Canon ITS Earns 2008 Summit Award at Consona Customer Conference

LAS VEGAS, INDIANAPOLIS and Chesapeake, Va. Oct. 17, 2008—Consona Corporation (Consona), a worldwide leader in providing customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services for companies of all sizes, today announced at its premier customer conference, Consona Connect, that Canon ITS (CITS), a Chesapeake, Va.-based customer service and support center for Canon digital cameras, copiers, printers, fax machines, camcorders, calculators and binoculars and Consona Knowledge Management user, is the 2008 recipient of the software provider’s Best Overall Use Award.

The Best Overall Use Award, part of Consona’s annual Summit Awards, honors a customer that has demonstrated excellence in utilizing multiple products (modules, features, add-on, third-party) and services from Consona. Recipients of the award submit both qualitative and quantitative data that illustrate how the solution has improved the customer’s overall business performance. Award recipients display full use of both core and add-on solutions, steady business growth, a strong return on investment, and a passion for implementing and mastering new technologies.

CITS was formed in 1998 by combining the customer call centers for Canon USA and Canon Computer Systems, Inc. into a single business unit that provides support to all customers who contact Canon. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon USA, the Chesapeake facility is now the single call center for the entire United States and provides support services for all small office and consumer products. The mission of CITS is to maximize customer satisfaction and loyalty to the Canon brand by providing industry-leading support.

With sales of Canon’s many popular product lines growing steadily, the population of Canon customers and corresponding flow of calls to CITS was also growing. CITS had to find ways to leverage support resources to maintain the high level of customer service that Canon customers had come to expect. CITS implemented the Consona Knowledge Management suite (then known as ServiceWare and later known as KNOVA) in 2004, in two major phases and, over time, saw the following results:

Increased its deflection rate, or instances of customers being able to get answers through self-service, by 29 percent.
Decreased e-mail escalation rate compared to the first half of 2007 (when 42 percent fewer customers needed follow-up).
Raised customer satisfaction scores for the knowledge base by 9 percent.
Enhanced customer resolution rates by 20 percent.
“Consona has been a very valuable partner in the Canon ITS knowledge management initiative,” said Elliot Cohen, director of IT at CITS. “The team has been very responsive to our needs and is truly interested in our success—and not just selling us the next version of the software.”

“We are thrilled to honor Canon ITS with a Summit Award for some absolutely tremendous achievements," said Jeff Tognoni, CEO of Consona. "CTIS sets a standard for the commitment it takes to gain maximum return on a business system investment. The growth and success this company has achieved with our support reminds all of us at Consona why we're in business."

About Consona Corporation

Consona Corporation (Consona, formerly known as M2M Holdings Inc.) is a worldwide leader in providing customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services for companies of all sizes. Consona is dedicated to becoming a valued business partner by helping each and every customer continuously improve business processes over time. Toward this mission, Consona invests in the people, processes, technology and tools needed to provide its customers with a unique combination of customer care; product fit; a broad range of consulting, IT and business services; and industry expertise. Consona serves more than 4,500 customers worldwide and across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, financial services, health care, high tech, and local government. Battery Ventures and Thoma Bravo jointly own Consona. For further information, visit www.consona.com, e-mail info@consona.com, or call (888) 8 CONSONA.