Astea International announces Powerhelp 2.2; Major upgrade delivers universal access from E-Mail and the World Wide Web.CHALFONT, Penn.--(BUSINESS EDITORS)--March 11, 1996--Astea International Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :ATEA) today announced the release of PowerHelp 2.2, a significant upgrade to Astea's leading client/server help desk and customer support software, whose powerful new features include: Astea Web Server for problem resolution via the World Wide Web; two-way E-mail for direct access to the PowerHelp solutions database from remote locations; full integration with industry leading network management software to automatically log network problems in PowerHelp as they occur; and, streamlined problem resolution through enhanced search and retrieval capabilities. Also, PowerHelp 2.2 now fully supports 32-bit Windows operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. , including Windows 95 and Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. , in addition to the currently supported 16-bit Windows operating systems. With this release, PowerHelp 2.2 delivers functionality designed to meet the needs of the help desk operation as it grows in both size and sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. . For organizations that are taking the first steps in automating problem tracking and resolution, the core PowerHelp application is an easy-to-use and implement call tracking system with the widest range of problem resolution features available. As the needs of the organization evolve, PowerHelp 2.2 also offers a comprehensive range of access, communication, and enterprise-integration features that immediately plug and play with the existing solution. In addition, PowerHelp's new modular pricing schedule ensures that users only pay for the functionality they truly need and value. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Zack Bergreen, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Astea International, "The needs of the help desk and customer support organization are changing rapidly. Many organizations have found that they have outgrown applications purchased in the last one to two years because the existing solution does not scale in terms of number of users or feature set. PowerHelp 2.2 is designed to be a long term solution that is highly scaleable, maturing to meet the needs of a growing organization." Broadest Range of Access Options Astea's PowerHelp 2.2 extends the reach of support environments to remote employees and customers by enabling problem resolution via the World Wide Web and E-mail. PowerHelp 2.2 also communicates network problems directly to the support center through integration with leading network management software. o Universal Access Across the Web. Astea's Web Server empowers end users to independently research problems, freeing support employees to solve the most complex and time-sensitive calls. It gives help desk providers the most flexible environment in which to deploy customized service offerings across the World Wide Web using leading industry-standard browsers such as Netscape or Microsoft Explorer. o E-mail Integration. PowerHelp 2.2 includes an enhanced, two-way E-mail facility to provide direct access to the solutions database from remote locations using industry-standard E-mail systems including Microsoft Mail An earlier and simple messaging system from Microsoft that runs on PC and AppleTalk networks. Gateways are available to a variety of mail systems including X.400, PROFS and MHS. Microsoft Mail-enabled applications are written to the MAPI programming interface. See Microsoft Exchange. , Lotus cc:Mail, and Lotus Notes Messaging and groupware software from IBM Lotus that was introduced in 1989 for OS/2 and later expanded to Windows, Mac, Unix, NetWare, AS/400 and S/390. Notes provides e-mail, document sharing, workflow, group discussions and calendaring and scheduling. . o Network Management Software Integration. PowerHelp 2.2 communicates directly with leading network management systems including HP OpenView HP OpenView was a Hewlett Packard product range consisting of an extensive portfolio of network and systems management products. In 2007 the entire HP OpenView portfolio was rebranded under the strengthened HP Software name. and IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) NetView to automatically alert support desks of network problems. PowerHelp streamlines the network support processes by enabling proactive problem resolution. Enhanced Search and Retrieval With PowerHelp's enhanced search and retrieval capabilities, users can resolve problems in record time. This lowers costs and reduces call times, leading to greater productivity and increased customer satisfaction. o Fulcrum fulcrum: see lever. Integration. PowerHelp 2.2 adds the power of the Fulcrum SearchServer, Fulcrum Technologies' flagship information-retrieval system. Fulcrum is a high-volume, high-speed, hypertext gateway to all information in the PowerHelp knowledge base. In addition to retrieving information, it provides solutions in ranked order of relevance to enable quick diagnosis. About PowerHelp PowerHelp is Astea's next-generation client/server solution for help desk and customer support organizations. PowerHelp automates call tracking, problem diagnosis and resolution, while continuously building a knowledge base accessible throughout the enterprise. A highly scalable solution, PowerHelp offers a diverse range of features to support help desk operations, creating a system that grows as the help desk organization evolves. Pricing and Availability PowerHelp's new modular pricing structure is designed to offer customers maximum flexibility to purchase various options as their support operations grow in size and complexity. PowerHelp 2.2 is priced at $2,500 per seat with incremental discounts based on the number of concurrent users. Astea Web Server for PowerHelp 2.2 is priced at $15,000 per server. Network management software integration is priced at $10,000 per server. The Fulcrum SearchServer for PowerHelp 2.2 is priced at $500 per seat, with incremental discounts available for larger sites. CASE-1, Astea's integrated case-based reasoning An AI problem solving technique that catalogs experience into "cases" and matches the current problem to the experience. Such systems are easier to maintain than rule-based expert systems, because changes require adding new cases without the complexity of adding new rules. engine, is priced at $395 per seat for the run time version. PowerHelp is available for Windows 3.x , Windows NT, Windows '95 clients and Windows NT and UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). Platforms. PowerHelp 2.2, currently in beta test will be commercially available by March 29, 1995. Astea International Astea International develops, markets, and supports client/server-based customer interaction software. It's products enable organizations of all sizes across a range of industries to automate and streamline their customer support, field service, and sales operations, while increasing profits and customer loyalty. With more than 325 employees worldwide, Astea markets its products through a direct sales and service network throughout North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. The company's customer base of more than 375 companies and 25,000 end users includes such industry leaders as Allen-Bradley; NCR (NCR Corporation, Dayton, OH, www.ncr.com) A technology company specializing in financial terminal transactions, retail systems and data warehousing. Until the late 1990s, NCR was heavily invested in the hardware side of the industry, known worldwide as a major manufacturer of computers ; E.I. du Pont de Nemours Du Pont de Ne·mours , Pierre Samuel 1739-1817. French-born economist and politician who took part in negotiations after the American Revolution (1783) and in the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory (1803). & Co.; Moore Products, Inc.; Northern Telecom Inc.; Ricoh Corporation; and Savin savin a neurotoxic war gas similar to organophosphorus insecticides but considerably more toxic, as demonstrated in the Tokyo subway massacre in 1995. Corporation. Astea can be reached at (617) 275-5440 or via e-mail at info@astea.com or via the World Wide Web at http://www.astea.com. -0- PowerHelp, Astea Web Server, CASE-1, and Object-Based Support Architecture are registered trademarks of Astea International Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are proprietary to their respective manufacturers. CONTACT: Naomi Steinberg OR Sarah Sherman Astea International Neva Group 617/275-5440 617/441-4000 X226 naomis@astea.com ssherman@neva.com |
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