Mobile Field Service Solutions Improve Overall Service Profitability by 27% in Best-in-Class Companies

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - August 7, 2007) - Among service organizations recently surveyed by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), companies that have implemented leading practices like automation and mobile field service solutions have improved service level agreement compliance 23% and overall service profitability 27%. Best-in-Class organizations are also showing increased first call resolution rates, higher workforce productivity in terms of the number of service orders completed each day and a reduction in mean time to repair performance.

The recently published study -- "Making Money via Mobile Field Service" -- found that field service organizations are successfully implementing strategies to create automatic linkage between headquarters operations and technicians in the field. Mobile applications are being deployed to aid scheduling and dispatch, work order management, advanced technician and vehicle locating and the capture of data surrounding equipment status and performance.

"Top organizations are utilizing mobile technology for far more than basic communication," said Micky Long, Research Director at Aberdeen and co-author of the report. "By leveraging mobility hardware and robust software applications, service organizations are providing technicians with better, more timely information about service requests, enabling service managers to better track service assets and are enabling technicians to capture and communicate completed information back to headquarters. The result is more efficient, more effective, and ultimately more profitable service operations."

Other mobile solution Best-in-Class characteristics include the following, according to the report:

--  72% perform regular periodic measurement of field service performance
--  64% have implemented a best of breed service management system
--  53% update critical spare parts inventory based on usage daily or in
    real time
    

Long recommends that service organizations consider the following strategies to better position themselves to meet customer service needs:

--  Enable real-time two-way data flow among all elements of the service
    chain
--  Use mobile technology to capture accurate information on serviceable
    assets
--  Develop company-wide service intelligence knowledge base
--  Provide service technicians with personalized performance information
    

Nearly 350 companies participated in this quantitative study, including. Abbott Diagnostics, ADT, Cummins, Inc., IBM Global Services, Marathon Oil, and Northrop Grumman.

This report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Dexterra, Navtrak Inc., Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, Sprint/Nextel and MobileFrame. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4125

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.

© 2007 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
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Contact Information: Media Contact: Micky Long Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5325 Micky.long@aberdeen.com