Aspect Communications Introduces Aspect Portal Version 4.0 at Call Centre & CRM Solutions Canada Expo.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2001

Aspect Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:ASPT), the leading provider of customer relationship portals -- contact servers for managing dynamic customer contact transactions across all wired and wireless communication channels -- today announced at the Call Centre & CRM Solutions Canada Exposition in Toronto the worldwide availability of the Aspect(R) Customer Relationship Portal version 4.0. Aspect Portal version 4.0 offers several key enhancements and provides the foundation for a complete multichannel contact center solution. The development environment for designing the rules that determine how all contacts are handled offers enhancements that increase productivity and reduce development time. A version 4.0 based solution enables companies to even further reduce costs associated with managing contacts because the solution can ensure that customers are assigned to the correct resource upon first contact better than ever before.

"As a trusted advisor, Aspect has played an important role in making our contact centers more effective," said Daniel Sullivan, senior vice president, southeast region, of Protocol, a leading integrated direct marketing services company, which enables its clients to identify, acquire and retain their customers. "Aspect's contact server, the Aspect Portal, enables us to seamlessly integrate best-of-breed technologies in the areas of CRM, Web, IVR and recording platforms. The Aspect contact server acts as the glue, bringing world-class products into a sophisticated and yet simple-to-operate desktop for customer service representatives."

"To maintain a preferred provider status and develop long-lasting profitable customer relationships, companies have to deliver top-of-the-line service consistently," said David Puglia, senior vice president of marketing at Aspect. "The Aspect Portal is an out-of-the-box contact server that generates this level of service across all communication channels, including e-mail, phone and Web interaction. This new release builds on the power of that essential capability."

Aspect Portal 4.0 is Windows 2000 compliant. Companies can leverage Windows 2000's enhanced management tools, improved hardware support and improved reliability and availability via clustering.

Aspect Portal 4.0 introduces the concept of Subflows that make development of business rules faster and easier. Subflows are reusable workflows that can access multiple eFlows (workflows) in the Aspect Portal's Aspect eBusiness Architect(TM) visual development environment. Developers use eFlow objects to visually represent the steps required of the system to perform an end-to-end business function, such as checking order status, performing a database lookup or requesting a credit card authorization. Relevant eFlows can now automatically incorporate any Subflow changes written for a specific task, making directions for carrying out a task easier and faster to implement.

Aspect Communications

Aspect Communications Corporation is the leading provider of customer relationship portals, contact servers for managing dynamic customer contact transactions across all wired and wireless communication channels. The Aspect Customer Relationship Portal allows businesses to manage all customer contacts dynamically and turn them into relationships, opportunities and loyalty. Aspect is the only company today that delivers a complete multichannel contact center -- the core of any company's CRM strategy. The Aspect Portal synchronizes all customer contact points, including live and self-service, with demonstrated customer return on investment. Aspect's leadership in CRM is based on more than 15 years of experience and over 7,600 implementations deployed worldwide. Aspect powers 78 percent of the Fortune 50. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices in major cities around the world. For more information, visit Aspect's Web site at http://www.aspect.com or call 877/621-3692.

Aspect, the Aspect logo and the phrases and marks relating to other Aspect products and services discussed in this press release constitute one or both of the following: (1) registered trademarks and/or service marks of Aspect Communications Corporation in the United States and/or other countries or (2) intellectual property subject to protection under common law principles. All other names and marks mentioned in this document are properties of their respective owners.

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from the company's current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: any unforeseen technical difficulties or product errors related to our products (including new versions of our products) or connectivity to third parties' telephony, front-office and back-office systems; technological or market changes that affect the continued acceptance of the use of telecommunications or CRM tools for conducting business transactions; and other factors and risks discussed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2000, and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes no obligation to update information concerning its expectations.