Washington state finds SafeHarbor for residents with questions about government services
Customer service site offers fast, reliable online solutions

SATSOP, Wash. (February 13, 2001) — SafeHarbor Technology Corporation, provider of Web-based customer support to organizations worldwide, has launched 24-hour customer support for the state of Washington's award-winning Internet portal, Access Washington (www.access.wa.gov).

"Washington state is nationally acclaimed for its innovative use of technology," said Gov. Gary Locke. "Most notably, Washington has been named the Digital State three years in a row, and is the sole winner of that prestigious title to date. SafeHarbor is helping us continue to bring the best technology and the best service to the people of Washington."

For Access Washington, the virtual business center for interactive government services, SafeHarbor created a customized support site to help the state's millions of residents more easily find answers about government services. The site includes a Knowledge Base that provides easy-to-use, graphical answers for the public about laws, regulations, licenses, state forms and even tips on how to send an online postcard featuring Washington's legendary scenery.

"Let's face it. It's not always easy for residents to find the right government department to answer their questions," said Bo Wandell, SafeHarbor's president. "With SafeHarbor's support, state residents are more quickly guided to the right answers on the Web."

SafeHarbor provides graphical, interactive self-help solutions and a staff that gives 24-hour, one-to-one support through e-mail, chat and the telephone. End-users also may ask a question through a "Web case" so the issue can be tracked until it's resolved.

In August 2000, after a competitive bidding process, the state awarded a master contract to SafeHarbor to provide its agencies with online and traditional customer support. By outsourcing to SafeHarbor, individual state agencies can take advantage of SafeHarbor's expertise.

The Department of Information Services, manager of Access Washington, is the first state agency to go live with SafeHarbor's online support. DIS will soon extend its use of SafeHarbor's online support to Transact Washington, an online service for businesses and individuals who regularly access specialized data, pay taxes or conduct similar transactions with the state using the Internet. Transact Washington is an authentication gateway that requires users to present digital certificates, or electronic credentials, for access to the secured data or services.

The Department of Licensing also is using SafeHarbor's customer support services to help people apply online for master business licenses and trade name registration.

SafeHarbor recently received $25 million in its third funding round. The company also opened a London office and launched Web-based customer service operations for European companies.

About SafeHarbor Technology Corporation
SafeHarbor is the pioneer in delivering Web self-help customer support to companies with e-business initiatives, with special expertise in financial services, technology and government. As the Web becomes the information source of choice, Web-based support can drive efficiencies in business operations.

SafeHarbor's graphical, Web-based Knowledge Bases-backed by one-to-one support via Web case, e-mail, chat and the phone-increase customer satisfaction while reducing cost and time to market. SafeHarbor's solutions are developed by expert Knowledge Engineers and backed by a state-of-the-art technical infrastructure, enabling progressive companies to scale instantly and fuel company growth.

SafeHarbor's corporate headquarters are located at the Satsop Development Park 90 miles south of Seattle; the company also has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and London. For more information, please visit online at www.safeharbor.com.

 

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