`supportgate.com' Formed to Build Internet Service Communities for Software Support Professionals.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2000

Veteran service executive Bill Rose, founder and Executive Director of Software Support Professionals Association (SSPA), has again peered into the future and jumped to the forefront of the IT service industry.

Rose's new web portal site, supportgate.com is designed specifically to give support managers the tools they need to deliver better service and make their operation run smoother. By narrowing the broad spectrum of information available and concentrating on different facets of the service industry, Rose explained, "this portal site is an extremely effective way to share knowledge and dynamically organize that information for its best use."

The kick off of supportgate.com was announced at the Horizons 2000 conference hosted by SSPA which brought together individuals and organizations whose livelihood is made in the support sector.

The supportgate.com web portal site is `home' for service professionals and executives to network and mingle. Features of the site include advice from experts; industry events; member-to-member peer connections and idea exchanges.

There is also an interactive reference library for downloading reference articles, presentations, and case studies; and Supportbooks.com, an online bookstore with affiliate San Diego Technical Books, highlighting industry specific titles for sale to members at a discounted price.

The portal also allows one to post job listings, review training classes, submit articles and press releases and stay current with industry news, find the right certification program, and subscribe to supportgate.com `s weekly information letter, Supportweek, full of ready to implement ideas and useful information.

Supportgate.com builds internet service communities. Through these `gates' you will find the individual organizations of Service Vendors Alliance, (SVA), Support Center Practices (SCP) certification, Technical Support Professionals Society (TSPS), Software Support Professionals Association (SSPA), and SSPA Europe.

Service Vendors Alliance (SVA) provides vendor companies offering services or products to the technical support community complete and enhanced visibility within their target markets with direct access to membership and industry experts. Prospects can browse the aisles of available products via the virtual tradeshow and see interactive banner advertising.

As a member of SVA, industry consultants will assess products and services to offer their stamp of approval, or one can search through the Associations' Knowledge Base for statistics and trends. This is a unique opportunity to gain credibility and create relationships at the highest level possible.

Support Center Practices (SCP) certification is a program that provides objective, third party assessments of the quality of support centers in the IT sector. The SCP program establishes a framework for improving customer satisfaction and boosting competitiveness through best practices in support centers.

SCP is the first IT service-quality benchmark to provide a foundation for developing quality processes and effectively measuring results. It provides IT support centers, call centers and helpdesks with a blue print to follow to achieve world-class status, enabling them to benchmark their operations against the best.

Technical Support Professionals Society (TSPS) is a forum for individuals within support centers, call centers, help desks, and other customer interaction settings to improve performance and work toward management and executive level positions in the service industry. (TSPS is a sister organization to the SSPA which serves corporate members and their executives.)

Peer interaction and structured professional development through certification programs make TSPS important for personal development.

Members enjoy access to a scholarship fund, career-planning workshops, and the `member-only' portions of the supportgate.com portal site that include the interactive library, virtual roundtable attendance, and discounts at conferences, training classes, and online access to Supportbooks.com.

Software Support Professionals Association (SSPA), founded in 1989, currently represents over 6,000 service executives in over 500 member companies worldwide. SSPA gives software services and support professionals opportunities to share ideas, discuss developing trends and network with their peers.

SSPA offers its members conferences, seminars, specialized training, executive forums and a variety of publications.

SSPA Europe - Coinciding with the kickoff of supportgate.com, the announcement and launch of SSPA Europe is widening the concentric circles of the SSPA in the western world. SSPA Europe will parallel North American membership opportunities, local conferences and networking for European service managers.

SSPA North America and SSPA Europe join together online at supportgate.com with a planned series of virtual round table meetings and member-to-member information exchanges crossing all borders to solidify SSPA as a truly international association.

"There is more information available today than there ever has been for tech support professionals. Here at supportgate.com one can find the most current news in our industry, tips and techniques for managing a support center, and invaluable research data for reference," said Rose. He added, "The internet has provided a great communication tool for member companies to deal with customers. It makes sense that associations such as SSPA use the internet to expand its membership. We provide support for the support center. My job is to interface with members, see what the future holds, and better prepare them for what will be needed in the new millennium."

Supportgate.com is host to all of these associations that may be found through the web portal site internet address www.supportgate.com, building internet service communities.