IMPRESS SOFTWARE and Aspect Communications Enable Oklahoma Gas and Electric to Improve Service With Automatic Customer Information

Business Wire, Nov 21, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 2000

(IMPRESS)--IMPRESS SOFTWARE, a leading provider of e-business connectivity, and Aspect Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:ASPT), the leading provider of customer relationship portals, have joined forces to provide customers of Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) with better automated information. OG&E chose the two companies to provide an integrated online voice and data management system to improve customer service and speed responses during peak calling times.

The project comes as a growing number of companies are looking for connectivity solutions that will tap automatically into account information stored in their back-end systems, streamlining their customer service procedures and reducing errors in an increasingly competitive market sector. OG&E's 700,000 customers now have telephone access to real-time account help such as last payment amounts and requests for duplicate bills.

OG&E chose the Aspect Customer Self-Service (CSS) application, which incorporates interactive voice response, to take calls and guide customers through service menus. IMPRESS provided the connectivity to OG&E's SAP R/3 system to provide real-time customer data to callers quickly and seamlessly. Through its collaboration engine, IMPRESS/OIS (Online Information System), IMPRESS designed a fast, secure link that made all required data readily available to the Aspect CSS system. Because of the OIS connector's high scalability, Aspect's CSS system can respond easily to a significant growth in call volume.

"This project is a prime example of how companies like OG&E can directly benefit from the combined expertise of best-of-breed providers like IMPRESS and Aspect Communications," said Marc Elmhorst, co-CEO of IMPRESS SOFTWARE.

"Integrating your CRM resources is vital in providing world-class service in today's market," said Beatriz Infante, Aspect's president and CEO. "IMPRESS has done an excellent job in integrating the Aspect CSS system with the existing SAP R/3 system to provide OG&E with a comprehensive telephone package that assures the company of exceptional customer response capability."

"We are very pleased with the service and expertise IMPRESS and Aspect provided us as well as the quick turnaround time for a workable solution, " said Deborah Gavula, Supervisor of Special Services for Oklahoma Gas & Electric. "This call-handling solution will enable us to provide our customers with the best possible service technology can provide."

Oklahoma Gas & Electric

OG&E Electric Services is the trade name for Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. OG&E Electric Services is an electric utility company and has about 696,000 retail customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas. It has additional wholesale customers throughout the region. OG&E's electricity comes from eight company-owned power plants plus purchased power, and is delivered across an interconnected transmission and distribution system that spans 30,000 square miles. OG&E began operating in 1902. The company serves approximately 274 cities and towns.

Aspect Communications

Aspect Communications Corporation is the leading provider of customer relationship portals, a software platform for building and deploying eCRM applications that enable businesses to ensure consistent interactions with their customers from one centrally managed eBusiness system. Aspect's leadership position in customer relationship management solutions is based on its 15-year history and more than 7,600 customer contact center implementations. Aspect is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices in major cities worldwide. For more information about Aspect, visit the company's Web site at http://www.aspect.com or call 1-877-621-3692.

IMPRESS (www.impress.com)

IMPRESS SOFTWARE provides global companies with the robust connections they need to collaborate with an infinite number of partners across multiple systems, companies and countries. IMPRESS creates industry-specific software solutions that leverage existing systems and integrate entire business processes for maximum efficiency. Over 60 blue-chip customers such as adidas, BASF, DaimlerChrysler and Siemens have chosen IMPRESS's cutting-edge solutions. With its uniquely modular design, the IMPRESS/OIS (Online Information System) collaboration engine connects multiple front- and back-end systems for a real-time interchange of logic and data.