Computer Associates continues to enhance customer service with new CustomerConnect program

Computer Associates International, Inc (CA) today announced CustomerConnect, a new set of Web-based self-service capabilities that makes it easier than ever to do business with CA.

CA customers can take advantage of this no-charge service to maintain account information, download or order new product releases, and find technical information.

CustomerConnect is the latest in a series of CA initiatives designed to further enhance CA`s relationships with its global clientele. CustomerConnect will save customers time, money and effort by enabling fast, 24x7 Web access to resolve issues that may have previously required one or more phone calls.

"It`s great to be able to make immediate changes to our CA account information, even after hours," said Justin Itoh, chief information officer, Hawaii Pacific University. "We appreciate CA`s demonstrated ongoing commitment to simplifying our relationship with them."

CustomerConnect`s AccountConnect feature lets customers keep their corporate information current and ensures that CA mailings and new product releases are sent to the appropriate contacts. AccountConnect also enables customers to quickly update technical contacts and addresses, as well as review their CA product licences and invoices.

CustomerConnect`s SupportConnect feature will enable customers to immediately download the latest versions of CA products, eliminating deployment delays and ensuring synchronisation of software across the enterprise. Customers can also take advantage of SupportConnect to download product licence keys and new virus signatures, as well as to open, review and update support issues. Moreover, SupportConnect will incorporate sophisticated self-help technology with natural language support to help customers quickly find solutions to their technical problems.

"It`s definitely quite useful to be able to download or update software without having to wait for it to be physically delivered," said Victor Raybaud, systems programmer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "If I can download a new release on a Thursday, I can work with it over the weekend if I choose and have it tested and ready by the start of business Monday morning."

CA has used its own technologies to implement CustomerConnect on mainframe Linux. It was developed with CA`s Advantage solutions, and is being secured with CA`s eTrust solutions, backed up with CA`s BrightStor solutions, and monitored with CA`s Unicenter solutions. Web services-enabled, CustomerConnect leverages decades of data stored in CA`s diverse corporate databases.

AccountConnect and SupportConnect are the first modules in the CustomerConnect initiative. Subsequent components will enable customers to license software, renew existing licences, pay invoices, and manage other aspects of their relationship with CA.

"With CustomerConnect, we have given our customers a faster, easier and smarter way to manage their relationships with CA," said Gary Quinn, CA executive vice president. "With the future expansion of CustomerConnect, we look forward to providing even more services that help our customers save time and money while they optimise the business benefits of CA`s industry-leading e-business software portfolio."