midastouch017
11 years ago
ClickSoftware CEO: Amazing momentum
24/02/2014, 14:59
Ron Steinblatt
Moshe BenBassat talks to "Globes" about how his SaaS product is taking off.
ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CKSW), a provider of automated mobile workforce management and optimization solutions for the service industry, has had steady double-digit revenue growth and handsome net profits in the past few years. However, something changed in 2013: it published a revenue warning and swung to a loss, underwent upheaval in its executive, and its share price fell to a three-year low.
ClickSoftware has taken 2014 by storm. In January, it announced that revenue for the fourth quarter of 2013 would be higher than expected, and later provided higher than expected full-year guidance for 2014, which boosted the share price. If that were not enough, last week, it made the largest ever acquisition in its history.
In an interview with "Globes", ClickSoftware founder and CEO Dr. Moshe BenBassat explains the change in the company's revenue model, which caused last year's volatility, how the acquisition fits in with the company's strategy, and why COO Hannan Carmeli left the company two months after being appointed co-CEO.
"Most of our customers to date generated between $500,000 and $2 million revenue for us from software sales and upgrades. Before 2013, the big companies did not buy our cloud software solutions, through which we offer as Software as a Service (SaaS) on a use basis, even though it was part of our products offering," says BenBassat.
"Last year began slowly, but the momentum in the last quarter was amazing. We signed with 19 customers, including 10 in the cloud. Not only did more than half of the new customers choose the cloud service, but in an ordinary quarter, we would normally sign up 8-12 new customers."
This change, in which more customers switched to ClickSoftware's SaaS cloud offering, had an major effect on the company's revenue. Instead of a large one-time payment from the buyer of the software, the company has switched to receiving small, but steady, monthly payments over time, similar to a leasing contract.
As a consequence, ClickSoftware's revenue guidance in early 2013, which projected $120-125 million revenue (up to 25% growth over 2012), turned out to be overoptimistic, resulting in two revenue warnings later in the year.
"In early 2013, we didn’t know that the flow of customers to the cloud would increase at the expense of legacy systems. This took us by surprise. In addition, the nature of the deals, which were smaller, had an effect," says BenBassat explaining the gap between the guidance and actual results. "Altogether, we added 24 cloud customers during 2013, which was strong growth compared with the nine customers in 2012. This helps us create future revenue flow, while we continue sales to our traditional customers, which will also contribute to growth in 2014."
The increase in cloud customers during the fourth quarter boosted ClickSoftware's share price. "The capital market will not judge us on the basis of our revenue in dollars, but on the number of new customers," says BenBassat.
"Globes": Will the change in the revenue structure change the expenses structure?
BenBassat: "We're running all the cloud infrastructures on Amazon servers, on the basis of use. There is congruence between what we charge the customer and the amount we pay Amazon. This is a variable expense in line with variable income."
Although ClickSoftware's revenue did not increase in 2013, its expenses did, resulting in a GAAP-based net loss of $4.2 million. "In 2013, we established offices in Brazil and Russia. There is no revenue yet, but there will be an impact in the coming years. In Russia, we work with Moscow City Telephone Network (MGTS), the city's largest telephone company. In Brazil, we work with Oi Group, the country's largest infrastructure company, and with Nextel."
ClickSoftware had $58 million in cash at the beginning of 2014, and in mid-February, the company decided to use it. It announced an acquisition that demonstrates how it is pinning its hopes on the cloud as its future growth engine. ClickSoftware announced the acquisition of US company Xora Inc. for $15 million in cash.
Why did you decide to acquire this company?
"Xora is an important strategic addition, which will boost our repeat income from cloud services. The combination of ClickSoftware's services, which target the high end of the mid-sized enterprise market with Xora's ready for use customized solutions, which target the lower end of the small and mid-sized enterprise market, will achieve our goal of offering a complete portfolio of products that meet all business needs of companies of every size."
BenBassat adds that the acquisition "will greatly expand our distribution channels."
Complicating the decision-making process
In June 2013, ClickSoftware announced a change in its leadership, following more than 30 years in which BenBassat served as chairman and CEO. The company announced that president and COO Hannan Carmeli would begin serving as co-CEO alongside BenBassat. Their division of labor, according to the statement, would be, "Dr. BenBassat will focus … on product innovation and strategic marketing, while Mr. Carmeli will … manage all field operations."
Carmeli had worked with BenBassat for 17 years, since the days when the company was known as IET, and some investors understood his promotion as a smooth transition for passing the baton to him. But the tango as co-CEOs was very brief.
"Hannan and I worked for many years together, and we thought it would be possible to work as co-CEOs. After two months, we saw that this was a hindrance to decision-making at the company, and we decided that it was better for one man to make the decisions," explains BenBassat.
Carmeli, who realized that there no way to go higher in the company, decided to leave. Another change in ClickSoftware's leadership in the past year was the appointment of Israel Borovich, a controlling shareholder in Knafaim Holdings Ltd. (TASE: KNFM), as chairman, after serving as a director for many years.
ClickSoftware has been periodically mentioned as a candidate for acquisition by one of the world's large software companies.
If a buyer offers a good price for the company, would you advise the board of directors to sell it?
"There are settled rules for this matter. If an offer is made, the board of directors must respectfully consider it."
Have there been offers in recent years?
"I cannot comment on that. It's confidential. A party submitting an acquisition offer does so under a confidentiality agreement."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 24, 2014
midastouch017
11 years ago
ClickSoftware Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Xora Inc.
--Acquisition Extends ClickSoftware's Leadership in Cloud-based Solutions for Mobile Workers; --Considerably Broadens Distribution Channels via Major Carriers; --Strengthens Small & Medium Size Businesses (SMB) Offering
BURLINGTON, Mass., Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ClickSoftware
Technologies Ltd. (nasdaqgs:CKSW), the leading provider of automated mobile workforce management and optimization solutions for the service industry, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Xora Inc., a cloud-based market leader in mobile workforce management, by merger. Under the terms of the merger agreement, the consideration for the transaction is approximately $14.7 million in cash, plus working capital and cash adjustments. The closing is subject to certain closing conditions and purchase price adjustments, and is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
Xora, Inc., based in Mountain View, California, provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for companies whose success depends on the productivity and efficiency of 'always mobile' workers. Xora delivers its solutions to more than 130,000 users and is one of North America's largest providers of mobile workforce management solutions. The company was recognized by Frost & Sullivan in 2012 with the Market Share Leadership Award for its intuitive StreetSmart application that helps companies, across a wide variety of industries, to more effectively manage the activities and performance of their employees in the field. Among Xora's distinguished partners are US leading carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.
The combination of Xora and ClickSoftware creates a company with breadth and depth for a much bigger market under one roof. ClickSoftware strengthens its leadership position by offering customers a broader range of cloud-based mobile workforce management apps. Xora benefits from ClickSoftware's international presence and access to service resource optimization products. This acquisition will also extend ClickSoftware's market reach into the SMB (Small and Medium Businesses) market and opens a distribution channel through leading wireless carriers. ClickSoftware, which was already managing the largest community of mobile workers, will now add the 130,000 users of Xora to its more than 500,000 user base and will distance itself further ahead from the competition.
"The acquisition of Xora is an important and strategic addition to our mobile workforce management business and accelerates our cloud recurring revenues," said Dr. Moshe BenBassat, ClickSoftware's Founder and CEO. "The visions and cultures of both companies are perfectly aligned, bringing together the management of mobile workers, tasks, and physical assets such as equipment and vehicles. By combining ClickSoftware's sophisticated, highly configurable offerings for the large and higher end of the mid-size enterprise market with Xora's suite of configurable, ready-to-use solutions for the lower end of the mid-size and small business market, we achieve the strategic objective to offer a complete portfolio of best-in-class mobile apps for all business roles, in all size companies, in all industry verticals. Xora's extensive and long term experience selling packaged apps through the wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, considerably expands our distribution channels. We welcome Xora's CEO Anne Bonaparte and her technology savvy professional team to the ClickSoftware family."
"I am very excited to have Xora become part of ClickSoftware and our future together. Our companies share a focus on customer success, leading-edge technology and innovation," said Anne Bonaparte, Xora's CEO. "Becoming part of the ClickSoftware team serves to extend Xora's impact and global reach."
Research from Frost & Sullivan indicates that the market for Mobile Workforce Management Solutions will continue to grow, and estimates that annual North American revenues will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 40.5% to reach almost $3 billion by 2018. The research also indicates that market penetration remains low, with 45% of businesses planning to introduce or expand mobile application deployment over the next three years (Source: Mobile Workforce Management Market: Prepackaged Mobile Field-Based Worker Applications in North America, Frost & Sullivan report NC4B-65, December 2013). The acquisition of Xora is intended to enable ClickSoftware to quickly expand its access to this growing market and extend its market leading position.
"Combining ClickSoftware and Xora is just the type of acquisition that will contribute to the high rate of growth in the market of mobile workforce management solutions. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity in this market, and this acquisition positions ClickSoftware to reap a healthy portion of it," said Jeanine Sterling, Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "There are a multitude of benefits that make this development between two market leaders a mutual win, mostly based on synergies in product capabilities, target markets, and channel relationships. Our mobile enterprise applications research shows a steady migration of customers toward cloud-based solutions. This deal will accelerate ClickSoftware's ability to satisfy this preference -- with both its new and embedded customers. Distribution relationships should also expand in a good way. Xora has created and nurtured strong channel partnerships with Tier 1 wireless carriers, which should nicely complement ClickSoftware's own partner and distribution efforts, providing a mutual opportunity to expand distribution."
Management Conference Call ClickSoftware will host a conference call today at 9:00 a.m. EST to discuss this transaction, as well as answer questions from the investment community. To participate, please call (888) 407-2553 and ask for the ClickSoftware conference call. International participants, please call +972-3-918-0610. The call will be broadcasted by live webcast on the internet (in listen mode only) at http://ir.clicksoftware.com . A replay of this webcast will be available on the ClickSoftware website and on the Investor Relations App. Alternatively, a telephone replay of the call will be available for a week by calling (888) 295-2634 (international callers can dial +972-3-925-5927).
About ClickSoftware ClickSoftware (nasdaqgs:CKSW) is the leading provider of automated mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions for the enterprise, both for mobile and in-house resources. As pioneers of the "Service chain optimization" and "The real-time service enterprise" concepts, our solutions provide organizations with end-to-end visibility and control of the entire service management chain by optimizing forecasting, planning, shift and task scheduling, mobility and real-time management of resource and customer communication.
Available via the cloud or on-premise, our products incorporate best business practices and advanced decision-making algorithms to manage service operations more efficiently, in a scalable, integrated manner. Our solutions have become the backbone for many leading organizations worldwide by addressing the fundamental question of job fulfillment: Who does What, for Whom, With what, Where and When.
apdn1mill
11 years ago
Moshe's interview in October 2000
http://www.twst.com/interview/6659
TWST: How would you describe your growth?
Dr. BenBassat: In the past three years, we have grown from $2.3 million in 1997 to $6.0 million in 1998 and on to $10.3 million in 1999. For 2000, Wall Street analysts estimate our growth at about 65% to about $16.9 million. Going by quarters, our revenues have been steadily growing for the past six quarters. Specifically for Q1 2000, our revenues were $3.5 million, while for Q2 2000, our revenues were $4.3 million, which, by the way, beat analyst estimates by about 13%.
TWST: When are analysts expecting you to become profitable?
Dr. BenBassat: They estimate it will happen in the second half of 2001.
TWST: Again, you're not going to argue with that.
Dr. BenBassat: Correct, and I guess everyone can do the trend. If you look at the historical trend in the past two, three quarters, you can see that the gap between revenues and total expenses is shrinking. - See more at: http://www.twst.com/interview/6659#sthash.YAN8ncwo.dpuf
apdn1mill
11 years ago
Moshe's interview in October 2000
http://www.twst.com/interview/6659
TWST: How would you describe your growth?
Dr. BenBassat: In the past three years, we have grown from $2.3 million in 1997 to $6.0 million in 1998 and on to $10.3 million in 1999. For 2000, Wall Street analysts estimate our growth at about 65% to about $16.9 million. Going by quarters, our revenues have been steadily growing for the past six quarters. Specifically for Q1 2000, our revenues were $3.5 million, while for Q2 2000, our revenues were $4.3 million, which, by the way, beat analyst estimates by about 13%.
TWST: When are analysts expecting you to become profitable?
Dr. BenBassat: They estimate it will happen in the second half of 2001.
TWST: Again, you're not going to argue with that.
Dr. BenBassat: Correct, and I guess everyone can do the trend. If you look at the historical trend in the past two, three quarters, you can see that the gap between revenues and total expenses is shrinking. - See more at: http://www.twst.com/interview/6659#sthash.YAN8ncwo.dpuf
ShadowSpy69
13 years ago
ClickSoftware Reports Financial Results for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2012
Quarterly Revenues Up 13% Year over Year, Reaching $21.8 Million; Reiterating Annual Revenue Guidance
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clicksoftware-reports-financial-results-first-090700959.html
BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
?ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (CKSW), the leading provider of automated mobile workforce management and optimization solutions for the service industry, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.
For the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, total revenues were $21.8 million, up 13% from $19.3 million in the first quarter of 2011. Net income for the first quarter of 2012 was $0.7 million, or $0.02 per fully diluted share, compared to net income of $2.2 million, or $0.07 per fully diluted share, for the same period last year.
Non-GAAP net income for the quarter was $1.3 million, or $0.04 per fully diluted share, compared to $3.2 million, or $0.10 per fully diluted share, for the same period last year.
Software license revenues for the first quarter of 2012 were $6.4 million, down 14% compared with software license revenues of $7.5 million for the same period last year. Service and maintenance revenues were $15.4 million, up 30% compared with service and maintenance revenues of $11.8 million in the same period last year.
Gross profit in the first quarter of 2012 was $12.4 million, or 57% of revenues, compared to $11.8 million, or 61% of revenues, in the same period last year.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $2.1 million during the first quarter of 2012. After paying a cash dividend of $2.5 million, cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments at the end of the first quarter of 2012 were $54.2 million, a decrease of $0.8 million compared to the end of the fourth quarter of 2011.
Management Commentary
"With strong bookings and a healthy backlog we are reaffirming our guidance for 2012. While the timing of specific contracts impacted our quarterly revenues, we are satisfied with our operational performance in a quarter which sometimes tends to be slower in our business," commented Dr. Moshe BenBassat, ClickSoftware's Chairman and CEO. "Growth opportunities in the workforce management and enterprise mobility markets remain strong, and we continue to invest for future growth. While the impact of increased research and development and sales and marketing expenses will tighten margins in the short-term, we believe they will position us to better meet market demand with competitive solutions in the cloud and mobility markets."
"Operationally, the launch of the ClickAppStore last month has further positioned us to capitalize on the rapid growth being seen in the enterprise mobility market. The initial response to our go-to-market strategy, which provides pre-bundled starter packages that can be further expanded by downloading additional Apps, has been well received. We will further enhance our product suite by offering a wider range of starter packages that appeal to specific market segments and deliver an easy to use mobile solution that can be configured by the customer to meet their needs," Dr. BenBassat concluded.
Outlook
The Company reiterates the previously provided year 2012 guidance of revenues in the approximate range of $100 to $105 million, representing about 15% to 21% growth over 2011.
Cash Dividend
ClickSoftware also announced today that on April 30, 2012, its Board of Directors approved the distribution of a $0.08 per share dividend to be paid on May 30, 2012 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 16, 2012. The dividend will be paid net of any required tax. The Company does not have a formal policy governing the amounts and payment of dividends, and the declaration and payment of future dividends, if any, is at the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors.
Shmuel Arvatz, ClickSoftware's CFO said: "Our current cash position combined with our steady cash flow from operations make a dividend payment a good vehicle to enhance value and allow our shareholders to participate in our success."
Investors Conference Call
ClickSoftware will host a conference call today at 9:00 a.m. EDT to discuss its financial results and other matters discussed in this press release, as well as answer questions from the investment community. To participate, please call (888) 668-9141 and ask for the ClickSoftware conference call. International participants, please call +972-3-918-0609. The call will be broadcasted by live webcast on the internet (in listen mode only) at http://ir.clicksoftware.com. A replay of this webcast will be available on the ClickSoftware website. Alternatively, a telephone replay of the call will be available for a week by calling (888) 326-9310 (international callers can dial +972-3-925-5900).
trade2much
15 years ago
CKSW is scheduled to have its earnings call PRIOR to the market Feb 3rd, that is usually a good sign.
BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, January 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqGS: CKSW), the leading provider of workforce management and service optimization solutions, today announced that it will release its fourth quarter and year-end 2009 financial results on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, during pre-market hours.
The release will be followed by a conference call available to all interested parties beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. This call can be accessed via:
Telephone: Dial 1-877-941-4775 at approximately 10 minutes prior to the conference start time (international callers should dial 1-480-629-9761) and ask for the ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. conference call / conference ID 4199749.
Replay: A replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET on February 3, 2010 until 11:59 p.m. ET on February 10, 2010. To listen to the replay, please dial 1-800-406-7325 (international callers should dial 1-303-590-3030) and enter the Pin Number 4199749.
Webcast: This call will be available live (and archived) on the internet and can be accessed at ClickSoftware's web site at http://www.clicksoftware.com.
Please allow 15 minutes prior to the call to visit this site to download and install any necessary audio software.
About ClickSoftware
ClickSoftware is the leading provider of workforce management and service optimization solutions that create business value for service operations through higher levels of productivity, customer satisfaction and cost effectiveness. Combining educational, implementation and support services with best practices and its industry leading solutions, ClickSoftware drives service decision making across all levels of the organization. From proactive customer demand forecasting and capacity planning to real-time decision-making, incorporating scheduling, mobility and location based services, ClickSoftware helps service organizations get the most out of their resources. With over 150 customers across a variety of industries and geographies, and strong partnerships with leading platform and system integration partners - ClickSoftware is uniquely positioned to deliver superb business performance to any organization. The company is headquartered in Burlington, MA and Israel, with offices in Europe, and Asia Pacific.
For more information about ClickSoftware, please call +1-781-272-5903 or +1-888-438-3308, or visit http://www.clicksoftware.com.
trade2much
15 years ago
NICE GUIDANCE FOR 2010
ClickSoftware Expects to Exceed the High End of its Guidance With Record Revenues for the Fourth Quarter of 2009
Also Expects Strong Bookings
BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, December 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqGS: CKSW), the leading provider of workforce management and service optimization solutions, today announced that it expects record revenues at the fourth quarter of 2009 of about $17 million, exceeding its previous guidance of an approximate range of $16.0 to $16.7 million. These anticipated quarterly revenues will lead to annual revenues of about $61 million in fiscal year 2009, compared to annual revenues of $52.3 million in fiscal year 2008
"With excellent performance in the fourth quarter, we are approaching the end of 2009 with solid financial results giving us another year of significant revenues growth," says Dr. Moshe BenBassat, ClickSoftware's Chairman and CEO. "Strong bookings in the fourth quarter will contribute to the existing backlog and deferred revenues, providing us with high visibility into 2010. Our sales pipeline also keeps growing, and we believe that the level with which we start 2010 will generate strong growth in 2010."
The above assessment for the fourth quarter of 2009 is based on the Company's initial analysis and is subject to change as additional financial information becomes available. ClickSoftware expects to report its final financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2009 in early February 2010. A news release announcing the exact date, and dial-in and webcasting details for the conference call, will be issued in advance
About ClickSoftware
ClickSoftware is the leading provider of workforce management and service optimization solutions that create business value for service operations through higher levels of productivity, customer satisfaction and cost effectiveness. Combining educational, implementation and support services with best practices and its industry leading solutions, ClickSoftware drives service decision making across all levels of the organization. From proactive customer demand forecasting and capacity planning to real-time decision-making, incorporating scheduling, mobility and location based services, ClickSoftware helps service organizations get the most out of their resources. With over 150 customers across a variety of industries and geographies, and strong partnerships with leading platform and system integration partners - ClickSoftware is uniquely positioned to deliver superb business performance to any organization. The Company is headquartered in Burlington, MA and Israel, with offices in Europe, and Asia Pacific
For more information about ClickSoftware, please call +1-781-272-5903 or +1-888-438-3308, or visit http://www.clicksoftware.com/
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S Federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those statements regarding future results of operations, visibility into future periods, growth and rates of growth, and expectations regarding future closing of contracts, receipt of orders, recognition of revenues and deferred revenues. For example, when we discuss our expected revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 and for year 2009, our long term momentum, our visibility into 2010 and our growth in 2010, we are using forward-looking statements. Such "forward-looking statements" involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those projected. Achievement of these results by ClickSoftware may be affected by many factors, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the general economic outlook, the length of or changes in ClickSoftware's sales cycle, ClickSoftware's ability to close sales to potential customers in a timely manner and maintain or strengthen relationships with strategic partners, the timing of revenue recognition, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and ClickSoftware's ability to maintain or increase its sales pipeline. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in ClickSoftware's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008 and in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as otherwise required by law, ClickSoftware is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise
Tina
15 years ago
what a sweet uptrend this stock has had
Net Income
31-Dec-06 - 2,138
31-Dec-07 - 2,608
31-Dec-08 - 8,111
ClickSoftware Strengthens Customer Interaction Management Solution by Signing Partnership Agreement With BackFlip Software
Partnership Designed to Help Service Organizations Facilitate Better Communication With Customers
Press Release
Source: ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd
On Wednesday July 15, 2009, 8:30 am EDT
Buzz up! 0 Print.Companies:Clicksoftware technologies ltd.
BURLINGTON, Massachussetts and LOS GATOS, California, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ClickSoftware (NasdaqGS: CKSW - News), the leading provider of mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions, and BackFlip Software, a driving force of business process communications, announced today that they have signed a partnership agreement whereby ClickSoftware will integrate BackFlip Process Communications On Demand(TM) for ISV's with ClickSoftware's customer-interaction management solution, called ClickContact. ClickContact enables automatic, on-going communication with the customer throughout the service lifecycle, including real-time communication on the day of service, thereby reducing the uncertainty of the technician's expected arrival time.
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Symbol Price Change
CKSW 7.03 +0.29
{"s" : "cksw","k" : "c10,l10,p20,t10","o" : "","j" : ""} Integrated with ClickContact, BackFlip's solution for ISV's is designed to help service organizations improve customer service by enabling timelier and more convenient communication with their customers, service agents and technicians. ClickSoftware partnered with BackFlip Software to provide service organizations the ability to offer an improved level of service and a superior customer experience by offering bi-directional, personalized multi-channel customer interaction. With both companies' solutions based on Service Oriented Architecture, integration was developed using industry standards and open API's.
By providing multi-channel communications, service organizations demonstrate respect for their customers' time and increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. Real-time appointment confirmations provided by ClickContact allow service organizations to offer their customers minimal appointment windows so that they are no longer "chained" to the service location waiting for the service technician to arrive. While dramatically improving the customer experience, ClickContact also helps service businesses reduce customer "no-shows" which require a costly second technician visit to complete the work order.
The new ClickContact solution also enables service organizations to offer their customers the ability to book and manage their own service appointments via a self-service module. Users can also select their preferred means of communication through which they would like to receive notification messages and interact with the service organization. As a result, service providers and their customers now have complete visibility into the process and a seamless and easy way to interact and communicate with their end-customers. Thus, the combined ClickContact and BackFlip solution offers the customer more control of the service experience and offers the service provider significant efficiency gains by reducing the volume of calls into the call center.
"BackFlip capabilities enable us to offer our customers a more comprehensive service management solution including end-customer bi-directional communications and control of the service experience," said Hannan Carmeli, President and Chief Operating Officer at ClickSoftware. "By facilitating better communication between the customer and the service organization before the time of service, customers are better informed about the upcoming visit and more satisfied. Costly customer no-shows are also greatly reduced."
BackFlip is the first communication service to provide a secured multi-channel environment for user-to-system and system-to-user communications through voice, instant messaging, text messaging, mobile browsing, enterprise and consumer portals, RSS feeds, IP Phones, desktop widgets and email technologies. BackFlip Process Communications On Demand(TM) is a SaaS solution that comes with instant worldwide coverage for voice and text messaging networks. The new service for ISV's is modular and customizable to suit all levels of adoption and needs.
"We are proud to add ClickSoftware, a leader in field service management applications, as a partner. Process Communications On Demand(TM) for ISV's is intended for software vendors that want to augment their product offering with CEBP (communications-enabled business process) capabilities," said Gil Perez, Chief Executive Officer at BackFlip Software. "The combination of our robust multi-channel on demand environment for personalized customer interaction and ClickSoftware's scheduling capabilities provides a unique solution for service providers. By leveraging BackFlip's proven solution that facilitates real-time, interactive, multi-channel communications, ClickSoftware expands its offering, improves customer satisfaction and reduces service organizations' costs."
About ClickSoftware
ClickSoftware is the leading provider of mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions that create business value for service operations through higher levels of productivity, customer satisfaction and cost effectiveness. Combining educational, implementation and support services with best practices and its industry-leading solutions, ClickSoftware drives service decision making across all levels of the organization. From proactive customer demand forecasting and capacity planning to real-time decision making, incorporating scheduling, mobility and location-based services, ClickSoftware helps service organizations get the most out of their resources. With over 130 customers across a variety of industries and geographies, and strong partnerships with leading platform and system integration partners ClickSoftware is uniquely positioned to deliver superb business performance to any organization. The company is headquartered in Burlington, Mass. and Israel, with offices in Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information about ClickSoftware, please call (781) 272-5903 or (888) 438-3308, or visit www.clicksoftware.com.
About BackFlip Software
BackFlip Software is a driving force of business process communications. BackFlip's Process Communications On Demand(TM) service empowers organizations with the ability to receive, access and communicate information at any time through any communication channel and device. Business applications can invoke the BackFlip service easily and securely whether they are hosted or lie behind the corporate firewall. Interactive alerts, business information and real-time notifications can be sent out from any system to any user by a variety of communication channels including automatic voice calls, instant messages, text messages and mobile browsing. As a result, business processes are accelerated, users no longer have to wait for information, and decisions can be made and implemented quickly and effectively. BackFlip is a privately held company and has offices in Kfar Saba, Israel and Los Gatos, California, USA. Visit http://www.backflipsoftware.com for more information..
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S. Federal Securities Laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding growth in ClickSoftware's revenues and sales and partner networks. Such "forward-looking statements" involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those projected. ClickSoftware's achievement of these results may be affected by many factors, including among others, the following risks: that ClickSoftware may fail to expand its activities in the market; and other risks associated with ClickSoftware's business. For additional information regarding risks relating to ClickSoftware's business, see ClickSoftware's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including ClickSoftware's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008, and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as otherwise required by law, ClickSoftware is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
ClickSoftware Contact:
Joanna Giannotti
ClickSoftware, Inc.
+1-781-272-5903, Ext: 2235
joanna.giannotti@clicksoftware.com
BackFlip Contact:
Amir Sadras
VP Business Development, BackFlip
+972-54-664-5100
amir@backflipsoftware.com
>
surf1944
16 years ago
ClickSoftware Products Excel in the Preliminaries, Now Ready for Prime Time During 2008 Beijing Olympics
Wednesday August 6, 8:00 am ET
Optimized Mobile Workforce Management System Schedules More Than 1,000 Technicians to Ensure Telecommunications Services run Smoothly
BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, August 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Over seven million people at the Beijing Olympics are depending on more than 1,000 field technicians managed by ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqCM: CKSW) products for reliable fixed line voice, broadband, video transmission and Internet service during the 16-day event. ClickSoftware's ClickSchedule and ClickAnalyze mobile workforce management software is helping China Netcom Group Corporation (CNC) China, one of two official telecommunications providers of the 2008 summer games, ensure maximum uptime for critical telecommunications services for athletes, coaches, venue organizers, the media and millions of spectators.
ClickSchedule is automatically scheduling technicians based on myriad variables, including specialized skill sets, venue security passes, location and job urgency to ensure they complete the break/fix, installation and maintenance work to keep services running smoothly. Managers at the Beijing Olympics Telecommunications Control Center are using ClickAnalyze to review everything from response to repair times to best determine overall service efficiency and make changes where necessary. ClickSoftware reseller Xiangmin Technology deployed the software and manages its operation on-site at the control center.
"The pressure to deliver gold-medal service during a global event such as the Olympics is intense," said Zheng Yang, general manager of Xiangmin. "So we've had ClickSchedule and ClickAnalyze deployed and rigorously tested since the beginning of the year. The software has met or exceeded expectations, and we believe it will continue to do so throughout the Olympics."
During the past few months, event organizers and leading technology firms have conducted more than 200,000 hours of testing of the battery of IT systems, including ClickSchedule and ClickAnalyze, to ensure they will stand up to the massive demands during the games. Beyond the testing, ClickSchedule and ClickAnalyze have been used to schedule and optimize field technicians during dozens of live events, including international diving, handball and Taekwondo competitions, prior to the Olympics.
Following the event organizers' theme of a "Green Olympics," CNC China will be able to use the hardware and software running ClickSchedule and ClickAnalyze to optimize its field workforce after the games end.
"Ensuring minimal service issues during the Olympics is a colossal task," said Hannan Carmeli, chief operating officer at ClickSoftware. "We've established a reputation for delivering products that help organizations of any size address the most challenging service needs smoothly and efficiently. In fact, ClickSchedule is managing more than 25,000 technicians for the T-Home subsidiary of Deutsche Telecom for one of the largest single-company workforces in the world."
About Beijing Xiangmin Service Technology Development Co. Ltd.
Beijing Xiangmin Service Technology Development Co. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Beijing World Trade Corporation. BWTC is a state-owned enterprise with a rich history that can be traced back to China National Technical Import and Export Corporation Beijing Company, a company established with the approval of Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China in 1984. Today, BWTC provides overseas companies with integrated business and technical services including business consulting services and investment advisory services, as well as in the arena of international procurement. With its experienced and professional team, BWTC has successfully assisted its overseas business partners in accessing the Chinese market. For more information about BWTC, please visit www.cbwtc.com. Xiangmin was established by BWTC to provide IT services and business consulting services, including system integration and application development in China by leveraging on BWTC's vast experience and excellent reputation in the telecommunication, banking and government industries in China. For more information, please visit http://www.xiangmin.com.cn.
surf1944
16 years ago
Major North American Bank to Optimize Field Workforce Scheduling With ClickSoftware
Monday July 21, 8:00 am ET
ClickIMRS and ClickMobile to Ensure Technicians Keep Key IT Systems Humming for Bank With 1,000 Sites Throughout North America
BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd., (NasdaqCM: CKSW) the leading provider of mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions, today announced that one of the largest banks in North America is deploying ClickSoftware for Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Services (ClickIMRS) to automatically schedule hundreds of field technicians who keep telecommunications systems and computers running smoothly. The bank is also deploying ClickAnalyze Insight to gain detailed information on service efficiency and identify opportunities to improve future performance.
With more than 30,000 employees across thousands of locations in over a dozen states, the bank has a dedicated team of technicians responsible for telephone set maintenance, router installation, and repairing everything from laptops to desktops, network switches and data servers. Job urgency ranges from routine maintenance to emergencies affecting thousands of employees. Previously, the company occasionally struggled to efficiently schedule its field technicians using a manual system, sometimes causing employees and/or customers to wait.
"You don't typically think of banks as having large field service teams, but a national bank's field technicians help to keep customer-facing and internal systems operating at peak performance," said ClickSoftware Vice President of Marketing Operations Simon Morris. "This sale not only validates ClickSoftware's fast-growing sales channel, but it also highlights our commitment to delivering a mid-market solution that makes it easy and affordable to take advantage of mobile workforce optimization."
ClickIMRS provides the automated scheduling and work order management that takes the guesswork out of determining which technician with what skills to send to which job when. The software deploys rapidly because it was designed and configured specifically to meet the needs of installation, maintenance and repair services. ClickIMRS features pre-configured scheduling and mobile functionality that virtually eliminates the expense, time and effort typically required to custom-design and program schedules.
The mobility features in ClickIMRS will ensure the bank's IT managers and field technicians have the most updated information about job status, priorities, history, location, etc. The solution wirelessly connects field service technicians via their handheld devices to job ticket information for field activities and tasks. Technicians can also quickly update dispatchers and managers as to job status, location and delays.
Street-level-routing features ensure field technicians take the most efficient routes between jobs to increase productivity and reduce travel time. The bank will use ClickAnalyze Insight business analytics software to enable managers to track key performance indicators such as arrival time, productivity, second visits, travel time, etc. They'll use that information to measure performance and identify trends that could become problematic down the road.
This regional bank relies on authorized ClickSoftware value-added reseller Diabsolut, Inc. for software implementation, training and support.
"We deal with many clients who struggle with the burden of under-utilized field personnel, excessive usage of their fleets, and the ever-increasing cost of fuel," said Diabsolut President and CEO Joe Diab. "With their tightening budgets, there is a pressing need to do more with less. Our newest client shares these challenges and prefers to remain nameless, as they strongly believe that ClickIMRS will permit them to have a clear competitive advantage over their competition."
surf1944
16 years ago
ClickSoftware's Mid-Market Move Gathers Momentum With Global VARs, Customers
Thursday July 10, 10:11 am ET
ClickSoftware's Comprehensive Field Service Management and Optimization Software for Mid-Sized Companies Delivers Affordability, Fast Deployment
HOUSTON, July 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A bigger global sales channel, more customers and a growing need for comprehensive field service optimization software for mid-size service organizations are driving momentum for ClickSoftware for Installation, Maintenance and Repair Services (ClickIMRS), announced ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CKSW - News) today at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. This momentum underscores ClickSoftware's commitment to delivering automated decision support and optimization technology that helps service organizations with anywhere from 20 to 500 mobile resources boost productivity, increase revenues and cut costs.
ClickIMRS is the industry's first affordable, comprehensive field service management and optimization software that can be deployed in less than 70 days. Previously, mid-sized companies with up to 500 field resources were forced to choose between rudimentary manual/paper-based systems that often led to scheduling problems and enterprise software they couldn't afford. ClickIMRS bridges the gap, enabling these companies to increase jobs per day, ensure on-time arrival, reduce time per job, minimize travel, respond to emergencies more efficiently and strengthen customer relationships.
A growing list of authorized ClickSoftware channel partners, including Diabsolut Inc., Aspective, Green Beacon and TSI have recognized the gap in the market that ClickIMRS addresses and are selling and implementing this solution. "The market is ripe for ClickIMRS as mid-sized companies have struggled to increase their customers' satisfaction and loyalty while sustaining growth and profitability," said Joe Diab, president and CEO of Diabsolut. "ClickSoftware has broken new ground with software that deploys quickly and easily, and fits within these companies' budgets."
Pre-configured for mid-sized companies
Because of the size of their service operations, large companies often customize the integration of ClickSoftware's ServiceOptimization Suite with their complex infrastructures, which can extend deployment time. ClickIMRS deploys in 70 days because it comes pre-configured to help mid-sized companies improve key performance indicators (KPIs) such as on-time arrivals and reduced customer complaints. Essentially, ClickIMRS enables mid-size service organizations to use best-in-class service optimization tools.
"The big advantage ClickIMRS has over other solutions is that it delivers out-of-the-box automated scheduling that mid-sized companies have long needed," said Steven Carr, president of TSI, ClickSoftware's newest reseller. "Providing dispatchers with real-time information to make smart scheduling decisions will help these companies deliver on their service promises to customers."
Some of the key features of ClickIMRS include:
- pre-configured scheduling application with online and
optimization capabilities;
- online appointment booking optimization;
- street-level routing geographic information system (GIS)
solution;
- re-configured reporting based on most critical KPIs;
- business-oriented configuration so companies can tune the system
to their needs;
- expedited data import utilities to speed deployment;
- order management module that creates work orders from customer
calls and works with scheduling application to match a technician and
time to each customer call; and,
- standard integration plug-ins for leading CRM and enterprise
resource planning solutions.
"For more than 10 years, we've developed an expertise in selling and deploying complex workforce optimization solutions for the enterprise. We recognized, however, that to be successful in the huge mid-market sector we needed a product and a go-to-market approach that could address the typical attributes and acquisition/deployment habits of these companies: limited budgets, small windows for deployment and a need for robust workforce management software," said ClickSoftware COO Hannan Carmeli. "ClickIMRS fits the need, and our channel go-to-market strategy proves attractive to Customers and candidate partners alike. We are extremely encouraged by the market response to this latest initiative."
surf1944
16 years ago
Scottish Water Selects ClickSoftware to Improve Workforce Planning and Scheduling
Wednesday June 4, 8:00 am ET
Solution Will Form Part of Their Field Force Transformation Program Designed to Enable the Water Utility to Increase Visibility and Control Across the Business While Improving the Productivity of the Field Resources
BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqCM: CKSW), the leading provider of mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions, today announced that Scottish Water has selected ClickSoftware's ServiceOptimization Suite to improve scheduling capabilities in Scottish Water's service organization.
Scottish Water is the fourth largest water and waste water services provider in the United Kingdom, serving around 5 million customers in 2.3 million households. . By implementing optimized scheduling, street level routing and real time analytics, Scottish Water is looking to improve visibility and control of their field workforce, drive down its operational costs and improve the level of service it gives to its customers.
"Customer service is at the very heart of everything that we do and we are always looking for ways in which we can improve the quality of service to our customers and overall efficiency," said Raymond Smith, Application Development Manager at Scottish Water. "We conducted an extensive market evaluation of advance scheduling and workforce management suppliers through the European Journal and it soon became evident that ClickSoftware had the utilities domain expertise, functional capabilities, proven track record and vision to meet our needs both now and into the future."
Scottish Water will be implementing ClickSoftware's packaged solution for water companies. ClickSoftware for Water Utilities is a pre-configured application for handling all the different aspects that water and/or waste water companies are facing: from generation (water reservoirs), through infrastructure and distribution of the water, up to meter operations and meter reading. The solution enables companies to effectively balance the costs of maintenance (pro-active work) and break-fix (reactive work). In addition, the solution creates the ability to provide service that is compliant with current regulations, while also allowing customers to do more with existing resources and in line with corporate service goals and objectives.
The introduction of dynamic, real-time optimized scheduling will enable the vast majority of scheduling decisions to be handled automatically. This will allow the dispatchers to focus on the exceptional cases that require human intervention. At the same time, Scottish Water will be able to provide their customers with a greater level of service via narrow appointment slots that they will be able to commit to.
As well as optimized scheduling and street level routing, they will also be deploying ClickAnalyze Reports which is a tool that will allow Scottish Water stakeholders to create real time operational performance reports, monitor field force performance in real time, control service operations, including service level, customer appointments, associated costs and service revenues. These reports can be produced by each stakeholder easily within minutes.
"We recognized that our existing CRM/ERP solution had taken us as far as it could from an automation perspective but we wanted to move to the next level with real-time decision-support and optimization. This is particularly important as Scotland became the first country to introduce a competitive framework for the business water and sewerage sector," said Raymond Smith of Scottish Water. "As well as the dynamic scheduling, ClickSoftware's Service Optimization Suite provides us with the ability to integrate forecasting and workforce planning capabilities enabling us to improve the service delivery process still further," he continued.
As part of the business transformation programme the ClickSoftware Water Package will be integrated to Scottish Water Work and Asset Management and CRM System. All planned maintenance as well as reactive work will be optimized. The solution is planned to be deployed across 6 business streams including Repair and Maintenance, Electrical and Mechanical, Network Service Operative, Choke Squads, Reinstatement, and Sludge Management.
"We are delighted to welcome Scottish Water into our customer community," said Dr. Moshe BenBassat, founder and CEO of ClickSoftware. "With revenue potential all but capped by rigid service areas, doing more with less is important in the water utility industry. ClickSoftware is fast establishing itself as the mobile workforce management solution of choice for water companies across the UK and beyond. Our pre-configured packaged solution creates the ability to provide service that is compliant with current regulations, while also allowing companies to do more with existing resources and in line with corporate service goals and objectives".
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