TRANSVERSAL E-SERVICE ANSWERS NEARLY HALF OF SONY PLAYSTATION'S CUSTOMER CONTACT

Transversal | 31 August 2004

Transversal (www.transversal.com), the eService software provider, today announced that its Metafaq^TM product is answering nearly half (47 per cent) of all customer queries for Sony Computer Entertainment UK (SCEUK) through the company's product website (www.playstation.co.uk).

Sony PlayStation^® has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of calls and e-mails made to its helpdesks as more of its customers ask questions through its website. Transversal has both improved SCEUK's speed of response and reduced service costs by handling a large volume of customer enquiries.

Metafaq's unique ability to understand customer questions and provide precise and intelligent answers has enabled SCEUK to meet customer demand and improve service. Customers can ask the Sony PlayStation website any question relating to PlayStation products and Metafaq will automatically return an answer. For example 'What are Sony's return policies for the PlayStation 2?' or 'What games are compatible with my PlayStation 2?'

Having sold over seven million PSone^® and five million PlayStation 2 units in the UK alone, SCEUK's contact management resource and consumer care budget was increasing. Transversal's system has enabled SCEE to control costs while maintaining service quality and allowing customers greater choice in the way they receive service.

In the process of answering customer questions, Transversal's Metafaq system is building an up-to-date, self-learning knowledgebase that provides invaluable insight into the needs and concerns of PlayStation customers.

Andy Barker, director of customer services for Sony Computer Entertainment UK, said: "Quality of service is central to the PlayStation brand proposition. Our customers, who are fiercely loyal, expect and deserve a high level of service. Metafaq has been part of our service proposition for two years. It has also helped us to control the cost of answering a large volume of customer questions. It certainly demonstrates that with an effective and easy-to-use system in place more and more people will turn to the web for customer support."

Gerard Buckley, CEO of Transversal, said: "The basis of good customer service is being able to answer customer questions correctly and efficiently. The scope and size of customer queries answered by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's website is a great example of how Metafaq can greatly improve an organisation's customer service. We hope that Metafaq will continue to do this for Sony Computer Entertainment UK for years to come."

For further information please visit www.transversal.com.

-ENDS-

About Transversal

Founded in 1998 by two PhDs from Caltech and Cambridge University, Transversal is based in Cambridge, England. Transversal provides knowledge-powered eService and call centre knowledge management solutions that enable organisations to achieve key sales, customer service and efficiency goals. Transversal's eService solution increases online sales and reduces the volume of call and email enquiries to contact centres by automatically answering customers' questions online. Transversal's Intrafaq solution for call centres, delivers information to agents in a unique way from a dynamic natural language knowledgebase. Powered by Transversal's proprietary Memory Engine software, Intrafaq is able to understand complex sentence structures and process questions in the same way as human memory. Simply by typing a question, in their own words, agents can access answers to customer questions enabling them to provide fast, accurate and consistent responses - even when they don't know the answer. Current customers include Sony, Direct Line, MFI, Fujifilm, TDK Systems, JP Morgan Chase, DfES, Proctor & Gamble, Triton and the British Army.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PS one and PlayStation 2 hardware and software in 102 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. By the 19 May 2004, over 39.6 million PlayStation and PS one units had been shipped across these PAL territories and over 100 million worldwide. Between its European debut on 24 November 2000 and the end of June 2004, nearly 25 million PlayStation 2 units have been shipped across the PAL territories, over 72 million world-wide, making it one of the most successful computer entertainment products in history. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo, PS one and PS2 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Further information

Press enquiries (Transversal):

Alex Crawshaw / Ged Carroll / Jonathan Rosemont

Pirate Communications

Tel. +44 (0)20 7760 7050

[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

www.piratecomms.com

Dee Roche

Transversal

Tel. +44 (0)1223 723392

[email protected]

www.transversal.com