Best-in-Class Organizations Spend Nearly Half the Time Manually Correcting Erroneous Reports and Information Than All Other Companies

Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), revealed today that Best-in-Class (BIC) companies -- those performing in the top 20% of all research survey respondents -- have achieved a mean average customer satisfaction increase of 3.4%, over nine times greater than average companies during the past 24 months. Moreover, erroneous information can account for an elevated level of risk as evidenced by the 124% increase in litigation costs experienced by Laggard companies over the past year. Meanwhile, Best-in-Class companies have seen a decrease in litigation costs of 9%. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5298 .

In the new research report titled, "One Version of the Truth 2.0: Are Your Decisions Based on Reality?" Aberdeen research has revealed that organizations spend months and endure significant costs to obtain the reporting and analysis capabilities that BI promises, only to find that different "versions of the truth" still exist without any definite way of determining which one is real or accurate. As the focus on an organizational approach toward establishing a single version of the truth increases, Best-in-Class companies have stressed the importance of organizational "buy-in" from top management. However, one-third of respondents report that top management commitment to projects is difficult to obtain. Likewise, as companies seek to gather and distribute more timely information, they are finding that the required data sources are difficult to access and integrate. Third, but not to be overlooked, is the lack of IT resources and bandwidth of existing resources that can be applied to solve these problems.

"No matter what the department or industry, Best-in-Class companies are focusing on establishing an information culture that is based on the value of obtaining a single version of the truth and a system of record," said David Hatch, Vice President and Principal Analyst of Aberdeen's Business Intelligence Practice. "This pertains to the ability to infuse an organization with an understanding of the pitfalls and dangers of multiple versions of the truth, and how to avoid these snares across a diversity of operational business areas and functions. This single strategy is twice as likely as any other to be at the topmost of Best-in-Class executives minds."

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: EMANIO and The Nielsen Company. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5298 .

To access all of Aberdeen's complimentary research please visit http://research.aberdeen.com .

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen(TM) for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com .

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Media Contact: David Hatch Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5329 david.hatch@aberdeen.com