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Ask Jeeves Partners with USWeb/CKS for Corporate Question Answering Service

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In a strategic move aimed at expanding its capabilities, Ask Jeeves, a provider of natural-language question answering services, has entered into a partnership with USWeb/CKS, the world's largest Internet professional services firm. The alliance will enable USWeb/CKS to deliver the Ask Jeeves' Corporate Question Answering Service to its clients, helping companies maximize the lifetime value of their customers on the Web.

Key Takeaways:

  • The partnership between Ask Jeeves and USWeb/CKS will allow USWeb/CKS to implement and maintain the Corporate Question Answering Service for its clients, leveraging Ask Jeeves' proprietary technologies and knowledge bases.
  • The service will include questions and related answer links that point to existing Web content, enabling companies to answer virtually all customer questions, from general inquiries to specific pre-sales and support questions.
  • Companies like Alta Vista, BellSouth, Compaq, Dell Computers, Datek Online, Micron, Office Depot, Oxygen Media, Toshiba, and WebTV are already utilizing the Ask Jeeves' Corporate Question Answering Service.
  • The partnership is part of Ask Jeeves' strategy to make it easier for companies to manage customer interactions for electronic commerce and support.
  • The Corporate Question Answering Service uses a natural-language question answering approach, similar to that found on Ask.com, to provide answers to customers' questions in plain English.
  • USWeb/CKS has agreed to work together with Ask Jeeves to integrate the Corporate Question Answering Service with its existing services, creating a comprehensive solution for clients.

Statistics:

  • Over 3,000 professionals in more than 60 locations worldwide are part of USWeb/CKS.
  • USWeb/CKS has more than 1,000 clients across various industries, including e-commerce, financial institutions, and technology companies.
  • Ask Jeeves has developed a consumer question answering service at Ask.com, which receives millions of queries from users each month.
  • The Ask Jeeves' Corporate Question Answering Service has been implemented by over a dozen leading companies in various industries.
  • The service has been shown to reduce customer support queries by up to 50% and increase customer satisfaction by up to 70%.

Sources:

  • Business Wire, "World's Largest Internet Professional Services Firm to Build Competence to Deliver the Ask Jeeves' Corporate Question Answering Service" (Aug 17, 1999)
  • Ask Jeeves, Inc., "Ask Jeeves Provides Natural-Language Question Answering Services for Consumers and Companies on the Web"
  • USWeb/CKS, "USWeb/CKS Transforms Businesses in the Digital Economy and Creates Sustainable Market Leadership for Its Clients"

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