Mentor Graphics Adds Powerful Online Knowledge Database to Leading Customer Support Offerings
WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2003--Mentor Graphics
Corporation today announced the SupportNet KnowledgeBase(SM), a
powerful support database that gives customers instant online access
to the most up-to-date information on Mentor's products and solutions
to commonly encountered design problems.
The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system provides a list of relevant
solutions to a customer's question within an average response time of
15 seconds -- less time than it takes to dial the telephone.
Now Mentor Graphics customers have around-the-clock access to the
combined expertise of Mentor's global team of 300 corporate
applications engineers (CAEs) in a sophisticated database. The
SupportNet KnowledgeBase system provides an alternate channel to
existing telephone or online customer support, by giving customers the
flexibility to search independently online for the information they
need and offering immediate, qualified responses to the problem at
hand.
To ensure that users can quickly locate the most relevant
information, the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system includes advanced
searching capabilities, such as natural language search and refine
search functions. The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system is part of
Mentor Graphics award-winning customer support services and expands
the capabilities of the company's innovative SupportNet Web site.
"Our customers around the world rely on the expertise of our CAEs
to help them maintain the productivity of their design teams using
Mentor's tools," said Tom Floodeen, vice president and general
manager, customer support division, Mentor Graphics. "By adding this
online knowledge reuse database, we have effectively given our
customers instant access to the collective experience of Mentor's
entire support staff."
Empowering Customers with Knowledge
Customers access KnowledgeBase through Mentor's SupportNet Web
site with a password log-in and simply type in their question as they
would ask it. The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system then brings up the
related TechNotes topics, sorted by relevancy. Powered by technology
from Primus Knowledge Solutions, a leading provider of knowledge
management and natural language search software, the SupportNet
KnowledgeBase system features rapid response times and an intuitive
interface. It allows users to refine their criteria to search further
within the results for more specific information. In addition to the
question-based search, users can find information by selecting from a
list of symptoms and product names. As they find the answers to their
questions, users can print, e-mail or bookmark the appropriate
TechNotes. If the customer does not find an appropriate solution in
the search results, they can open a Service Request, pre-populated
with their customer information and question, from within the TechNote
with a single click. To help customers identify the information that
is most relevant to them, each TechNote is organized in three
sections, Symptoms, Solution, and Environment and the TechNotes fall
into six categories: Patch, Release, Defect, Solution, Enhancement and
Business.
"Access to accurate, reliable customer support is essential to
meeting our internal project schedules," said David Gradin,
engineering manager, LSI Logic. "Mentor Graphics(R) SupportNet
KnowledgeBase system allows me to find immediate answers to my
specific questions -- from anywhere at any time."
The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system provides an effective way for
Mentor's CAEs to capture and share knowledge with customers and each
other. Since establishing the system in December 2002, Mentor has
compiled more than 11,000 TechNotes in the SupportNet KnowledgeBase
system. As part of their workflow, each Mentor CAE creates a knowledge
record each time they answer a customer's support request. By
capturing each solution, this process limits duplicate defect and
problem reporting, and allows other customers to benefit from rapid
and consistent expert responses to questions that have been answered
for others. Before being added to the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system,
each knowledge record is reviewed and verified internally and then
incorporated into the database. The new knowledge capture workflow has
become a well-integrated part of Mentor's CAEs processes, with new
TechNotes being added at a rate of more than 600 a month.
Mentor has several maintenance mechanisms in place to ensure the
accuracy of the information in the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system,
including a feedback loop in which users are asked to rate each
TechNote after accessing it.
Pricing and Availability
The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system is available immediately at no
cost to Mentor Graphics customers with service contracts in place.
More information is available at www.mentor.com/supportnet or by
calling the North American SupportCenter at 800/547-4303.
About SupportNet and Award Winning Customer Support
The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system is the latest enhancement to
Mentor Graphics full-service password-access Web site, SupportNet,
which offers a range of technical information and product updates
tailored to the needs of each customer, as well as advanced
interactive features such as online discussion customer groups and
personalized e-mail notification of product updates. Mentor Graphics
SupportNet offers customized SupportNet sites for specific global
customers, providing crucial design information specific to each
location to help them be successful. SupportNet Forums allow customers
to interact directly with each other regardless of geographic
boundaries to exchange information about Mentor products and
methodologies. SupportNet also helps companies manage their software
assets through licensing reports to enable centralized management of
global software entitlements, licenses and updates for all sites
within a large company.
Mentor Graphics global customer support organization offers
leading customer support solutions online, by phone and in-person. The
company's continued investments in call tracking systems, Web-based
customer information systems, customized support options and new
support offerings allow the company to provide thousands of customers
around the globe the flexibility they require. Mentor's customer
support division is a five-time winner of the Software Technical
Assistance Recognition (STAR) Award in the Complex Support category
from the Service and Support Professional Association (SSPA). This
prestigious award recognizes companies that consistently provide a
superior level of support for software used in high-end,
mission-critical applications in fields such as engineering, science,
telecommunications and other technical environments. For more
information on Mentor's award-winning support services, visit
www.mentor.com/supportnet.
About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) is a world leader in
electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products,
consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most
successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in
1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about
$600 million and employs approximately 3,500 people worldwide.
Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road,
Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are
located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314.
World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com.
Mentor Graphics is a registered trademark and SupportNet
KnowledgeBase is a service mark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All
other company or product names are the registered trademarks or
trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Mentor Graphics
Leanne White, 503/685-1984
leanne_white@mentor.com
or
Weber Shandwick
Emily Taylor, 503/552-3733
etaylor@webershandwick.com
