net.com Launches Customer Self-Service Offering Based on KANA's eCRM Solution

net.com, the leading provider of service creation platforms, and KANA, the leading provider of external-facing eCRM solutions, today announced the commercial availability of net.com's netShare Knowledge Base, based on KANA IQ software.

FREMONT, CA and MENLO PARK, CA, March 27, 2001 - net.com (NYSE: NWK), the leading provider of service creation platforms, and KANA (NASDAQ: KANA), the leading provider of external-facing eCRM solutions, today announced the commercial availability of net.com's netShareÔ Knowledge Base, based on KANA® IQ software. A customer self-service system, net.com's netShare offering provides immediate online responses to user inquiries, saving customers time in the installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and operation of a network, while improving efficiency in the technical assistance center.
Drawing from an extensive repository of technical information, the system uses an intelligent query-and-response method to isolate sources of network problems and suggest remedial action. The system's information repository draws from multiple net.com documentation sources, including user manuals, error reports, release notes, service advisories, solutions, and technical tips. Currently used by net.com's Technical Assistance Center to troubleshoot customer problems, the repository will now be available to service partners, resellers, and customers.
The netShare Knowledge Base enhances net.com's worldwide service infrastructure, which currently includes a technical assistance center, online case management, online parts ordering, online software updates, field service engineers, and 24-hour/7-day coverage on five continents. The new, expanded capabilities reaffirm net.com's reputation in the industry for outstanding customer service, one of the company's key competitive differentiators in the market.
"Many of our customers, particularly the experienced users, are looking for self-service solutions," said John Guisto, net.com's vice president of global service and support. "Our netShare offering lets us provide faster service to those experienced users. It also strengthens our long-term customer relationships."
Bringing together a self-service solution for customers along with an assisted-service solution for contact center agents, KANA IQ is a robust knowledge base that enables customers and agents alike to quickly and accurately locate the information they need, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and agent productivity - all while reducing queue times and low-value interactions. KANA IQ provides net.com with an automated learning algorithm that automatically adjusts suggested solutions based on past experience.
"By incorporating KANA IQ technology into the netShare product offering," commented net.com's Guisto, "net.com is able to deliver a user experience that increases customer satisfaction while using resources more efficiently in our technical assistance center."
An enhancement for currently contracted customers, the netShare Knowledge Base forms the basis of a remote service offering. Initially, netShare will offer information on net.com's IDNX® and Promina® multiservice networking product line. The information is drawn from multiple documentation sources created during 15 years of solutions developed in support of net.com customer networks. Future plans include a two-way mechanism for customers and partners to contribute as well as retrieve data from the repository.
"net.com needed a highly-scalable, external-facing eCRM solution to enhance its netShare Knowledge Base and provide an improved customer self-service system for its service partners, resellers, and customers," said Bud Michael, executive vice president of products and marketing for KANA. "Through the help of KANA IQ, net.com has been able to continue its tradition of providing effective, automated customer support for the networking industry."
Nearly 1,200 companies worldwide are using KANA next generation eCRM solutions to drive better relationships through effective, efficient interactions with customers at all points of contact (Web collaboration, phone, e-mail, live chat) and throughout the enterprise. The KANA approach to customer relationship management technology solutions combines sophisticated analytics with thin-client Web architecture to deliver extraordinary customer interactions that decrease costs and drive revenue.
About net.com
Network Equipment Technologies, Inc., doing business as net.com, builds service creation platforms for broadband, IP telephony, and multiservice networks. These platforms enable network service providers and operators to achieve a fast return on investment, lower operating expenses, and profit from the rapid creation and delivery of new services. A global company, net.com pioneered the concept of multiservice networking used by service providers, government organizations and businesses worldwide, and today is the leader in service creation, a new profitability model for network service providers. For more information, visit the first address in networking, www.net.com.
About KANA
KANA (NASDAQ: KANA) provides the industry's leading external facing eCRM solutions to the largest businesses in the world, helping them to better service, market to, and understand their customers and partners, while improving results and decreasing costs in contact centers and marketing departments. Through comprehensive multi-channel customer relationship management that combines the best-in-class KANA iCARE Architecture with enterprise applications, KANA has become one of the fastest-growing providers of next generation eCRM technology. The company's customer-focused service, marketing and commerce software applications enable organizations to improve customer and partner relationships by enabling them to productively interact when, where and how they want - across all touch points, including web contact, web collaboration, e-mail, and telephone. KANA's global customer base includes Global 2000 organizations in the financial services, manufacturing, high technology, communications, retail and services markets. ADP, Chase, E*Trade, GAP, GM, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Sony, United Airlines, Verizon, and Williams Sonoma are among the industry leaders that have implemented KANA's eCRM solutions. KANA has locations in 22 countries worldwide, in addition to an extensive global network of channel partners. For more information, please visit www.kana.com
# # #
net.com is a trademark and IDNX and Promina are registered trademarks of Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. KANA is a registered trademark, and KANA Software, KANA iCARE, KANA Contact Center, KANA IQ, KANA ResponseIQ, KANA Response, KANA Marketing, KANA iCARE Analytics and the KANA logo are trademarks of KANA Software, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.