• Six-year deal focuses on improving customer service and operational efficiencies
DALLAS, March 5, 2007 -- Alliance Data Corp., a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, today announced the signing of a six-year agreement with Pinellas County Utilities. Pinellas County Utilities is a municipal water utility providing water and wastewater services to more than 110,000 residential and commercial accounts, representing approximately 360,000 citizens throughout Pinellas County, which is located along Florida's mid-Gulf Coast.
Under terms of the agreement, Alliance Data will implement a new customer information system (CIS) and provide ongoing services including application management and hosting, as well as bill print and mail services. Pinellas County Utilities sought a long-term relationship with Alliance Data to address continually changing technical and functional requirements as well as leverage advanced technology to improve business processes.
"We are pleased to be working with Alliance Data's experienced team on this ambitious project and look forward to the benefits of improved operational efficiency and customer service," said Tim Wiley, director of Customer Service for Pinellas County Utilities. "During the selection process, Alliance Data demonstrated a full understanding of our unique needs as well as the utility industry experience and expertise we were seeking."
"We are very pleased to be working with Pinellas County Utilities and view our relationship as a true partnership, using our best resources in an effort to provide superior customer service to Pinellas County customers," said Jeff Shorter, president of Alliance Data's Utility Services. "We also applaud Pinellas County in its decision to embrace a long-term relationship with us to stabilize costs and optimize ongoing operational performance.
Implementing a new CIS is a significant undertaking, and Pinellas County Utilities has the vision to recognize that ongoing operational support can be equally challenging. We are confident in our ability to smoothly transition Pinellas County to a greatly enhanced customer service environment."
Pinellas County Utilities consists of three services - water, sewer and solid waste. Pinellas County Utilities is a County-owned, self-supported public utility that provides safe drinking water, advanced wastewater treatment, reclaimed water, and solid waste disposal services. It serves more than 110,000 residential and commercial customer accounts, representing approximately 360,000 citizens throughout Pinellas County, which is located along Florida's mid-Gulf Coast. Pinellas County Utilities places the highest value on the quality and reliability of its services; its customers' opinions and satisfaction; its dedication to environmental quality; its sense of commitment and pride; and its dedicated, professional employees.
Alliance Data (www.alliancedata.com) is a leading provider of marketing, loyalty and transaction services, managing over 120 million consumer relationships for some of North America's most recognizable companies. Using transaction-rich data, Alliance Data creates and manages customized solutions that change consumer behavior and that enable its clients to create and enhance customer loyalty to build stronger, mutually beneficial relationships with their customers. With headquarters in Dallas, Alliance Data employs over 9,000 associates at more than 60 locations worldwide. Its brands include AIR MILES®, North America's premier coalition loyalty program, and Epsilon®, a leading provider of multi-channel, data-driven technologies and marketing services.
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