Agillion Inc., the leading web service for customer-focused business, Monday (Nov 13) announced technology veteran James M. Travers as president and CEO and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Co-founder Steve Papermaster will continue as operating chairman driving Agillion’s c-Business vision.
Travers was formerly president and CEO of Atlanta-based Harbinger Corporation, a global e-commerce leader that merged with Peregrine Systems (NASDAQ: PRGN) in June 2000 for $1.3 billion. During his five-year career at Harbinger, Travers led the company through a successful IPO, revenue growth from $25 million to more than $200 million, employee growth from 125 to 1,500, international expansion into 10 locations outside the United States and a revenue-generating customer base of 40,000.
“Joining Agillion is a tremendous opportunity to draw upon my experience competing in the SOHO, SMB and enterprise markets,” said Travers. “I’m pleased to be part of the Agillion family, teaming with Steve and the executive staff to lead the company into its next phase of growth.”
Travers will oversee the day-to-day management of Agillion in addition to working with Papermaster and Frank Moss, Agillion co-founder and chairman of the Advisory Board, to execute the company’s c-Business vision, unveiled in October. With the introduction of the c-Business vision, Agillion puts the customer or “c” at the forefront of business and envisions a world where all business gets conducted with customers via their own personalized web page.
This is accomplished through Agillion CustomerPages, highly interactive and personalized web Pages designed to help companies sell, serve and keep their customers. Delivered over the web as a subscription-based service, CustomerPages are offered through a multi-tier distribution strategy consisting of strategic partnerships with leading software providers, such as IBM, as well as leading resellers who are embedding the service in their products or websites and customizing it for vertical and functional use.
The IBM-Agillion partnership delivers a full complement of solutions that small businesses need — from Internet access and business-class e-mail to e-commerce capabilities, remote access and customer management. Both companies will jointly market and promote each other’s services — IBM’s Small Business webConnections and Agillion CustomerPages — as a combined all-in-one solution to build customer-focused businesses, improve efficiencies and drive revenues.
IBM Small Business webConnections is a monthly subscription service offering shared Internet access, business-class e-mail for up to 100 employees, secure remote access, firewall security, web site blocking, 24 x 7 IBM service and more.
“Agillion’s future is bright and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with Jim in securing the company’s position as a purveyor of the premiere web service that companies use to communicate and collaborate with customers,” said Steve Papermaster, chairman of Agillion. “Since founding Agillion, it has been our intent to expand the executive management team with a CEO experienced in rapidly building a successful e-business infrastructure company.”
Prior to his most recent position with Harbinger, Travers served as president and COO, president and general manager of Harbinger’s Software Solutions division, as well as president and general manager of Harbinger’s Enterprise Solutions division. Before joining Harbinger in 1995, Travers spent 15 years with Texas Instruments serving in top-level capacities including vice president of the Information Technology Group with responsibility for North America Sales and Marketing. His career includes experience in software, computer systems and professional services. Travers holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania in Stroudsburg.
