Intelligent Service Meets Customer Intelligence Through Alliance Between Pegasystems and Acxiom

Business Wire, Dec 12, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2000

Strategic Alliance Unites Pegasystems' eCRM Foundation Template with

Acxiom's Solvitur(4)(SM) Framework

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) today is not only the classification for a range of software applications, but it is now a tangible competitive differentiator in an environment that demands technically advanced, intelligent customer support. Pegasystems (Nasdaq: PEGA) today announced a strategic technology alliance with Acxiom(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ACXM) to deliver a multi-channel CRM solution that provides organizations with the ability to identify and support their customers with intelligent, consistent and superior service.

Pegasystems has developed an integration connector between its eCRM Foundation Template for rules-driven customer service and Acxiom's Solvitur(4)(SM) framework for Customer Data Integration (CDI). The resulting connector combines Pegasystems' ability to automate customer service transactions and drive customer interaction based on flexible, best practice rules and Acxiom's real-time, multi-point CDI and data enhancement capabilities. Organizations using the connector will have a detailed view of the customer and guidance for the interaction, including information such as who is calling, what their history with the company is and how they should be serviced.

Acxiom's Solvitur(4) solution is powered by Acxiom's market-leading CDI software, AbiliTec(TM), which enables CRM systems to more accurately and rapidly create a single view of the individual customer across the business enterprise. Linked to Acxiom's comprehensive knowledge base of business and consumer names and addresses, AbiliTec quickly and easily handles large-scale databases of hundreds of millions of customer records, providing enhanced relationship management and greater accuracy in database marketing.

The Pegasystems eCRM Foundation Template is an internet-architected sales, service and marketing tool. Driven by Pegasystems' patented rules engine, it offers a comprehensive range of call center and Web capabilities for financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and insurance organizations, facilitating consistent, seamless customer services across multiple channels while allowing real-time personalization of each customer's service experience.

"Through Solvitur(4) powered by AbiliTec, we can offer Pegasystems customers a solution that allows them to do more and be proactive with their customer information and their customer service," said R.C. Crompton, alliances account relationship leader at Acxiom. "We decided to partner with Pegasystems because they are a leading provider of rules technology, which provides the right vehicle for effectively leveraging the customer intelligence that we deliver."

"Solvitur(4)'s use of AbiliTec software complements Pegasystems' eCRM Foundation Template to provide rules-driven customer interaction and transaction capabilities," said Alan Trefler, founder and CEO, Pegasystems. "Now, customers of both Pegasystems and Acxiom can be more intelligently serviced. Regardless of whether your customer contacts you via the Web or via the telephone, companies with the connector will have a unified view of that customer that brings together an advanced, intelligent customer history with the ability to guide, automate and fulfill customer service needs."

About Acxiom Corporation

Acxiom Corporation (Nasdaq: ACXM), the global leader in real-time, multi-channel Customer Data Integration, enables businesses to develop and deepen customer relationships by creating a single, accurate view of their customers across the enterprise. Acxiom achieves this by providing Customer Data Integration software, database management services, and premier customer data content through its AbiliTec(TM), Solvitur(R) and InfoBase(R) products, while also offering a broad range of information technology outsourcing services. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is based in Little Rock, Arkansas, with locations throughout the United States and with operations in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Australia. Acxiom revenues were $1.03 billion for the 12 months ended September 30, 2000.

About Pegasystems

Pegasystems is a leading provider of rules-based workflow solutions that evolve traditional thinking about Customer Relationship Management to the electronic/extended/enterprise world of the Internet. Driven by the Company's patented rules engine and Internet architecture, Pegasystems' eCRM solutions have been chosen by many of the world's forward-thinking organizations to maximize customer satisfaction and retention, increase revenues, improve productivity and reduce costs.

Pegasystems' rules-based solutions institutionalize a company's best practices, personalize customer interactions and automate work. The rules architecture enables organizations to evolve the system to respond to changing market dynamics and capture new business opportunities. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Pegasystems has regional offices in North America, Europe and Australia. Access Pegasystems on the Web at http://www.pegasystems.com.