Aberdeen Group and AFSM International recognize `What Works' Winners at AFSMI's S-Business Education Summit and Expo.

Business/Technology Editors

AFSMI S-Business Education Summit and Expo

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2002

Ten Real-World Examples of Successful CRM Implementations Honored

The Association for Services Management (AFSM) International, the worldwide association for professionals in the high-technology services and support--s-business--industry, and Aberdeen Group, a leading IT market analysis and positioning services firm, announced that they are honoring the top ten entries documented in a new Aberdeen Group study titled What Works: Ten Significant Implementations in Services Management. The winners are being officially recognized today at the annual AFSMI S-Business Education Summit and Expo, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Working with AFSMI, Aberdeen Group called for submissions of real-world examples of successful technology and business deployments for this latest research initiative. The resulting study focused on business and technology implementations designed to help an organization manage all aspects of its service delivery and related business and customer management activities. The ten companies that AFSMI and Aberdeen believe illustrate some of the most successful implementations of technology in services management are highlighted and profiled in case studies that were an integral part of the research. These companies represent some of the best examples of quantifiable business returns coupled with innovation in services management and field/remote workforce technology. Implementing companies and technology partners recognized as the "Top Ten in Services Management" are:

Implementing Company                Technology Partner

ABB Automation Service              VSI
CAL-AIR                             ViryaNet
Cisco Systems                       MCA Solutions
CNT                                 Siebel Systems
Daimler Chrysler                    Computer Service GmbH
                                    (subsidiary of IBM Germany)
Engineering Excellence              Data-Basics
Scanvaegt International A/S         Navision A/S
                                    (now Microsoft Business Solutions)
Siemens Medical                     ClickSoftware
Time Warner Cable                   PointServe
U.S. Fleet Services                 Intermec Technologies

"These `Top Ten' companies have successfully implemented and adopted services management technology to better serve their customers and improve their own bottom line performance," said Christopher Fletcher, vice president and research director with the Aberdeen Group. "What Works in Services Management shows that the focus of any service organization has to begin and end with the customer relationship," he added.

"Improving services management by applying more effective CRM processes and technologies is presently a hot topic in our industry," said AFSMI CEO John Schoenewald. "As the leading voice of the services industry, helping our members find out what works is a top priority for us, and I'm confident the What Works study will be broadly read and recognized as a landmark research report," he concluded.

In addition to the top ten case studies, the What Works report identifies what Aberdeen believes are some of the key trends impacting the services management industry and describes how emerging and established technologies can be used by services organizations to improve service levels, reduce costs, and provide their parent organizations with a compelling return on investment. AFSMI members can order the report through the Association's Web site at www.afsmi.org or through Aberdeen Group's Web site at www.aberdeen.com for the AFSMI member's price of $149.95 for the PDF version and $395 for the bound and printed version. The same report is available to nonmembers directly through the Aberdeen Group at a cost of $395 for the PDF version and $495 for the bound and printed version.

About Aberdeen Group

Founded in 1988, Aberdeen Group is a leading IT market analysis and positioning services firm that helps information technology vendors establish leadership in emerging markets. The firm provides IT market intelligence, positioning, and market acceleration services to established and start-up technology companies. Aberdeen's consultants provide global IT market insights in more than 25 IT market segments. Research practices focus on emerging market opportunities, market growth rates, important industry trends, and customer buying patterns. The firm also helps clients identify new market opportunities, enter those markets successfully, and accelerate the adoption of new technologies. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Aberdeen has research and consulting divisions in Palo Alto, California; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Aberdeen is accessible via the Web at www.aberdeen.com.

About AFSMI

The Association for Services Management International (AFSMI) is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to furthering the knowledge, understanding, and visibility of executives and managers in the services industry. The Association provides a global platform that enables its members to exchange experiences and opinions, thereby advancing services leadership and creating successful s-business growth. Founded in 1975, AFSMI enables managers to grow in professional competence through education, training, research, and networking opportunities. Its goal is to provide leadership and direction that helps its individual and corporate members expand their capabilities to meet the growing complexities and challenges of the rapidly evolving services industry. Thousands of members representing more than 1,500 organizations around the world rely on AFSMI as their communications bridge to growth. More information is available at www.afsmi.org.