Astea Expanding Award-winning eCRM Solutions With Short Message Service --SMS-- and Wireless Application Protocol --WAP--

Astea International Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEA), the leading provider of service-centric Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, announced that it is widening its portfolio of mobile workforce solutions with Short Message Service (SMS) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technologies.

SMS and WAP will provide real-time data exchange between Astea's award-winning ServiceAlliance eCRM software and wireless devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones.

"SMS is available today on almost any cell phone and can be deployed with ServiceAlliance in a fully integrated service solution for virtually any system standard--GSM, CDMA, TDMA and others," said Zack Bergreen, CEO of Astea International. "WAP-enabled phones are just hitting the market. We expect their wide availability soon and we are proceeding with WAP connectivity as well.

"Our initiatives aim to mirror acceptance of new wireless technologies with timely introduction of new, plug-in ServiceAlliance integration solutions. This way, Astea serves customers' preferences regardless of mobile device type or service provider. We also reduce implementation time and costs compared to one-off solutions that occur when a new mobile technology is first introduced."

SMS technology provides a fast, reliable and cost-effective method for a mobile service work force to conduct two-way communications through cellular phones. Short messages can be sent, quickly and securely, to individuals, groups or an entire service organization.

Field agents can receive assignments, work orders and service data on products, customers and service histories, and send updates on job status, inventory usage and other information.

Companies deploy remote connectivity solutions to improve service response and curb costs through employees' 24 x 7 access to colleagues and the ServiceAlliance database from any location. For many clients, cellular access with SMS can be preferable to more robust laptop solutions that Astea also offers with its AllianceMobile(TM) option to ServiceAlliance.

Cellular devices cost less than laptops and travel easier. The type of service delivery and depth of service data required affect strategies to use a cell phone, handheld computer or laptop.

Astea's ServiceAlliance SMS solution allows for management fields displayed on a cellular device to be modified according to a user's field force automation requirements. Solutions also track system traffic for analysis of staff deployment and productivity, and customers' service demands.


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