AFSM International and Aberdeen Group - Looking for `What Works' in Services Management/CRM; Deadline for Entries Extended Until July 15, 2002

Business Wire, June 12, 2002

Business Editors

FORT MYERS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2002

The Association for Services Management (AFSM) International, the worldwide association for professionals in the high-technology services and support--s-business--industry, announced that it is collaborating with Aberdeen Group to produce a new study titled What Works: Ten Successful Implementations in Services Management and Field/Remote Workforce Management.

Working with AFSM International, Aberdeen Group is accepting real-world examples of successful technology and business deployments for this latest research initiative. The resulting study will focus on business and technology implementations designed to help an organization manage all aspects of its service delivery and related business and customer management activities. Aberdeen will select the top 10 entries that represent the best examples of quantifiable business returns coupled with innovation in services management and field/remote workforce technology.

This new study follows on the success of other similar Aberdeen research reports in CRM over the past several years. The "What Works" methodology is straightforward. Aberdeen invites any technology vendor, systems integrator, or end-user organization to submit an application describing its business services management implementation. Submissions will be reviewed and ranked against several criteria by senior analysts and directors at Aberdeen Group. The top 10 implementations are researched, documented in a case study, and published as part of the final report. What Works is a global research initiative, and entries are welcomed from companies involved in business services management in any geographic region. To learn more about participating in the study, please visit http://www.afsmi.org/index.cfm?whatworks=1.

About Aberdeen Group

Since 1988, Aberdeen has been a leader in providing market analysis and positioning services that help business technology suppliers meet the challenge of establishing leadership in fast-changing markets. Aberdeen is headquartered in Boston, MA; and has research divisions in Palo Alto, CA; Fort Collins, CO; and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Aberdeen is accessible via the Web at www.aberdeen.com.

About AFSMI:

Since 1975, AFSMI has provided leadership and education that helps services professionals meet the industry's growing challenges. A nonprofit organization, AFSMI has over 3,500 members representing more than 1,500 organizations in 47 countries. For more information about AFSMI, contact 888-756-3241, 239-275-7887, or visit http://www.afsmi.org.