Global Leaders in Technology Service and Support Poised to Deliver the Next Wave of Service Known as Value-Added SupportSM

SSPA Best Practices Conference Wraps Up in San Diego Reinforcing Industry-Wide Commitment to Actionable Strategies that Provide Exceptional Customer Value

SAN DIEGO, May 9, 2007 – The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the largest and most influential association for technology service and support professionals, held its 2007 Best Practices Conference this week in San Diego, with a stellar showcase of emerging best practices from organizations who are leading the industry and embracing the move to Value-Added SupportSM.

“We know from the experiences of our members, across a range of markets and technologies, that in order to deliver exceptional customer value, the service and support organization must acquire a deep understanding of the industry best practices,” said SSPA Executive Director Stephen Smith.  

“Whether you are an enterprise software company or a retail consumer electronics provider, it’s critical to deliver compelling service options, maintain consistently high levels of service across every channel at lower cost, offer products with higher supportability, and be able to integrate offer management and cross-sell/up-sell activities into service operations,” added Smith. “These activities help prepare a company to deliver the next wave of service that the SSPA calls Value-Added Support.  Our conference showcased some of the leading thinking and best practices in these areas.”

New Executive Director Shares Key Industry Trends
The 2007 SSPA conference marked the end of an 18-year era as Bill Rose, technology support industry leader and the founder of the SSPA, handed over SSPA leadership responsibility to Smith.  In his first public address, Smith cited key trends that are driving organizations to adopt the SSPA’s new Value-Added Support model, including the rapid rise in the number and complexity of products that are entering the marketplace.   This, according to Smith, has driven explosive growth in demand for customer support over the last three years.  This growth trend will continue at an exponential rate over the next decade, leaving a large gap in unmet support demand that could drive customers out of the marketplace, leaving both the product and support businesses exposed.   

 “Customers are demonstrating the need for a new level of support that can help them consume and make optimal use of the technologies and products they purchase.  Not only are the products getting more complex, customers are looking to combine them in new, often unplanned ways, driving complexity issues through the roof.  This, in turn, is driving a massive surge in the number of support cases being logged from both enterprise and consumer customers,” explained Smith.  “Companies need to get out ahead of this trend and start re-purposing their customer support platform towards a new Value-Added Support model that is oriented towards customer success.  If executed well, Value-Added Support can be become a powerful financial lever in driving product purchases and creating true market differentiation for technology companies.”

SSPA Assessment, Advisory and Inquiry Services
Smith also announced several new SSPA member programs, including a new framework that allows organizations to assess how well they’re performing against industry standards in key operational and functional areas, including their readiness to move to Value-Added Support.  According to Smith, “The SSPA Assessment framework creates a virtual heat-map that lets support leaders and managers quickly calibrate the effectiveness of their support operations so they can focus improvement efforts in the areas where they’re most needed.” 

SSPA also unveiled a new two-tiered expansion of member benefits comprised of Inquiry and Advisory Services designed to provide research-based expertise in support management, operations and technology.  The Inquiry Service, now bundled into core SSPA membership, allows members to tap into SSPA experts for fast ad hoc advice, while Advisory Services provide more in-depth counsel on project basis.   More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

About the SSPA
As the industry’s foremost professional association, the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) is a key resource for the information and best practices needed to make better business decisions. It brings together the best minds from across the industry spectrum – from established companies with successful track records to the pioneering newcomers with out-of-the-box ideas. The SSPA also partners with thought leaders such as J.D. Power and Associates and the Wharton School of Business to create programs that benefit the industry. The SSPA is a member of a global network of associations that includes the Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA), the Association for Services Management International and the Electronic Supply Chain Association. For more information, visit www.thesspa.com.

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