ASPECT CUSTOMER DataMart v.1.0.2 FOR REAL-TIME CRM/BI

Aspect Communications Corp, a leading provider of customer relationship portals, announced the general availability of Aspect Customer DataMart v.1.0.2. The software gathers real-time information from one or more contact centers and from other applications and data sources and makes it available for analysis. The resulting business intelligence can help companies better understand the needs of their customers, optimize their customer contacts and make better, more informed business decisions. Overall business benefits include reduction in per contact costs and an increase in per contact revenue through global analysis of all real-time contact center activity. The new software release also adds support for Microsoft SQL Server.

"This tool is simple to use and remarkably flexible," said Joe deGraauw, senior manager of Software Spectrum's Infrastructure Technology Group. "We have a growing business and must be able to add new clients quickly and with minimal effort, as well as provide reports that match each client's individual requirements. The DataMart reports that come with the product were useful right out of the box, but they were also easy for us to customize to meet the particular needs of our clients."

Software Spectrum is currently using Aspect Customer DataMart v.1.0.2 to assist with its reporting and data analysis needs and those of its client companies. Software Spectrum offers a full range of support services, including corporate help desk and IT outsourcing and strategic partner outsourcing for OEMs, ISVs and ISPs. Aspect Customer DataMart has the ability to collect and consolidate information on agent activity, service levels, call volumes by client and client product and other metrics from Software Spectrum's geographically dispersed contact centers. Reports then generated from the company's Dallas, Texas, headquarters aid in business management and validate the quality of service being delivered to Software Spectrum's clients.

Aspect designed Aspect Customer DataMart to exploit the power of relational database technology by populating a pre-configured analytical database with a rich supply of real-time customer contact information automatically. The new release supports Oracle8i and Microsoft SQL Server 7.x, the most recent versions of relational database software from the leading vendors of that technology. Aspect Customer DataMart v.1.0.2 is bundled with a series of useful pre-built production reports and supports online analytical processing, an industry first for CRM.

Since Aspect Customer DataMart now supports Microsoft SQL Server, which is Software Spectrum's corporate standard, the company can also leverage in-house skills in managing day-to-day database operations.

"This technology is geared to dynamic, fast-moving companies that drive profitability by constantly monitoring the pulse of customer and business trends," said David Puglia, Aspect vice president of marketing. "Aspect Customer DataMart delivers the real-time information businesses need to improve their handling of customer contacts and helps them identify and respond to customer buying patterns, product service requirements and other market indicators."

Aspect Customer DataMart complements the Aspect Customer Relationship Portal, making it an even more effective CRM tool and expanding its impact on business processes and strategies. With real-time contact center data coming into the Aspect DataMart, managers can monitor business processes continually and use Aspect's convenient management tools for modifying contact routing and workflow quickly for cost savings and revenue-generating opportunities.

The Aspect Customer Relationship Portal

The Aspect Customer Relationship Portal allows companies to build eCRM applications that integrate front- and back-office systems, eCommerce applications and multimedia contact centers into one centrally managed eBusiness system. The Aspect Portal Multimedia application unifies and personalizes customer interactions across Web, phone, fax and e-mail to identify, qualify, cross-sell, up-sell and route customers in real time. The Aspect Customer Relationship Portal was named a Best of Show award winner at the fall 1999 and spring 2000 Communications Solutions Expos and at the Incoming Call Center Management 2000 Conference & Exposition. The Aspect Portal also received Product of the Year in the "Multimedia Customer Contact Portal" category from C@LL CENTER CRM Solutions magazine.

Aspect Communications

Aspect Communications Corp. is a leading provider of customer relationship portals, a software platform for building and deploying eCRM applications that enable businesses to ensure consistent interactions with their customers from one centrally managed eBusiness system. Aspect's leadership position in customer relationship management solutions is based on its 15-year history and more than 7,600 customer contact center implementations. Aspect is headquartered in San Jose, with offices in major cities worldwide. For more information about Aspect, visit the company's Web site at www.aspect.com or call 877-621-3692.

Contact Aspect Communications, Cheryl Edwards, 408-325-2381, cheryl.edwards@aspect.com.