Empire BlueCross BlueShield Benefits from Successful Implementation of FirePond
Multi-Channel Selling Suite; 650
Quotes Processed in Three Weeks Since Web Debut
Business/Technology Editors
WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2000--FirePond, Inc.
(NASDAQ: FIRE), the leading global provider of integrated e-business
solutions for multi-channel selling, today announced the successful
implementation of the FirePond Application Suite at Empire BlueCross
BlueShield, one of the largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
plans in the nation. The deployment delivers comprehensive interactive
selling capabilities to Empire's network of brokers, who serve the
health care needs of a large number of Empire's employer groups.
Brokers were eager to use this site, as the company reports 650 quotes
were processed during the first three weeks in production.
Empire is the second major Blue Cross plan to successfully deploy
the FirePond Application Suite in 2000, with Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Minnesota announcing their successful rollout in March. In
the past six months both CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield and Trigon
Blue Cross Blue Shield announced their selection of the FirePond
Application Suite as the e-business platform to support their multiple
selling channels. In late 1999, the national Blue Cross Blue Shield
Association named the FirePond Application Suite as a preferred
solution for the 48 Blue Cross plans nationwide.
Empire's Web-based FirePond solution delivers highly consultative
selling capabilities to its distributed network of independent
brokers, allowing these brokers to interactively guide a prospective
employer group through the purchasing process, while personalizing
products and services to their individual needs. The system
streamlines Empire's group enrollment process, by allowing brokers to
enroll groups more easily and quickly. The full deployment of the
FirePond Application Suite at Empire will extend the reach of the
system to Empire's direct sales force, as well as a self-service
e-commerce channel where employer groups can enroll and administer
their plans online.
"The FirePond Application Suite is allowing us to transform the
way Empire does business with our brokers, and we fully expect the
current deployment to provide enormous business value to every broker
interaction we pursue," said David Snow, Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer of Empire BlueCross BlueShield.
The FirePond Application Suite allows Empire's independent broker
channel to deliver highly interactive, personalized buying experiences
to prospective employer groups, matching an employer group's specific
health insurance needs with various quality health insurance products
and services. From Empire's Web site (www.empirehealthcare.com),
brokers can develop quotes, create proposals and enroll groups in
real-time. A broker can, at the click-of-a-mouse, compare monthly and
annual premiums of various products with numerous benefit options
listed side by side in an easy-to-read and use format. Quotes and
proposals, tailored to an employer group's specific needs, can be
produced quickly and presented for review.
"Empire has shown great vision in building an integrated
e-business initiative that will transform the buying experience for
their broker community, across all of their channels," added
FirePond's CEO Klaus Besier. "This successful implementation is yet
another example of the business value FirePond's applications can
provide to Blue Cross plans in particular, and to health care
insurance providers in general."
About Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Empire BlueCross BlueShield is the largest health insurer in New
York State, providing health insurance coverage for 4.1 million
indemnity and managed care subscribers. For more than 60 years, Empire
has played a major role in helping to meet the health care needs of
New Yorkers residing in the 28 counties of eastern New York as well as
multi-state employer groups.
About FirePond
Headquartered in Waltham, Mass., FirePond (www.firepond.com) is
the leading global provider of integrated e-business solutions focused
on multi-channel sales success. Our award winning technology and sales
process expertise enable companies to exceed revenue goals and
increase margins by taking control of every selling interaction.
The FirePond Application Suite enables companies to standardize
their enterprise e-business sales strategies on a single
Internet-based solution, by applying consistent, consultative selling
practices across all sales channels simultaneously. Capturing
real-time customer information from automated selling interactions,
companies can coordinate immediate, intelligent responses to every
revenue opportunity.
Some of the world's most successful companies depend on FirePond
solutions to help them sell and distribute their complex products and
services, including Freightliner, ABB, Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Minnesota, Renault, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Compaq, Ricoh
Europe and Hitachi Construction Machinery.
FirePond and FirePond products are trademarks of FirePond, Inc.
All other product or company names are the properties of their
respective owners.
Portions of this release contain forward-looking statements
regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. We
wish to caution you that there are some factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from the results indicated by such
statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:
difficulties implementing the software, quarterly fluctuations in
operating results attributable to the timing and amount of orders for
our products and services, market acceptance of our FirePond
Application Suite and its components, our ability to keep pace with
changing product requirements and factors affecting the demand for
e-business sales and marketing solutions, and those factors contained
in the section titled Risk Factors beginning on page 4 of our
Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-90911) as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. FirePond and FirePond products are
trademarks of FirePond, Inc. All other product or company names are
the properties of their respective owners.
--30--jb/bos*
CONTACT: Brodeur Worldwide
Stephen Greene
617-587-2872
sgreene@brodeur.com
or
Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Matt Slater
212-476-2421
mathew.slater@empirehealthcare.com
KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS E-COMMERCE INSURANCE
INTERNET SOFTWARE |
