SSPA Releases 2005 Service & Support Industry Benchmarks; Highly Anticipated Survey Leverages Input from Over 200 Leading Technology Companies on Range of Issues and Business Practices.

SAN DIEGO -- The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) today announced the release of its 2005 Industry Benchmark Study, providing up-to-the-minute benchmark data on service & support operations, sales and marketing, customer satisfaction and financials. Based on input from over 200 leading technology companies, the benchmarks provide unprecedented levels of insight into the business, financial and operational metrics that are important and relevant to senior executives as they develop and fine-tune their key business strategies.

"Through our research, SSPA provides the tech industry with key analytical tools to make more informed investment and strategy decisions. Many of the world's most successful service and support organizations have utilized our benchmark data to influence their product development, marketing and sales efforts," said Bill Rose, SSPA founder and executive director.

The SSPA Research 2005 Industry Benchmark Study is being delivered for the first time using a feature-rich, comprehensive online database developed specifically for the SSPA by TNS Prognostics, a global leader in customer research-based consulting. The online, real-time format allows service and support organizations to conveniently access the study at will.

"Unlike typical research reports that are published once a year and are obsolete as soon as they are published, our data is fresh, immediate, dynamic and constantly improving as more members in the SSPA community participate," Rose added.

Recognized as a valuable data source for the service and support industry, the SSPA Research 2005 Industry Benchmark Study presents more than 150 metrics shown in full color charts and graphs, including:

--Percentage of total company revenues generated by service, support and maintenance;

--How service and support budgets are allocated;

--Role service and support feedback plays in product development and marketing;

--Who sells support and maintenance contracts and how they are compensated;

--Average number of new support incidents per month, how they are reported and types of customer issues;

--Average duration of inbound calls, hold times, abandon rates, and percentage of first contact resolution;

--Which electronic resources are most frequently used, percentage of cases deflected from phone, percentage of electronic incidents closed in 24 hours;

--Customer loyalty levels and satisfaction ratings by transaction type.

SSPA members as well as non-members are able to access benchmark data, enabling them to compare themselves against the industry as a whole. Members receive additional benefits including industry sector peer group comparisons.

Companies who are interested in participating in the ongoing SSPA Research 2005 Industry Benchmark Study can register at http://www.thesspa.com/.

About the SSPA

The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) is chartered with bringing together the service and support community's best and brightest minds to deliver a relevant blend of market research, programs and certifications including prestigious J.D. Power & Associates Certified Technology Service & Support, as well as networking, media and analyst relations, education and other information resources. SSPA core constituents include the world's leading enterprise and consumer technology companies as well as the scores of innovative small and mid-sized companies that serve to continually refresh the industry by bringing new ideas and processes to the marketplace. For more information, visit www.thesspa.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For detailed survey information and access, please contact Jennifer Mitchell, McQUERTER, at 858-450-0030 ext. 125 or [e-mail].