The 15-month agreement, terms of which were not released, was finalized during the second quarter and was included in EDS’ new contract totals for that quarter. EDS will provide PRIMEDIA with list conversion, basic fulfillment, statistical, mailing and warehousing and Internet services. Among the 60 publications covered by the agreement are Soap Opera Digest, Seventeen and American Baby. EDS will manage fulfillment from its CRM facility in Boulder, Colorado.
EDS’ long term commitment to the subscription fulfillment business and our continued relationship with PRIMEDIA Inc., is reinforced with the development of several key initiatives currently underway. We are focused on our commitment to deliver these services in the coming months said Louis Ivey, vice president, EDS Subscription Fulfillment Services.
Circulation subscription fulfillment needs are changing very rapidly for publishers with pending new Audit rules, increased internet activities and better integrated marketing, noted Steve Aster, PRIMEDIA executive vice president, Consumer Marketing. We at PRIMEDIA feel that EDS will provide us with the technology and customer support essential in allowing us to execute our expanded marketing programs. The realignment of fulfillment teams on both the PRIMEDIA and EDS sides in 2001 should provide the foundation for the next generation of service requirements.
Industry analyst firm IDC projects the worldwide CRM services market to grow from $34.4 billion in 1999 to $125.2 billion in 2004, a 29 percent growth rate (Worldwide CRM Services Market Forecast, 1999-2004).
To address this market, in October 2000, EDS launched a suite of comprehensive digital CRM services along with seven strategic alliances to power them. The most comprehensive suite of CRM services available from a single source, EDS Digital CRM Solutions consists of custom strategy and solutions consulting and turnkey and outsourced services that empower companies to envision, plan, design, manage and operate a successful, sustained customer-centric approach to business.
