BT becomes value-added reseller of Periphonics Interactive Voice Response Systems

Business Wire, Oct 9, 1996

BOHEMIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 1996--Periphonics and BT have formed a new alliance to supply Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems to the call centre market. This builds upon a close working relationship between BT and Periphonics.

The BT Call Centres sales organisation is beginning to promote Periphonics IVR products and applications in many industries throughout the UK. BT technical staff offers project management, system design, application development and continuing support for these IVR applications. Periphonics has assigned a dedicated team to assist BT sales and technical staff to develop and support this business activity.

"Periphonics growing alliance with BT is an important step towards making the benefit of IVR more accessible to BT customers and their users in the UK," said Martin Bartholomew, managing director of Periphonics for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The BT alliance complements the existing Periphonics direct sales, marketing and service organisation. Periphonics IVR systems automate access to customer services, allowing individuals to interact with information in a computer database using a telephone through touch-tone input and speech recognition, or a computer via Internet access.

BT is one of the world's largest and most successful telecommunications companies. Turnover in 1995 was about 13.9 billion pounds and pre-tax profit was 2.662 billion pounds. With a market capitalisation of around 22 billion pounds, it is one of the largest private sector companies in Europe. Its primary activity is the supply of local, long distance and international telecommunications services and equipment in the UK, covering 27 million exchange lines. International direct dialed telephone service is available to more than 200 countries.

Periphonics, with European headquarters in Camberley, Surrey, and international headquarters in Bohemia, N.Y., USA, has been a worldwide supplier of voice processing technology for more than 26 years, and the company's systems serve millions of callers daily. Periphonics technology automates telephone access to customer services, improving productivity and reducing overhead costs in industries such as telecommunications, financial services, government, utilities, transportation and health care.

CONTACT: Periphonics, Camberley, Surrey

Jan Waterhouse, 01276 692020

or

John Kendall Associates

Helen Vaughan, 0171 824 8681

or

Periphonics, Bohemia, New York

Karen L. Ferraro, 516/468-9276