ACIS Consulting Delivers RapidAnswer Search Solution for Customer Support.

TORONTO & OSLO, Norway -- RapidAnswer Becomes the First Partner-Designed and Developed Customer Support SDA Based Upon FAST's Powerful Enterprise Search Platform

ACIS Consulting Inc, a leading Canadian reseller and systems integrator of powerful search solutions from Fast Search & Transfer(TM) (FAST(TM)), today announced the release of RapidAnswer(TM), the first partner-designed and developed Search Derivative Application (SDA) for Self Service. RapidAnswer, the latest SDA to leverage the FAST Enterprise Search Platform (FAST ESP(TM)) provides Customer Support Representatives (CSRs) with a unified point of access to all relevant product and customer-related information that may be scattered across various disparate websites, knowledge bases, document repositories, databases and CRM applications.

Enterprises today are faced with the imposing challenge of providing a wide array of information to growing customer-bases about a multitude of complex and often confusing products. At the same time, these organizations are being asked to cut IT budgets for support operations. RapidAnswer(TM) encompasses several key elements to help address these challenges through improved customer support productivity and reduced customer support call volumes.

The RapidAnswer solution leverages the most advanced FAST ESP capabilities in natural language processing, rank tuning and relevancy modeling to quickly deliver precise answers to customer questions. It enables call center managers to continually monitor and identify the most frequently asked questions that generate high volumes of customer support calls and to develop a knowledge base of short and concise answers. RapidAnswer is used to provide website visitors with a dynamic self service environment that quickly captures their intent and directs them to the correct and most relevant response. In addition, RapidAnswer continually tracks customer satisfaction feedback on presented questions and answers and identifies those topics that are leading to customer support calls and customer dissatisfaction.

"In research conducted among our corporate customers, we found that 80% of corporate support calls and emails relate to 20% of the most basic questions, which can be answered with simple and straight forward responses online," said Efrem Habteselassie, president of ACIS Consulting. "These companies indicated that a system that would enable them to better manage this high volume of questions and answers could significantly reduce support costs and improve customer satisfaction. The RapidAnswer solution addresses these needs by providing a capability for identifying the high call volume generators and a facility for authoring a knowledgebase to deliver instant answers to these questions."

Key additional features of RapidAnswer include continuous polling of customer satisfaction to presented answers, detailed management reporting on query volumes and trends in satisfaction levels, direct integration with customer support systems and content management applications.

"To date, enterprise customer support solutions have not adequately offered businesses a complete view of the customer relationship. We are pleased to be working with ACIS Consulting to bring to market the first Search Derivative Application that addresses these needs and is based upon FAST ESP," said Ali I. Riaz, FAST's chief operating officer.

About ACIS Consulting

ACIS Consulting Inc. (ACIS) is a management consulting and systems integration company that started its operations in 1992 with its head offices based in Toronto, Canada. ACIS is also the Canadian reseller and systems integrator of the FAST(TM) enterprise search platform (FAST ESP(TM)) and Stratify Discovery taxonomy development platform. ACIS also hosts and manages outsourced search service on behalf of its clients.

ACIS has served several government and private institutions as a technology provider, a software developer, and as a technology management consultant. Projects in which ACIS played a key role include the implementation of Ontario Government Search gateway, the Canadian Collaborative Seniors Portal search gateway, complete upgrade of an Airline's back office systems; development of an Internet-based insurance auction portal; as well as management consulting in the implementation of a government network for retrieval and management of vehicle emission data.

For more information about ACIS Consulting, please visit www.acisconsulting.com, or send e-mail to [e-mail].

About FAST

FAST creates the real-time search and filter technology solutions that are behind the scenes at the world's best known companies with the most demanding search problems. FAST's flexible and scalable integrated technology platform elevates the search capabilities of enterprise customers and connects people to the relevant information they seek regardless of medium. This drives revenues and reduces total cost of ownership by effectively leveraging IT infrastructure. FAST's powerful enterprise search technology solutions are used by more than 1,500 global customers and partners, including America Online (AOL), AT&T, Cardinal Health, CareerBuilder.com, Chordiant, CIGNA, CNET, Dell, Factiva, Fidelity Investments, Findexa, FirstGov.gov (GSA), IBM, Knight Ridder, LexisNexis, Overture, Rakuten, Reed Elsevier, Reuters, Sensis, Stellent, Tenet Healthcare, Thomas Industrial Networks, T-Online, US Army, Virgilio (Telecom Italia), Vodafone, and Wanadoo.

FAST is headquartered in Norway and is publicly traded under the ticker symbol 'FAST' on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The FAST Group operates globally with presence in Europe, the United States, Asia Pacific, Australia, South America, and the Middle East. For further information about FAST, please visit www.fastsearch.com.

(C) 2005 Fast Search & Transfer ASA - Fast Search & Transfer, FAST, FAST ESP, FAST Data Search, FAST Marketrac, FAST AdVisor, FAST InStream, FAST ImPulse, FAST Search Best Practices, FAST SBP, FAST ProPublish, FAST mSearch and the FAST four-colored logo are trademarks of Fast Search & Transfer ASA. All rights reserved. FAST disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.