Leading Edge R&D:

SCHLUMBERGER OILFIELD SERVICES SELECTS EGAIN

Schlumberger Oilfield Services, the international petroleum service giant, is working with Oil and Gas Companies to combat a "$40 billion" industry-wide problem using a self-service knowledge management solution from eGain Communications.

When producing oil, engineers often encounter huge amounts of water that hamper production and increase project costs. With eGain Knowledge, Schlumberger engineers working remotely around the world have instant access to a Web-based knowledgebase to rapidly resolve water management problems. By working with eGain-an innovative provider of eService software-to address this multibillion-dollar issue, Schlumberger contains service costs and further refines its position as a global industry leader.

"eGain Knowledge has enabled us to address this costly water management problem, by giving us a Web-based platform to share knowledge 24/7 and on a global scale," says Jon Elphick, knowledge base manager and water solutions expert at Schlumberger.

Working in many of the world's largest oilfields across North and South America, Continental Europe and Africa, and Far and Middle East, Schlumberger's large team of highly skilled engineers diagnose and solve oil problems throughout the world. When faced with water management issues, these engineers often seek help from a small team of the world's leading water specialists. Jon Elphick comments, "The expertise to tackle water management issues is multi-disciplinary and was scattered across the world, while the methodologies to solve these issues were not standardised."

In 1999, over a five-month period, eGain worked with Schlumberger to develop and implement eGain Knowledge at Schlumberger's UK operation.

Titled 'WaterCASE' by Schlumberger, the solution is a growing body of knowledge on water management issues and best practices, providing an interactive way for remote engineers to quickly diagnose problems and design practical solutions.

"With eGain Knowledge our engineers can instantly tap into a pool of accumulated expertise and experience of water specialists to solve problems. Senior engineers utilise the knowledgebase as a reference methodology while novice users are equipped with a process for data acquisition and analysis," continues Elphick.

Because eGain Knowledge is Web-based, disseminated information is instantly available to all users on a worldwide basis. Using patented search technology coupled with natural language and advanced linguistic processing, eGain Knowledge searches for concepts-not just key words.

Equally important is its dynamic question and answer approach. The user working in the oilfield can ask questions and the system will make recommendations or propose further lines of questioning based on the response. It also offers hypertext links and diagrams until a solution is presented.

"Much time was spend during development to present WaterCASE as a valuable tool and not replacement for the engineers. It is an interactive system that stimulates continual learning, whilst it also learns from the cumulative experience gained from oilfields around the world," concludes Elphick.

"Knowledge management solutions, whether used for self-service or call centre support, are powerful tools with quantifiable return on investments. Besides Schlumberger, other global giants such as DaimlerChrysler, Otis Elevators and Microsoft have seen noticeable benefits after a few months of deploying our solutions. Our success with Schlumberger further demonstrates eGain's strong technology and customer-centric strategy," said Ryan Rosenberg, vice president of International Marketing at eGain.

About Schlumberger

Schlumberger Limited is a global technology services company consisting of two segments, Schlumberger Oilfield Services and SchlumbergerSema.

Schlumberger Oilfield Services, headquartered in Paris, is the leading provider of services, solutions and technology to the international petroleum industry. SchlumbergerSema, with headquarters in New York, is a major IT services company providing information technology solutions to the telecommunications, utility, finance, transport and public sectors, and is the leading supplier of smart card technology.

Schlumberger Limited acquired Sema plc in April 2001. In 2000, Schlumberger revenue was $9.6 billion while Sema plc revenue was $2.4 billion. Schlumberger employs a total of 75,000 people in 160 countries around the world.

About eGain Communications Corporation

eGain is a leading provider of Interaction Management software for the Internet. Selected by 24 of the 50 largest global companies to transform their traditional call centers into multi-channel contact centers, eGain solutions measurably improve operational efficiency and customer retention - thus delivering a significant return on investment (ROI). eGain eService Enterprise - the company's integrated software suite - includes applications for email management, Web collaboration and self-service, and enterprise-wide knowledge management. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., eGain has an operating presence in 18 countries and serves close to 800 enterprise customers on a worldwide basis - including Vodafone, DaimlerChrysler, and ABN AMRO Bank. To find out how eGain can help you gain customers and sustain relationships, please visit www.eGain.com or call the company's offices - United States: 888-603-4246; London: +44 (0) 1753 464646; or Sydney: +612 9492 5400.