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For more information:
Ron Johnson
SSPA
909.244.7002
rjohnson@supportgate.com
SSPA Connect: First Web-based Member-to-Member Support Service Goes Live Linking 2,200 Member Support Centers
Cross-Industry Collaborative Support, a Milestone in Improving Customer Service and Support
SAN DIEGO, CA and MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA; October 8, 2002 —
Leveraging the expertise from 2,200 member support centers, The Service & Support Professionals
Association (SSPA), the leading industry association for IT support professionals, and ePeople,
the leading provider of Web-based, collaborative CRM solutions, today announced the launch of
SSPA Connect, a first of its kind online member-to-member support service that previews the new
model for the delivery of support.
Powered by ePeople Teamwork, a Web-based collaborative CRM application, SSPA Connect links SSPA
member support centers together, enabling cross-industry collaborative support on service management
issues anytime, anywhere in the world.
Through SSPA Connect, member support centers can share industry knowledge, get support management
questions answered, benchmark among peers, validate methods, gather information for key decisions,
and keep a pulse on the market. The valuable knowledge exchanged in the interactions is captured for
reuse in solving future issues. SSPA Connect was created with the assistance of the SSPA Connect
Advisory Board, comprised of support executives from over 100 SSPA member companies.
"There's tremendous benefit to extending your reach beyond your personal network of peers," said Ed
Shepherdson, vice president Global Customer Support at Cognos Corp. "SSPA Connect offers a community of
support professionals that are willing to share their experiences and expertise. These communities represent
the future model for collaborativesupport."
"This software will be a tremendous asset as we look for ways to improve our customer support at
Timberline," said Mark Brannan, Operations Director – Client Services, Timberline Software.
"We plan to use SSPA Connect in various ways, from issue resolution to browsing options, and
monitoring best practices."
"SSPA Connect provides a valuable conduit of information among our members located anywhere in the
world," said Bill Rose, SSPA Founder/CEO. "Informal collaboration goes on daily, however the future of
service and support has everything to do with the formalization of that collaboration. With SSPA's vision
and ePeople Teamwork, which is by far the best collaborative support solution in the industry, SSPA Connect
represents the future of how support will be delivered."
"Teams of analysts and experts working together to address complex customer issues is the right customer
support model, but it is not supported by the CRM vendors today," said Anthony Lye, ePeople, president and
CEO. "SSPA Connect is a tremendous showcase for ePeople Teamwork, a collaborative CRM solution that reduces
resolution times and costs by automating the team-based issue resolution process, capturing knowledge during
this process and driving this crucial knowledge throughout the entire support organization."
About SSPA
Founded in 1989, the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) was formed to focus on the specific needs
of service executives who are responsible for support centers and overall customer relations. Today, the SSPA
represents over 18,000 service professionals at 2,200 support centers worldwide. These executives look to SSPA to
provide insight into the future of support services, a road map of best practices within our industry and access to
the best service and support vendors. SSPA has become the center of support providing a reliable and comprehensive
resource for news, research, benchmarking, standards and collaboration.
SSPA was created for professionals, managers and executives that make their living in the IT support services community.
It is not a generic, one-size-fits all website where nobody ever feels like they belong. SSPA is dynamic, interactive,
living resource specifically designed for the unique needs of support professionals. This exciting virtual community
creates a forum for constant interaction with peers, industry experts, technology vendors and much more.
For more information regarding the SSPA and other related divisions, log on to www.thesspa.com
or send an email to info@thesspa.com.
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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