Fraud cases handled by Adeptra more than doubled in 2009 with SMS communication increasing six-fold year-on-year; and the Auto-resolution™ specialist expects to see further demand for true multi-channel communication in 2010

Reading, UK and Norwalk, CT, USA – 9th February, 2010 – Adeptra, the recognised leader in automated contact and resolution services, has announced a summary of 2009 successes as it prepares for a strong 2010, during which it expects to see exponential demand for multi-channel customer communications,  including landline and mobile phone calls, email and SMS.

2009 was a year of change. Fraud continued to rise; financial institutions increased their collections efforts, and the global recession caused massive changes in consumer spending patterns. These changes in consumer behaviour, combined with stricter regulations and legislation, increased revenue focus across the credit card industry.

Despite these challenges, Adeptra saw a strong demand for real-time fraud prevention and resolution with the volume of fraud calls made for its clients doubling compared to 2008. In addition to the millions of calls made every day on behalf of its clients, the company saw increased multi-channel deployments. Of these channels, SMS saw the most dramatic year-on-year increase with a 655 percent uptake in cases handled by Adeptra.

To meet this increased demand for its services, Adeptra has invested heavily in R&D, infrastructure and capacity to ensure the leadership of its product offerings and its underlying data security and business continuity capabilities.

Adeptra saw global growth through new and existing clients in established territories such as North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as a dramatic increase in activity in the APAC region.

The company’s commitment to the highest standards of data security compliance was re-confirmed, as Adeptra became the first Interactive Voice Messaging organisation to meet both Payment Card Industry Security Standard (PCI DSS) v 1.2 and ISO27001 standards on a global basis.

In line with organisations' increasing communication needs, rising amounts of data across the globe and the growing need to localise service delivery, a regional infrastructure was implemented. A new team of Client Implementation Managers was created to assist partners and the growing client roster. In addition, the company also opened its fifth global data centre to support the regional business model.

Adeptra’s achievements and growth throughout the year did not go unnoticed, as it won plaudits in both the UK and US. In the UK, the Sunday Times included Adeptra in its Microsoft Tech Track 100 for the fourth consecutive, while on the other side of the Atlantic, The Connecticut Technology Council honoured Adeptra with a Tech Top 40 award for its consistent growth performance.

Lou Venezia, CEO of Adeptra, said, “In 2009, demand for our services was stronger than ever. We increased revenue, partners, staff and our presence in new global regions. We expect our market leadership and significant investment to continue in 2010 driven by the constant battle against fraud and the need for customer-facing organisations to have real-time personalised communications across whichever channels their customers prefer.”   Discussing trends that will affect the credit card industry in the next year, Mr. Venezia added, “Forthcoming industry developments such as the UK Government’s focus on tightening regulation surrounding consumer credit and the US Credit Card Act will affect the entire industry by shifting responsibilities and giving consumers more power. Consumers will expect more transparent, immediate communications and more guarantees of the security of their data. As a result, customer service will be the 2010 battleground for fraud prevention and resolution. Furthermore, any institutions that lack the resources to minimise customer irritation and lost revenue opportunities from mistakenly-blocked cards are going to find 2010 rougher than 2009.”

Gavin Bradbury, Adeptra’s Global Marketing Director, added, “In terms of technology, in 2010, credit card companies will use it for greater portfolio segmentation. They will be able to serve each area of their business uniquely and customise services to fit the preferences and demographics of individual account holders. Communication methods will involve immediacy over more channels in support of integrated communication strategies. SMS notifications in particular will continue to rise in popularity, as next-generation consumers, comfortable with this method of communication, continue to embrace it and demand it from their financial institutions.”