C Spire Wireless Selected as One of the Nation’s Top Technology Innovators in 2012 by InformationWeek

Company ranked 49^th on annual InformationWeek 500 list for its IT efforts to support the introduction of a suite of new Personalized Wireless Services

RIDGELAND, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--C Spire Wireless, the only U.S. wireless provider that offers consumers and businesses a suite of personalized wireless services, today announced that it placed 49^th on this year’s InformationWeek 500 list – the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s top technology innovators.

“What the editors looked for are unconventional approaches—new technologies, new models, new ways of grabbing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with IT.”

The company’s Information Technology group was recognized for its work on a web-based customer relationship management system and middleware for the development of personalized sales and services. Not only did C Spire break through the top 50 overall, but it ranked the best among all U.S. wireless carriers in the annual listing.

InformationWeek 500, the most prestigious business technology ranking, identifies and honors the nation’s most innovative users of information technology with its annual 500 listing. Each year, 500 companies and projects across the U.S. are selected for this honor.

“Our IT, project and business teams worked closely together to bring this technology innovation to our company and customers,” said Carla Lewis, senior vice president of IT for C Spire Wireless. “We’re honored and proud to appear at the top of the 2012 InformationWeek 500 list. As we continue to grow and bring personalized services and offerings to our customers, it is vital to maintain a nimble and scalable approach to information technology,” she said. “This recognition validates that our IT team has embraced technology and best practices in a very positive way.”

Personalized wireless from C Spire is a package of different wireless services and programs that combine to reflect and serve each customer’s unique needs. Customers see this unique personalization in apps and content that fit them, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards they get just for using their phone in new ways. In addition to PERCS^®, specific examples of C Spire’s industry-first personalized wireless services include its SCOUT personalized recommendation tool for apps, books, movies and music and CIRCLE, the company’s online customer community forum.

The CRM system and middleware that were recognized by InformationWeek are part of Pulse, which is a series of proprietary systems that enables the company to better understand and develop a closer relationship with customers. Pulse is the “brains” behind the ability to provide customers with a truly unique experience at nearly every point of brand engagement, Lewis said.

“Through our IT technology innovation efforts, we now have a complete, easy-to-use, fully integrated ‘order to cash,’ retail-point of sale management and customer service system with a holistic view of the customer,” she said. “By aggregating information from several internal and external systems to provide personalized sales and service, this system serves all customer touch points, including retail, call centers, B2B, telesales and third-party resellers.”

Lewis said the primary business goal of the project was to deliver a software solution to personalize and improve customer interaction and allow customer-facing employees to provide better service by giving them a way to fulfill customer requests and guaranteed consistent customer treatment. “With all sales and /services channels using the same application, C Spire customers now receive consistent, personalized service whether they call into the call center, visit a retail store, call into telesales or visit the website,” she added.

InformationWeek identifies and honors the nation's most innovative users of information technology with its annual 500 listing, and also tracks the technology, strategies, investments, and administrative practices of America’s best-known companies. Past overall winners include PACCAR Inc., The Vanguard Group, CME Group, National Semiconductor, Con-Way, and Principal Financial Group. The InformationWeek 500 rankings are unique among corporate rankings as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders.

“The InformationWeek 500 has recognized the most innovative users of business technology for 24 years, and this year’s innovations were particularly impressive,” said InformationWeek Editor In Chief Rob Preston. “What the editors looked for are unconventional approaches—new technologies, new models, new ways of grabbing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with IT.”

Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found online at www.informationweek.com/iw500/.

About C Spire Wireless

C Spire Wireless is a diversified wireless communications company passionately committed to helping customers by personalizing wireless services designed just for them. The company is the first wireless provider in the U.S. to personalize customers’ experience by offering apps that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards for using their phone in new ways – all with seamless ease and at amazingly fast speeds. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire Wireless and its products and services, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire, Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire, Google + or www.pinterest.com/cspirewireless

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