Ford Enterprise to Create Unlimited Number of Virtual Representatives

    SAN FRANCISCO--March 5, 2002--NativeMinds Inc., a leading provider of online customer service software for creating virtual representatives, today announced that Ford Motor Company has signed an enterprise-wide license agreement that allows any group within the company to create virtual reps for online customer service. Using NativeMinds' flagship product, NeuroServer(R), Ford will be able to create an unlimited number of automated, online virtual service agents to provide 24x7 customer service to its employees, customers, and partners.
    Ford has been using a virtual service technician, called "Ernie," since early 2001 to provide round-the-clock internal technical support to 45,000 technicians at 5,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealerships across the nation. The new enterprise license agreement covers all of Ford Motor Company's automotive brands, including Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Volvo, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Mazda. Ford Motor Company's service brands -- Ford Credit, Hertz and Quality Care -- also are covered.
    Virtual representatives, or vReps(TM), are automated online personalities that emulate the best in human customer service by providing personalized and immediate answers to customer questions via two-way natural language dialog. Virtual representatives can help Ford's customers and employees find information faster than they can through alternative channels, such as phone or email, while helping to reduce customer service and technical support costs.
    Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) purchased the license to create vReps for use on both internal and external Web sites. Ford and all of its domestic and international affiliates will be able to deploy virtual representatives company-wide to solve a number of business problems as part of its global e-business strategy. FCSD needed a solution that would reduce customer and technical support costs without diminishing the speed and quality of service. The use of virtual reps for both internal and customer-facing Web sites will help meet these needs by reducing the volume of costly calls into support centers as well as providing faster, more immediate resolution to inquiries. The conversational ability and simple, intuitive interface of vReps gives users a meaningful, useful, and enjoyable online experience.
    "Virtual reps are helping companies provide a superior level of online customer service without the overhead of traditional service and support channels," said Walter Tackett, chief executive officer for NativeMinds. "Online self-service is rising to the top of the priority list for corporate IT. Ford has been using a virtual rep on its internal site for nearly a year and its new enterprise contract with NativeMinds is a testament to the value the company is realizing from its Web self-service initiative."

    About NativeMinds

    NativeMinds is a pioneer in the development of software for creating automated online customer service and support agents, called vReps. vReps enhance the customer experience and lower support costs by emulating live service agents and deflecting inquiries from more expensive support channels such as call centers and email responses. Leading NativeMinds customers include Ford Motor Company, Revlon, Nissan, Coca-Cola, Department of Defense, One 2 One (Deutsche Telekom), and Unilever. NativeMinds is a privately held corporation based in San Francisco. For more information and to talk to a vRep, visit www.nativeminds.com.

    Note to Editors: NativeMinds, vReps, and the NativeMinds logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of NativeMinds, Inc. All other names or products are the property of their respective holders.