Astute, Inc. Recognized as the Fourth Fastest Growing Company in Central Ohio; Understanding Customer Loyalty is Key to Astute's Growth.

Business Editors

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2000

Astute, Inc. is recognized as the fourth "fastest growing" company in Central Ohio by Business First Newspaper as a part of their "Fast Fifty" program. Astute, a rapidly growing leader in the eCRM (electronic customer relationship management) industry, increased revenue nearly 500 percent over the past three years.

Joe Sanda, President and CEO of Astute said, "We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with each client. Our customers are in the business of customer service, so it's critical we understand the importance of it and provide the top notch customer service they expect."

Astute helps companies manage one-to-one customer relationships across multiple communication channels including phone, Web, email, or fax. Astute also helps clients leverage Internet and telephony based solutions for an integrated eCRM solution, enabling clients to better deliver service and build their own lasting relationships.

"Our customers tell us we deliver projects on time and on budget. We take the time to understand their business and make value-added suggestions on better ways to manage their customer relationship process," said Sanda.

In 1995, Sanda identified an opportunity for the eCRM software market and utilized his extensive background in commercial software, large-scale systems integration, and experience in developing high-technology systems for commercial businesses, government and defense systems to build grow the business to the multi-million dollar level in under five years.

Prior to starting Astute, Sanda played a key role in starting two other successful software-focused companies.

Astute, Inc., is an award-winning, leading provider of eCRM solutions (electronic customer relationship management) for Global 1000 companies such as McDonald's Corporation, Michelin, Levi Strauss & Company, The Kroger Company, Georgia Pacific and L'Oreal. Astute specializes in customer interaction, Internet and telephony solutions.

Astute's eCRM solutions enable companies to manage the one-to-one communication process in the area of sales, marketing and service. PowerCenter(TM), the company's flagship product, is a state-of-the-art CRM system focusing on managing the customer interaction and relationship process.

Astute, Inc. is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and may be reached at 1-877-POWER50, or 614-508-6100; email, [e-mail]; or on the web at www.astutesolutions.com.