noHold Completes Executive Management Team to Build New-Generation Expert System for Self-Service Support Apps

Tech leaders unite to address industry need for better "tier zero" support solutions that instantly diagnose and solve customer problems online.

Milpitas, Calif., USA- August 27, 2001 - noHold, Inc., the leading provider of Web-based self-service solutions, has hired several industry leaders to complete its executive team. Together, they will address the growing need for more dynamic online self-service technology and customer support solutions.

"Customers are operating at Internet speed, but they're frustrated when they need to solve a problem," said Ventura. "Search engines provide links but not answers, and phone and email support avenues frequently put them on hold. The mission of our management team is to push the artificial intelligence technology so customers receive an immediate solution to a problem, not a recorded message asking them to wait in a long queue for the next available agent."

Joining the noHold executive team are Thomas McCreery, chief financial officer, formerly with MediaFlex; Felice Curcelli, vice president of engineering, formerly with Healtheon/WebMD; Mike Gospe, vice president of marketing, formerly with Ariba; and Patrick Whalen, vice president of sales, formerly with Logictier. They join noHold's existing management team, which includes Neil Riva, chief technology officer, and Gaven Fahl, vice president of professional services.
Complete bios are attached.

The new executives will lead the company as it deploys noHold Instant Support, an online self-service technical support solution that already has shown its value for global companies by improving customer support while significantly reducing costs. For example, in the first several weeks after implementation, Instant Support solved about 30,000 problems and questions for customers of Logitech's digital cameras. Logitech then signed an expanded contract to use Instant Support for all its product lines. (See related July 16, 2001 releases on Instant Support and Logitech metrics.)

According to some analysts, companies can pay the accumulated costs of several channels to resolve a single issue. Typically, that's $33 for each telephone session, and $10 for each email, versus a little more than a dollar for knowledge-base sessions.

Even more important than the cost factor, improved customer satisfaction has topped the list of goals for companies concerned about upgrading their service quality. Customers are turning to Internet service centers in rapidly growing numbers - more than a 200% annual growth rate, according to some estimates. To address that need, companies are spending millions of dollars to improve online service.

About noHold, Inc. noHold is the leader in Web-based self-service knowledge management solutions that diagnose and solve complex technical problems and provide information to users, 24x7. noHold Instant Support, the company's flagship product, is a virtual support agent designed for customer service, technical support, marketing and sales support, human resources, financial services, and other information-rich organizations to build profitable and labor-efficient relationships with their employees, customers, prospects and suppliers. With noHold Instant Support, users can resolve problems and obtain actionable information quickly, without waiting on hold.

noHold is a privately-held company established in 1999 and headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., USA (Silicon Valley). It has sales offices in San Diego, Calif., and Washington, DC. Its leading customers include AT&T Broadband, Cisco Systems, Logitech, and Aspect Communications. Additional information is available at www.nohold.com. Send e-mail to info@nohold.com, or phone 408-946-9200.