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For more information:
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA; September 25, 2000 —
ePeople Inc., the largest and most comprehensive online marketplace for IT services and support, today announced
a strategic alliance with Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE), the leader in digital publishing solutions for
Web, print and dynamic media, to deliver an online support exchange for Adobe customers. The Adobe Support Exchange
(www.adobe.com/support) is a co-branded
service created by ePeople and currently available to all Adobe customers.
The Adobe Support Exchange brings qualified Adobe service providers and Adobe Certified Experts (ACEs) from the
ePeople online marketplace of more than 17,000 service providers to address technical questions on Adobe products.
These service providers are also able to assist customers with queries on other software, hardware and Internet
products.
"Adobe is continuously investing in progressive customer service programs to ensure our customers always receive
the highest level of support," said Emily Millar, vice president of worldwide service and support, Adobe Systems
Incorporated. "By offering the ePeople marketplace to our customers and directing qualified Adobe support providers
and ACEs to the marketplace, Adobe and ePeople are defining the next level of personalized, cost-effective and efficient
customer support."
Hundreds of participants in the ACE program have already registered with the ePeople marketplace as providers of
Adobe customer support. Registered ACEs have the use of the ePeople marketplace infrastructure, including a broad
set of service delivery tools, to provide support to Adobe customers. With the availability of ACEs within the
marketplace, Adobe customers have access to support providers with expertise ranging from the widely used Adobe® Acrobat®
to the highly complex Adobe After Effects® motion graphics
and visual effects tool.
"The ePeople online marketplace model is transforming the way technology vendors provide support to their customers," said
Anthony Lye, president and chief executive officer of ePeople. "We are pleased that a visionary software company like Adobe
has recognized the value of our online marketplace and is revolutionizing the delivery of support for its customers."
How it Works
The Adobe Support Exchange is an integral part of the Adobe online support resolution system and can be accessed
from Adobe's support page. The user is taken directly to the co-branded ePeople and Adobe marketplace where
the user can type in their support question. The question is then sent to providers that have met specific Adobe
qualifying criteria. The user has the option of receiving an immediate answer from the next available qualified
provider through ePeople's FastTrack™ system, which allowsthe user to specify a price for each question, or the
user can opt to wait to receive bids from qualified support providers. Customers also have the option to stay online
for live help or go offline to be notified by e-mail as new bids are posted. This notification feature invites
the customer to return to the site to review bids and choose a provider for either immediate support delivery
or to schedule an online service appointment.
A pilot program of the Adobe Support Exchange was launched on the Adobe Web site on January 12, 2000. To date, approximately
10,000 users have had approximately 15,000 questions answered with a satisfaction rating well above the Industry average.
About ePeople
ePeople, founded in 1997, is the leading provider of knowledge and expertise management solutions for resolving business-critical
situations throughout the enterprise. ePeople Teamwork focuses on Customer Support, Team Selling, Professional Services and
Research & Development organizations. Customers of ePeople include Oracle Corp, Cognos, InstallShield, Openwave Systems, Inc.,
Adobe Systems, Inc., Production Access, OpSource Inc., and Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA). Headquartered in
Mountain View, Calif., ePeople is privately held. Investors include Redpoint Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Integral Capital Partners,
Bedrock Capital, Brentwood Venture Capital, and CNET. More information on ePeople is available
at www.epeople.com.
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ePeople and the ePeople logo are trademarks of ePeople, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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