the expected future usage of, and benefits from, service automation solutions. Forward -looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: our ability and our customers' ability to achieve broad adoption and acceptance of service automation solutions and their services, the compatibility of service automation solutions with hardware and software platforms that are used by our customers and their customers now or in the future, the rapid pace of technology change and other risks detailed from time to time in our SEC filings. Statements included in this release are based upon information known to SupportSoft as of the date of this release, and SupportSoft assumes no obligation to update information contained in this press release.
(i) Magic Quadrant for North American Desktop Outsourcing, 2004,
William Maurer and Richard T. Matlus, December 1, 2004
(ii) Gartner Research "How Service Automation Will Affect Users of
Desktop Outsourcing"; Alan MacNeela, February 10, 2005
(iii) Gartner Research "Self-service E-support Provides Lower Cost of
Resolution"; Bob Igou, May 19, 2005
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