BOSTON and SEATTLE, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc., an Alcatel company (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA), today announced the company was named as a 'Leader' in Forrester Research's comprehensive evaluation of the top premise- based speech self-service platforms. Genesys was the overall leader in Strategy and was noted for being among the leaders in seven of 10 key subcategories, including: * Vision * Standards Supported * Product Services * Financial Strategy * Costs * Installed Base * Overall Financial Strategy Among the leaders in the Forrester report, Genesys noted that it is the only company with a 100% software-based open standards platform that does not require customers to also purchase proprietary hardware along with its solutions. According to The Forrester Wave: Speech Self-Service Platforms, Q3 2006, Forrester Research, Inc., August 31, 2006, "Contact center executives and business leaders agree that improving the customer's experience is essential for building long-term loyalty and creating sustainable relationships. For many companies improving the customer experience has become the top priority." The report also states, "Speech automation not only increases customer satisfaction but also significantly reduces transaction handling costs compared with customer service representatives." "Self-service is an asset to enterprises and consumers alike, enabling a customer-centric experience for consumers while promoting brand and value for the business," says Wes Hayden, president and CEO of Genesys. "Genesys is driving speech self-service technology beyond the contact center and into broader customer service settings to provide a consistent customer experience at every touch point." Forrester evaluated six vendors in the assessment of premise-based speech self-service platforms, also referred to as voice portals, across 54 criteria. The report notes that the company's acquisition of VoiceGenie earlier this year significantly increases Genesys' market presence in speech self-service platforms. According to Forrester, "Genesys' speech self-service platform is well suited for large-scale enterprises and companies seeking an open architecture and software-based SIP capability." This means the product is an especially good fit for buyers that: "Need high-performance and VoIP-scalable solutions: Genesys supports large installations with zero downtime and high volumes of calls on an IP network;" "Want open architecture and interoperability: Genesys is based on open standards and can operate on multiple vendor platforms." The report also states that IVR replacement is triggering adoption ... among buyers in North America and Europe: 65% of North American companies and 60% of European companies indicated they are planning for or acquiring some speech-enabled solutions. Companies' speech adoption plans will continue to see strong growth during the next four years." In the first half of 2006, Genesys reports that it is already seeing clear evidence that businesses are phasing out older IVR technology. More than 160 new enterprise customers have migrated from legacy IVR to Genesys in the past 12 months. By the end of 2006, Genesys expects to see more new open software ports deployed than new legacy IVR ports. As the market momentum continues to build, Genesys has developed a migration model and an ugly IVR trade-in program to simplify the path for the next wave of companies that want to transition away from legacy IVR. For information on obtaining a copy of Forrester's Wave Report for Speech Self-Service Platforms, please contact Forrester Research at http://www.forrester.com/ . Genesys will demonstrate many of these new applications at its booth #465 at VON, the Global IP Communications Industry Event, which takes place September 11-14 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Mass.; and also at booth #330 at the International Customer Management Institute's Third Annual Call Center Exhibition (ACCE), which takes place September 11-13 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Wash. About Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc. Genesys, an Alcatel company, is 100 percent focused on software for contact centers. Leading companies in the Global 2000 and Fortune 1000 use Genesys to deliver interactions that drive better business. With 3,300 customers in 80 countries, Genesys directs more than 100 million customer interactions every day. Genesys allows enterprises to achieve key business objectives by tying together customer interactions, people, and customer information in both traditional telephony and IP environments. Sophisticated routing and reporting across voice, e-mail, documents and Web interactions, coupled with integrated self service, ensure that customers are quickly connected to the right resource - the first time. Genesys solutions stop customer frustration and allow enterprises to deliver superior customer satisfaction and improved business results. For more information, visit us at http://www.genesyslab.com/ . About Alcatel Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com/ Genesys VON booth # 465 Genesys ACCE booth #330 DATASOURCE: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc. CONTACT: David Radoff, of Genesys, +1-650-466-1078, or Web site: http://www.genesyslab.com/

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