IBM Chooses Support.com

Support infrastructure software provider Support.com Inc. (Nasdaq:SPRT) announced today (Jan 3) its single largest contract to date with IBM to provide eSupport infrastructure software that allows IBM to transition support for customers and employees to the Net.

IBM intends to use Support.com’s software infrastructure as part of its foundation to build eSupport solutions that can rapidly solve user problems or questions and intelligently route and escalate users to the appropriate support expert over the Internet. The company hopes that Support.com’s software will enable IBM to reduce calls to support centers, increasing customer satisfaction and retention.

“As the eBusiness marketplace flourishes, IBM understands the critical importance of providing superior customer service. We’re committed to leveraging necessary Internet technologies that will enable us to continue offering customers the best customer care,” said David Hume, director of services development, IBM Personal Systems Group (PSG). “Support.com’s eSupport solutions are a key ingredient, as IBM works to improve support efficiencies and optimize resolution times through frictionless self-healing, self-servicing and assisted service.”

IBM’s PSG unit intends to package eSupport Solutions with all IBM notebooks, PCs and Intel-based servers. IBM intends to offer these solutions for all PSG systems — past, present and future models. Support.com will provide the infrastructure IBM can use to maintain and support customers — including “N-Tier” corporate IT departments that use IBM’s Servers running Windows NT.

Additionally, IBM Global Services intends to resell Support.com’s eSupport Solutions as part of its outsourced server management offering. Taken together, Support.com will provide an infrastructure for many of IBM’s eSupport functions, providing a seamless integrated solution for its support needs.

“Our strategy since our inception has been to surround ourselves with industry thought leaders, working collaboratively to better enhance the way corporations conduct business digitally across their extended enterprise of customers, partners, and employees,” said Radha Basu, CEO and president of Support.com. “IBM is a dominant market leader and together, we believe we are well positioned to meet the demands of today’s rapidly expanding eBusiness environment.”

Support.com’s eSupport software is designed to help digital businesses scale, accelerate growth and increase customer satisfaction and retention. Support.com’s software enables web-based support across an extended enterprise of customers, supply chain partners and employees, automating the resolution and management of support requests in complex eBusiness environments.