NativeMinds Wins Patent on Technology that Makes Online Virtual Service Agents More Effective, Lifelike.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2003

Advanced Pattern Matching Technology Allows Fortune 1000 Firms to

Reduce Call Center Costs and Build Customer Satisfaction

NativeMinds, a leading provider of integrated self-service solutions, has won a new patent for technology that enables 85 percent accuracy in online answers given by Virtual Representatives or vReps(TM). These automated customer service agents offer a human-like approach to online self-service at a fraction of the cost of traditional call centers. Fortune 1000 companies including Coca-Cola, Ford, Pepsi and Unilever are using vReps on their Web sites to instantly answer consumer questions, reducing service costs while improving customer satisfaction online.

Consumers are increasingly relying on company Web sites for information on products and promotions. In fact, customer service e-mail inquiries are expected to rise from 1.0 billion in 2001 to 3.3 billion in 2008, according to Jupiter Research (February 2003). Efficient and cost-effective, vRep technology offers significant return on investment through e-mail reduction as companies increasingly recognize they need more personalized, immediate support for consumers online.

Pattern Matching Technology Helps vReps "Think" More Like Humans

NativeMinds' innovative approach to online customer service is based in part on five completed patents and two others that are pending.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently awarded patent number 6,604,090 to NativeMinds for its pattern matching technology, which enables vReps to recognize numerous ways of asking the same question. NativeMinds' pattern matching software engine, called NeuroServer, gives vReps the ability to identify question type, context and subject. Once classified, the software recognizes the specifics of the question and determines which information will provide the best answer. The patent covers specific technical techniques that enable NeuroServer to provide one unique answer to a query instead of a list of possible options. The algorithms are able to do this faster than previous approaches. A full copy of the patent is available from www.uspto.gov.

For example, consumers inquiring about where they can purchase products might pose the question in several different ways, from "where can I buy it?" to "where are your stores located?" Often the information that consumers want is buried in a Web site. The patented pattern matching technology enables vReps to identify relevant information and accurately respond to a wider range of questions, ensuring conversations with vReps are both familiar and reliable.

"Virtual reps make the most of Web site content by finding the correct answer no matter how customers phrase their questions," said Aaron Rosenbaum, vice president of marketing and products at NativeMinds. "vReps give customers quick, accurate answers, decreasing the load on live call center agents and building customer satisfaction."

About NativeMinds

NativeMinds is a leading provider of next-generation customer relations solutions called Virtual Representatives, or vReps(TM), that increase customer satisfaction and reduce costs. vReps are life-like, conversational customer service agents on the Web. Using vReps, companies are able to increase customer satisfaction and reduce costs by providing a single interface to online customer questions. Leading NativeMinds' customers include American Express, Coca-Cola Co., Department of Defense, Ford Motor Company, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble, T-Mobile, and Unilever. NativeMinds is a privately held corporation based in San Francisco. For more information and to talk to a vRep, visit www.nativeminds.com.

Note to Editors: NativeMinds, vReps, and the NativeMinds logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of NativeMinds, Inc. All other names or products are the property of their respective holders.