A Customer Intimacy-based Strategy is the Only Sustainable Strategy for the Vast Majority of Financial Service Institutions, Says Meridien Research.

Business/Technology Editors

NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2002

In a time of intense competition for market and wallet share, competitive strategies distinguish winners from also-rans and losers. In a new report entitled "Competitive Strategies in the Consumer Age", Meridien Research examines the viability in today's financial services marketplace of strategies based in product leadership, market leadership, cost leadership, and customer intimacy.

"Financial service institutions can follow only one of a handful of business strategies: product leadership, market leadership, total cost leadership, or customer intimacy," said Richard Bell, Senior Analyst at Meridien Research. "While each of these has merit, for the vast majority of institutions only customer intimacy provides the basis of a sustainable strategy. Successful customer intimacy requires much more that customer knowledge. It requires delivery excellence, support excellence, and becoming a trusted partner with your customers."

More information on purchasing this report can be obtained from [e-mail] or by calling 617-796-2800.

About Meridien Research

Meridien Research of Newton, MA, provides analytical research services to users and providers of financial industry technology. Meridien Research targets three technology areas of strategic importance to financial services firms: eFinancial Services, Trading & Risk Management and Customer Relationship Management. Each practice delivers reports detailing new issues and challenges and uses its knowledge to advise clients on technology related decisions. Visit www.meridien-research.com/press to register for announcements as new research becomes available. For media relations, contact Parallax LLC at 781.235.7025 or [e-mail].