PITTSBURGH, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Optiron Corporation(TM) and
Pittsburgh-based RSL COM U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of
RSL Communications, Ltd. (Nasdaq: RSLC) today announced a partnership to
provide utility companies and energy service providers with cost-effective,
"pay as you grow" customer care and billing solutions. Under terms of the
agreement, RSL COM will provide an advanced data center and high-speed
connectivity to deliver Optiron's READI System(TM) via an ASP service over the
Internet.
READI System is the premier retail billing and customer care solution
available to the deregulating energy markets, including utilities, energy
service providers and municipalities. The system handles converged billing
for multiple utility commodities (gas, electric, water, telecom) and non-
utility product and services. The system also allows Optiron clients to data
mine customer profile and purchase history to provide valuable cross-marketing
information. This capability, in turn, makes it possible for them to easily
expand their offerings beyond traditional energy services and service
territories.
According to a 1999 Deloitte Consulting report, 55 percent of energy
companies will utilize a new customer relationship management solution to
support deregulation and/or changing needs within the next two years. "This
represents a $14-$22 billion market for companies like Optiron," said Angelo
F. Pasquale, president and CEO of Optiron Corporation. He expects the
partnership will allow his company to provide a world-class solution that was
previously inaccessible to certain segments of the market.
"Optiron can now service utilities and energy service providers, large and
small alike, without the expense of building an IT infrastructure," Pasquale
said. "Through a pricing model tied directly to the number of customers, we
offer these organizations a cost-effective billing and collection process, and
the ability to pursue new growth opportunities in a deregulated environment."
"This is truly where RSL COM feels most comfortable," said Michael Marino,
President and CEO of RSL COM U.S.A., Inc. "The partnership with Optiron is a
perfect example of how RSL COM's value-add opens one of our customer's
products to a whole new market. We worked closely with Optiron, and our total
solution, including design, equipment, hosting, and global network access,
provides smaller companies an entree into the applications business, without
being programmers," Marino added.
Optiron Corporation is partly owned by Philadelphia, PA-based
Resource America, Inc. (Nasdaq: REXI). Resource America, Inc., operates
businesses in energy, energy technology and real estate finance. Formed
June 29, 2000 through the merger of Atlas Technologies and Frontier Systems
Inc., Optiron is a Pittsburgh, PA-based provider of web-based billing and
customer care solutions and consulting services to the energy and converged
network industries. This market is accelerating through nationwide
deregulation of the energy industry and the rapid growth of the Internet.
Optiron's founders have more than 25 years direct energy industry business
experience, including early participation in retail access, and 13 years
energy industry and other commercial application development experience. For
more information visit www.optiron.com.
RSL COM U.S.A., a subsidiary of RSL Communications, Ltd., is an integrated
telecommunications provider of high quality services with superior customer
care. RSL COM U.S.A. offers total telecommunications solutions including
voice services; frame relay; Internet protocol networks; Internet access;
remote access; e-mail; packet switching; LAN integration; applications
hosting; DSL and VPN solutions; and network and facilities management. RSL COM
U.S.A. also provides wholesale international termination and transit traffic
services to other carriers, including resellers. In addition, RSL COM U.S.A.
provides, through its subsidiary, RSL COM PrimeCall, pre-paid calling card
services to agents and distributors. RSL COM U.S.A. is the ninth largest U.S.
carrier of facilities-based international traffic and sixth largest carrier of
switched resale international traffic according to Telegeography 2000.
SOURCE Optiron Corporation
-0- 08/24/2000
/CONTACT: Duncan MacArthur, VP Sales and Marketing of Optiron
Corporation, 412-467-2350, or fax, 412-391-8399, or dmacarthur@optiron.com, or
Cynthia Woodyard, Senior Director Marketing Communications of RSL COM U.S.A.,
412 244-6690, or fax, 412 244-6667, or cwoodyard@rslusa.com/
/Web site: optiron.com /
(RSLC REXI)
CO: Optiron Corporation; RSL COM U.S.A., Inc.; Resource America, Inc.; RSL
Communications, Ltd.
ST: Pennsylvania
IN: UTI CPR
SU: PDT JVN
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