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Kana Improves Customer Service for Sony Online Entertainment
Kana's eRM Solution Serves Sony Online Entertainment's Fast-Growing Subscriber Base, Keeps Hard-Core Players in the Game
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 21, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Sony Online Entertainment has dramatically improved customer service using technology from Kana Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: KANA chart, msgs) to strengthen relationships with its 10 million online entertainment consumers. With Kana's Web-architected enterprise relationship management (eRM) technology, Sony Online Entertainment agents now respond to customer queries in less than 24 hours.
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Sony Online Entertainment's website (www.station.com) hosts an entire gamut of multiplayer online games including Jeopardy! Online, Wheel of Fortune Online and EverQuest(R), the most successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORG) in history. The Station, www.station.com, boasts more than 10 million members, 375,000 EverQuest subscribers and more than 88,000 simultaneous players. Every week, customer service agents field more than 6,000 Internet-based questions, comments and interactions using Kana.
Sony deployed Kana a year ago, and the technology has already paid for itself, according to George M. Scotto, director of customer service for Sony Online Entertainment. "Our players need answers fast so they can stay in the game and continue their adventures," Scotto said. "Kana helps us provide a level of service that matches the quality of our content. It strengthens our customer relationships, reduces expensive phone-based interactions, and handles a customer base expected to quadruple in the next year."
Sony Online Entertainment selected Kana over competing technology because of its superior performance and value. Before Kana, Sony Online Entertainment used a standard messaging software to manage customer interactions.
Part of a multichannel service and support solution, the Kana system automatically:
-- categorizes and routes questions, comments and inquiries to appropriate
agents; autoresponds to selected inquires and autosuggests responses
for others;
-- produces analytical data and reports on customer concerns and behavior
to any member of the company's extended "virtual" enterprise; and
-- automatically assembles a knowledge base from which any agent can draw,
resulting in continuous improvement in service and support.
"As the clear leader in online entertainment, Sony recognizes the need to back its entertainment with the best available customer service and support," said Michael Bettua, vice president of worldwide corporate marketing for Kana. "With Kana, the company is steadily strengthening its customer relationships and spending less to do it."
About Sony Online Entertainment
Continuing to deliver break-through interactive gaming, Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Corporation and Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, is a worldwide leader in developing and publishing online entertainment. With more than 10 million registered users SOE's website, www.station.com features EverQuest(R), the most successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game available, and such popular attractions for non-paying, casual users as Jeopardy! Online and Wheel of Fortune Online. SOE is committed to developing cutting-edge online games and communities such as Planetside(TM), Tanarus(TM), Sovereign(TM), Infantry(TM), Cosmic Rift Online(TM) and Star Wars Galaxies(TM) and distributes online entertainment from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment America. SOE is headquartered in San Diego, California, with additional development studios in St. Louis and Austin.
About Kana Communications Inc.
Kana Communications, Inc., a leading provider of Web-architected enterprise relationship management (eRM) solutions, delivers a broad range of world-class, integrated e-business and interaction applications with a modular and scalable platform for both Internet and Global 2000 companies. Kana delivers solutions that offer customers, partners and the enterprise a global view of their communications and relationships. This global view includes managing the full set of communications channels such as e-mail, Web, chat, instant message, VOIP, phone and person-to-person, as well as e-business and communications applications to integrate the marketing, sales and service functions. This full-service suite enables e-businesses to compete and succeed in today's customer-driven economy. For more information about the solutions found in Global 2000 and leading Internet customers, please visit Kana at www.kana.com.
NOTE: Kana Communications, Kana and the Kana logo are trademarks of Kana Communications, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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