Lightbridge's Churn Prophet Makes Strong Customer Churn Predictions
For UniqueAir Limited
Identified Over 60% of UniqueAir's Churn Within a Fifth of its Customer Base
BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 1997-- Lightbridge, Inc. (NASDAQ:LTBG - news), a leading
provider of customer acquisition and retention solutions for the global telecommunications industry, today announced that
UniqueAir Limited, one of the top ten wireless service providers in the United Kingdom, is using Churn Prophet(TM) to
predict customer churn. Churn Prophet, an analytical tool designed to help carriers reduce churn and increase customer
retention, has created a strong predictive model that initially identified in excess of 60% of who is going to be churning in the
next two months within a fifth of UniqueAir's customer base.
Churn (when a customer leaves one carrier for another) has reached epidemic proportions in the wireless industry, with annual
rates averaging 25% in Europe and 30% in the United States according to Andersen Consulting.
''We are extremely pleased with Churn Prophet's ability to segment our customer base in order to predict those customers
who are most likely to churn,'' said Nick Rowley, managing director at UniqueAir Limited. ''Churn Prophet provides us with
real-time data analysis, allowing us to make timely decisions about who best to target for marketing and customer retention
programs. For example, we have targeted at-risk UniqueAir customers with multiple marketing offers and expect to see a
reduction in churn by first quarter 1998.''
''Churn Prophet's real-time predictive modeling capability is helping global telecommunications carriers, such as UniqueAir,
combat the number one problem facing this industry today,'' said Lisa Modisette, director of telecom intelligence solutions at
Lightbridge, Inc. ''With the cost of acquiring a new subscriber averaging between $350 and $600, carriers must use software
technology to target high-value, at-risk customers with strategic retention programs, allowing carriers to hold on to their
customers longer to recoup initial acquisition costs.''
Lightbridge's Churn Prophet is marketed and sold throughout Europe by Pilot Software (a subsidiary of Platinum Equity
Holdings). Churn Prophet is sold in the United States direct from Lightbridge, Inc. Lightbridge also integrates and resells Pilot
Software's application development and data mining technology with Churn Prophet in the United States.
About Churn Prophet
Churn Prophet is a key component of Telesto(TM), Lightbridge's network of integrated customer acquisition and retention
solutions. It uses unique data mining (automated predictive modeling technology) to identify characteristics of subscribers who
have canceled service in the past and to develop predictions as to which subscribers are likely to cancel service in the future.
Lightbridge also provides a complete consulting service with Churn Prophet to rapidly implement an open, strategic
infrastructure for a carrier to analyze and manage improved retention activities.
About Lightbridge
Lightbridge, Inc. (NASDAQ:LTBG - news), based in Burlington, Mass., is a leading provider of software-based services that
help global telecommunications carriers quickly acquire customers and retain them over time. Lightbridge has leveraged its
credit processing expertise into solutions that help carriers quickly and cost-effectively provide bundled services through new
channels. Telesto, Lightbridge's network of integrated customer acquisition and retention solutions, provides best-in-class
credit, fraud, churn, channel and market performance solutions to such clients as 360 Communications, AT&T Wireless,
BellSouth Mobility DCS, Omnipoint Communications and Sprint PCS. It is the only complete, workflow-enhanced system for
customer interaction in the converged telecommunications marketplace. Additional information on the company can be found
on the Web at lightbridge.com .
About UniqueAir
UniqueAir is one of the UK's top ten mobile communications providers and offers cellular telephone services and equipment
nationwide. Based in Abingdon with an operation in the Netherlands, the company employs more than 450 people and
supports a rapidly expanding customer base of over 400,000 mobile phone users. UniqueAir was the first cellular airtime
provider to achieve BS5750Pt2 accreditation. Its repair facility has been appointed as a service centre by the major cell phone
manufacturers including Motorola, Nokia, NEC, Ericsson, Panasonic and Mitsubishi.
Contact:
Lightbridge, Inc. Neva Group
Kate Strong Terry May/Monique Klares
781/359-4852 617/441-4000 x230/246
kstrong@lightbridge.com tmay@neva.com
mklares@neva.com |
