uBid to Deliver
Timely and Relevant Technical and Product Support Via Internet Self-Service
DALLAS, TX – January 8, 2002 – Attenza, a leading
provider of online customer service and support automation software, and uBid.com, a leading retail auction and e-commerce marketplace and
majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMGI), today announced
that Attenza will power a technical and product self-service initiative
currently underway at uBid.
Specifically, and extending their existing relationship, the two
companies said Attenza’s Self-Service Portal™ will enable uBid to deliver more timely and relevant technical and product
support through
more than 70,000 content items across a range of formats including text, video
tutorials and frequently asked questions (FAQs).
“uBid has always been
known for exceptional customer service,” said Lawrence Schwartz, CEO of
Attenza. “We are delighted that uBid has selected Attenza’s Self-Service Portal
™ as an integral part of its customer service initiatives.”
“Attenza’s
Self-Service Portal technology will enable our customers to receive immediate
answers to their technical questions directly over the Internet, while also
providing them with value-added information that helps them with their
purchasing decisions,” said Alan Cohen, senior vice president of marketing. “Attenza’s solution supports our goal to
deploy the best technical support available on the Web and complements our
total customer service goals as uBid continues to grow across its three
principal channels.”
uBid, the No. 2
online auction site (Media Metrix October 2001), offers consumers and small to
mid-sized businesses the opportunity to purchase a wide range of brand name
merchandise often at greatly reduced prices. In addition, uBid offers supplier
warranties on most products and bids begin as low as $9. Tech Help links will be added to several of uBid’s categories, including
computers, computer components, computer peripherals, off lease computers,
consumer electronics, digital cameras and video, and home office.
uBid, a majority-owned
operating company of CMGI, Inc., is a leading retail auction and e-commerce
marketplace that offers consumers and businesses three ways to buy and sell.
The company’s Internet auctions feature a rotating selection of more than
12,000 products daily in 16 different product categories, providing consumers
and small to mid-sized businesses with the opportunity to purchase a wide range
of brand name merchandise, often at greatly reduced prices, through live-action
bidding. Product categories include computers; computer peripherals; computer
components; home office; housewares; sports and hobbies; jewelry and gifts;
accessories; off-lease computers; consumer electronics; digital cameras and
video; apparel and linens; home improvement; travel and events; collectibles;
and everything else. In addition to
uBid’s own auction listings or uBid Direct, uBid features uBid Preferred
Partner auctions in which consumers will find products listed by uBid-approved
businesses and backed by uBid or brand warranties. Users can also buy or sell products through uBid’s Consumer
Exchange, in which consumers list their items for auction with no listing fee.
With more than 3
million registered users, uBid is committed to providing its customers with the
highest quality auction experience on the Internet and offers supplier
warranties on most consumer products. uBid also meets Better Business Bureau
Online standards, which gives customers the confidence and security to bid
safely online. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.ubid.com.
uBid and uBid.com are trademarks of uBid, Inc. All other products and services mentioned
may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
About Attenza
Attenza is a leading provider of
online customer service and support automation
software. Our integrated suite of applications enables companies such
as CNET, Dell, Lycos,
Mary Kay Cosmetics, Motorola, Radio Shack, and Vignette to provide their customers and employees with an automated service and
support platform, while reducing costs, increasing employee productivity, and
enhancing customer satisfaction.
For
more information, visit www.attenza.com
or call 1-866-Attenza (toll-free).
This release contains
forward-looking statements which address a variety of subjects including, for
example, the expected benefits of the agreement between uBid and Attenza and
the expected ability of uBid to auction products. The following important factors and uncertainties, among others,
could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these
forward-looking statements: uBid’s success depends on the continued and
increased acceptance of its website and the Internet as a medium; consumer
preferences for the products offered by uBid may change rapidly; uBid’s
technologies may not successfully interoperate with those of Attenza or other
third parties; and increased competition and technological changes in the
markets in which uBid competes. For a detailed discussion of these and other
cautionary statements, please refer to CMGI's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including CMGI's most recent Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q.
CONTACT:
Dan Kinsey Denise
Mancini
Director, Client Services Manager,
Public Relations
214-369-3499 773-272-4562
dkinsey@attenza.com denisem@ubid.com
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