Keynotes from Cisco, Escalate Retail, IBM, MIT and Nortel Highlight SSPA Services Leadership 2007 Conference

Business Wire, Sept 6, 2007

Service Leaders Converge to Drive Breakthrough Customer Success

SAN DIEGO -- The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the largest and most influential association for technology service and support professionals, has announced an outstanding line-up of high-profile keynote presenters for the Services Leadership 2007 Conference, to be held September 30 through October 2 in New Orleans.

Senior executives confirmed to speak include James Glueck, vice president of technical services, customer advocacy, Cisco Systems, Inc.; Stewart M. Bloom, CEO, Escalate Retail; Paul Loftus, general manager, maintenance and technical support services, IBM Global Technology Services; Andrew Lippman, founding associate director, MIT Media Lab; and Lauren Flaherty, chief marketing officer, Nortel.

"In today's highly competitive technology marketplace, the pace of product innovation continues to accelerate as companies jockey for market share and compete to win the hearts, minds and budget dollars of customers. As a result, the service and support industry has never been better positioned to drive customers to new and greater levels of success," said Stephen Smith, executive director, SSPA.

Themed "Enabling Breakthrough Customer Success," the SSPA Services Leadership conference is designed specifically for support management and leaders in the industry to gain valuable knowledge about how to create a services organization that enables and drives breakthrough customer success.

Conference speakers will share their breakthrough strategies for all aspects of services leadership in the following six content areas:

Strategy Creation - Designing an effective support strategy in a constantly changing environment.

Delivery Optimization - Creating efficient and effective support processes and infrastructure that can scale and change as needed.

Organizational Alignment - Synchronizing goals, processes, and priorities not only within support but across the organization.

Globalization & Emerging Markets - Strategies and tactics for managing global support and extending into emerging markets.

Aligning Support & Product Development - Ensuring that new product development is tied to support to drive customer success.

Innovative Support Technology - Real-world case studies presented in conjunction with SSPA technology partners.

For more information and to register for the SSPA Services Leadership Conference, visit www.thesspa.com or call 858.674.5491. Companies bringing four or more qualify for team discount.

About the SSPA

As the industry's foremost professional association, the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) is a key resource for the information and best practices needed to make better business decisions. It brings together the best minds from across the industry spectrum - from established companies with successful track records to the pioneering newcomers with out-of-the-box ideas. The SSPA also partners with thought leaders such as J.D. Power and Associates and the Wharton School of Business to create programs that benefit the industry. The SSPA is a member of a global network of associations that includes the Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA), the Association for Services Management International (AFSMI) and the Electronic Supply Chain Association (ESCA). For more information, visit www.thesspa.com.