COPC Launches Vendor Manager Organization Version of COPC-2000 Standard to Improve Global Best Practices for Fortune 100 Companies.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

AMHERST, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2002

COPC Reduces Risks for Firms Outsourcing Key Activities in Contact

Centers, Business Processes and Fulfillment Operations

Customer Operations Performance Center Inc. (COPC), the leading performance management organization for the customer contact industry, today announced the launch of the Vendor Management Organization (VMO) version of the COPC-2000(R) Standard.

This release, called COPC-VMO(tm), describes the outcomes, processes and results areas an outsourcing group requires to deliver consistently high performance from its outsourcing initiatives.

The COPC-VMO is designed to help companies better manage and garner results from their outsourcing initiatives by using a consistent set of management practices and measurements for all VMO-related activities. The COPC-VMO helps these organizations be more proactive in the management of their supplier bases, better meet the needs of internal clients, improve outsourcing management costs and manage suppliers to consistently meet end-user needs. The COPC-VMO equips outsourcing management teams with key management tools including assessment, methodology and measurement reporting.

COPC is working with a development team including representatives from Aegon, American Express, Apple Computer, AT&T Broadband, BellSouth, General Motors and Microsoft in the development and refinement of the COPC-VMO. Working closely with the user community is the same methodology that, in 1995, lead to the development and successful deployment of the COPC-2000(R) Standard -- the core element in the COPC Performance Management System for contact centers.

COPC-VMO directly addresses the needs of contact center industries using global third-party suppliers by offering the structure and consistency the COPC methodology provides. COPC is leveraging the experience and knowledge of the development team to help other firms achieve high performance outsourcing operations. Management of the COPC-VMO is governed by a user group, which will act as a sub-committee of the COPC governance structure, the COPC Standards Committee.

"Acquiring services from third parties and managing their ongoing provisioning is a unique skill, requiring high levels of experience in a broad spectrum of business operations and management," said Alton Martin, CEO, COPC Inc. "COPC has worked with buying teams since 1996, and this is the latest evolution of the increasing professionalism and expertise necessary to do the job well.

"We are grateful to the entire development team, particularly Microsoft, General Motors and American Express, who have taken strong leadership positions on this development team. Other leading-edge firms have requested to join in the development and implementation of the COPC-VMO, which we expect will contribute and actively participate in the future. COPC has strategically placed itself at the epicenter of the outsourcing industry and we look forward to leveraging the company's already strong reputation to enable clients to make the COPC-VMO a key element in their outsourcing efforts."

About COPC

Headquartered in Amherst, N.Y., COPC Inc. is the leading authority on customer intensive operations, as typified by customer contact centers and fulfillment services. COPC is authorized to issue certification to the COPC-2000(R) Standard, a comprehensive operations performance standard that specifies minimum operational requirements in critical functional areas. COPC services clients on a worldwide basis and has representatives in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, India, Japan and the United States.

The COPC-2000(R) Standard was developed in 1995/96 by individuals from Microsoft, Motorola, Dell, American Express, L.L. Bean and other customer-focused companies that were concerned with the level of service quality provided to customers by customer service provider organizations. More than 300 locations in 30 countries are using the Standard to improve performance in sales, customer care, technical support, distribution and customer acquisition. Users include firms in e-commerce, computer hardware and software, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and consumer products. For additional information about COPC, visit the Web site www.copc.com, e-mail [e-mail] or call 512/250-3412.