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KANA Attains Gold Certified Partner Status in Microsoft Partner Program

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 August 2004, 06:00 CDT

KANA(R) (NASDAQ: KANA), a leading provider of Service Resolution Management (SRM) solutions, today announced it has attained Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Program with a competency in ISV Software Solutions, recognizing KANA's expertise and total impact in the technology marketplace. As a Gold Certified partner, KANA has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven its ability to meet customers' needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training, and support, giving them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

KANA's Service Resolution Management solutions address the specific pain points of key vertical markets, including retail banking, branch banking, telecommunications and the credit card industry. These solutions help optimize service by improving first contact resolution rates, creating more efficient lead generation and product matching and automating customer processes. The solutions also help to decrease operational costs by providing efficient lower-cost interaction channels and proactive service while leveraging internal and external knowledge bases to enable consistent resolution of customer inquiries.

"As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we can quickly and easily meet customer demand for Microsoft-based SRM solutions that reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction," said Brian Kelly, executive vice president of products and marketing at KANA. "The partnership will allow us to continue to quickly develop the most innovative SRM solutions on the market."

"Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities. They need to trust in someone that can act as an expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive customer experience with our technologies," said Allison Watson, vice president of the Worldwide Partner Sales and Marketing Group at Microsoft Corp. "Today, Microsoft recognizes KANA as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise in providing customer satisfaction with Microsoft products and technology."

As one of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Status, KANA had to declare a Microsoft Competency. Microsoft Competencies are designed to help differentiate a partner's capabilities with specific Microsoft technologies to customers looking for a particular type of solution. Each competency has a unique set of requirements and benefits, formulated to accurately represent the specific skills and services that partners bring to the technology industry.

The Microsoft ISV/Software Solutions Competency recognizes the skill and focus partners bring to a particular solution set. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners that have obtained this competency have a successful record of developing and marketing packed software based on Microsoft technologies.

"Solutions Competencies are an important way for Microsoft to better enable ISVs to meet customer needs," said Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president of the Platform Strategy & Partner Group at Microsoft. "They allow ISVs to keep and win customers with their deep knowledge of solutions-based Microsoft platform technologies. Microsoft has a long history of working closely with ISV partners to help deliver compelling solutions and applications to our mutual customers, and the Solutions Competencies are an important step in continuing to enhance vital relationships with ISVs worldwide."

The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in December 2003 and represents Microsoft's ongoing commitment to the success of partners worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to help partners' businesses be successful.

About KANA

KANA is a leading provider of Service Resolution Management (SRM) solutions that improve customer satisfaction, reduce service costs, and increase revenues. KANA's award-winning suite of customer service solutions for assisted, self, and proactive service enables companies to resolve customer requests quickly and accurately across multiple channels. Built on the industry's most advanced web architecture, KANA's solutions are in use at more than half of the world's largest 100 companies. For more information visit www.kana.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Information in this release regarding KANA's forecasts, projections, expectations, beliefs, and intentions are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include statements about KANA's expected revenue, operating results, cash flows, long-term success, new business and market position. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to KANA as of the date of this release, which may likely change, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: competition in our marketplace, including introductions of new products or services, or reductions in prices, by competitors; risks associated with lack of market acceptance of KANA's products or services; inability to enhance and develop our products and services within budget and on schedule; inability to attract and retain qualified employees, to manage cash and expenditures or to expand sales; inability to manage our business in light of recent personnel reductions; KANA's history of losses; the effect of potential military action and terrorist activities; and slow economic conditions, particularly as they affect spending by our prospective customers on eCRM and similar enterprise software products. These and other factors are risks associated with our business that may affect our operating results and are discussed in KANA's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

NOTE: KANA and KANA iCARE are registered trademarks of KANA Software, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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