Lucent and CFI integrate 'Home-Banking' offers

Business Wire, Dec 3, 1996

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 1996--Lucent Technologies announced today that it is expanding its "home banking" technology to include a PC-based call center solution from CFI ProServices, a leading producer of financial-services software.

The integrated offer gives bank customers the option of conducting business via an automated voice-response system, or transferring directly to a call center agent for personalized assistance. When the call is transferred, the agent gets simultaneous access to customer financial data.

"This offer adds to Lucent's growing portfolio of services and technologies for the banking industry," said Ken Pilecek, director of Bank Offers for Lucent Technologies' business systems group. "Our strategy is to develop new capabilities -- alone and in partnership with top suppliers -- to deliver the best in electronic banking services." Under the agreement, Lucent will link its INTUITY CONVERSANT voice-processing technology with CFI's ENCORE! Call Center Sales & Service solution, a WINDOWS-based software for personal-computer and local-area-network (LAN) applications.

"ENCORE! gives call center agents direct and immediate access to a customer's bank records," said Matt Chapman, chairman and chief executive officer for CFI, based in Portland, Ore. "The software speeds response time and simplifies the process of dealing with complex financial data."

The two companies will jointly market the integrated offer, which is aimed at smaller and mid-sized banks in the United States. Costs will vary according to the size and specialized needs of individual banks.

Lucent Technologies offers a variety of electronic commerce technologies for the banking industry. In October, the company announced its first offer aimed specifically at the home-banking segment of the market. The offer allows Visa International's 19,000-member financial services network to provide electronic bill-payment services via INTUITY CONVERSANT technology. Lucent plans to roll-out additional offers for the banking industry in 1997.

More information on the Lucent-CFI offer is available from Lucent sales offices, CFI ProServices, or by calling Lucent Financial Services Marketing at 908 953-8629.

Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, consumer and business telephone systems, and microelectronic components. Bell Laboratories is the research and development arm for the company.

Lucent Technologies was formed as a result of AT&T's restructuring and became a fully independent company -separate from AT&T -- on Sept. 30, 1996.

CONTACT: Tim Patterson, Lucent Technologies

908 953-7519 (office)

908 234-2553 (home)

or

Greg Myers, CFI ProServices

503 274-7280 (office)