|
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sento Signs Service and Support Agreements with WorldGate, Merlot
Both new contracts will contribute to continuing company growth
AMERICAN FORK, Utah - October 12, 2004 — Sento Corporation (Nasdaq: SNTO - News), a leading provider of integrated, multi-channel customer support, today announced a multi-year support contract with WorldGate Communications (Nasdaq:WGAT), developer of the new Ojo™ broadband consumer video phone. Sento also announced a new service contract with broadband communications company Merlot Communications of Bethel, Connecticut.
These two additional contracts will contribute to Sento's continuing expansion, company officials said. Currently the company employs 700 people in four U.S. contact centers, with close to 300 of these employees having come aboard during the past four months.
"Today's announcement underscores the value proposition Sento is filling for leading companies throughout the U.S.," said Patrick O'Neal, Sento's president and CEO. "By offering seamless and superb outsourced customer communications support, we are able to support our clients to sustain and increase their customers' satisfaction, while helping them to handle ramp-ups and fluctuations in their customer support needs at the most efficient possible cost."
"Worldgate's partnership with Sento is another important step in bringing Ojo Video Phone to market," said Hal Krisbergh, Chairman and CEO of WorldGate Communications. "Video telephony is a new category of product, and it is imperative that as we introduce Ojo to the market, we are prepared to handle all customer support and that our service be nothing short of superb."
In regard to the Merlot contract, Sento officials noted that Merlot Communications is now the third high-speed and/or wireless Internet customer that Sento supports.
"We are extremely pleased to announce our new customer support partnership with Sento," said Michael McGarry, founder and VP of Operations for Merlot. "Sento has a great deal of experience in our particular market, and is able to work with us as a completely seamless and transparent partner in providing our customers with efficient and excellent voice and online support."
ABOUT WORLDGATE COMMUNCIATIONS
WorldGate is in the business of developing, manufacturing and distributing video phones for personal and business use, to be marketed with WorldGate's Ojo brand name. The Ojo video phone is designed to conform to industry standard protocols and uses proprietary enhancements to the latest technology for voice and video compression.
More information on WorldGate and the Ojo personal video phone is available at www.wgate.com. WorldGate is traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol WGAT. WorldGate and Ojo are trademarks of WorldGate Service Inc.
ABOUT MERLOT
Merlot Communications, Inc. manufactures innovative products that enable the delivery of wired and wireless broadband applications such as High Speed Internet Access (HSIA), Video on Demand, IP Video Surveillance and SmartRoom solutions. With an initial focus in the Hospitality industry, Merlot solutions are installed in hotels worldwide from 5 star luxury resorts to limited service properties, positioning Merlot to expand into the Multiple Dwelling Units (MDU), Education, Healthcare and Government markets. Merlot was founded in 1997, with headquarters in Bethel, Connecticut. For more information visit www.merlotcom.com.
SENTO PROFILE
Sento Corporation (www.sento.com) is one of the industry's most innovative providers of outsourced customer support services. Sento employs right channeling to create custom solutions that integrate live support with the company's best-in-class software solutions. Sento's Customer Choice PlatformSM allows customers to make choices in communication channels from a range of web-enabled self-service options with live support available at every critical point. Sento focuses on the inter-relationship among voice, chat, email, self-service and web forums. Sento targets its customer acquisition, customer service and technical support solutions to a diversified portfolio of clients in multiple vertical segments. Sento's solutions can provide value-added customer support at significant cost reductions when compared to other, traditional outsourced models. With operations in the U.S., The Netherlands, and France, plus partnerships in India and other low-cost regions, Sento provides customer support in 19 languages.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this press release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements encompass Sento's beliefs, expectations, goals, hopes or intentions regarding future events. Words such as "expects," "intends," "estimates," "believes," "anticipates," "should" and "likely" also identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available to Sento as of such date. Sento assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated for a number of reasons, including, among others: the Company's stock price has historically been volatile; difficulties encountered in post-acquisition integration and operation of the acquired assets including retaining existing clients of the acquired company; variations in market and economic conditions; the effect on the Company's earnings of the repricing of options; the Company's dependence on its limited number of key clients; failure to renew existing client contracts for continuation of services; reduction in services requested by the Company's clients resulting in lower revenues for the Company; the Company's ability to complete negotiations and execute client agreements; risk of emergency interruption of the Customer Contact Solutions operations; and other unanticipated factors. Risk factors, cautionary statements and other conditions, which could cause actual results to differ from the Company's current expectations, are contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, as amended.
Contact:
Patrick O'Neal
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Sento Corporation
801-772-1417
pat_oneal@sento.com
Anthony J. Sansone
Chief Finance Officer and Corporate Secretary
Sento Corporation
801-772-1410
tony_sansone@sento.com
Brokers and financial industry members
Laurie S. Roop
President, Shareholder Relations
435-652-3884
laurie@shareholder-relations.net
|
|
|
|
