Company: IntraLinks, London, UK
Company Description: IntraLinks® On-Demand Workspaces™ connect business communities. Since 1997, more than 600,000 participants representing over 50,000 organisations worldwide have used IntraLinks On-Demand Workspaces™ to communicate and collaborate on thousands of projects and transactions. Founded in 1996, IntraLinks is headquartered in New York with offices around the world.
Nomination Category: Customer Service Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Customer Service Team

Nomination Title: IntraLinks' EMEA Customer Service Team

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

          Today, no one thinks twice about using the Internet to conduct business: 
          companies file papers, pay employees and file taxes online every day.  But 10
          years ago, using the Internet for real business transactions was unthinkable –
          the technology was too new, too complicated and too scary.

          In 1997, IntraLinks teamed up with JP Morgan to change all of that,
          facilitating the first online syndication of a major corporate loan.  Since
          then IntraLinks has streamlined the secure exchange of sensitive business
          information for more than 600,000 users in 190 countries. 

          Superior, 24/7/365 live customer service is an integral part of the growth.  A
          combination of upfront engagement backed up by a trained, experienced support
          desk, clients don’t have to worry about using this new technology to access
          critical information.  Our customer service organisation is with them every
          step of the way. 

          Traditionally, customer support evolves as a discrete layer in a business – a
          secondary or tertiary business unit designed to confront problems when they
          occur.  By contrast, IntraLinks views customer support as an integrated,
          inherent part of the firm’s core competency.  Rather than seeing a customer’s
          selection of IntraLinks as the culmination of its work, the IntraLinks sales
          organization sees itself on a continuum with customer care – the first step in
          a holistic, carefully measured approach to relationship management that begins
          where competitors’ offerings typically end.

          This holistic approach to customer care has been an integral part of the
          growth in high-value, confidential transactions, in which the team has come to
          specialise.  In just one example in 2006, the team were brought in to help a
          major household name dispose of one its subsidiaries.  The subsidiary was
          intimately entwined with the business as a whole, which meant an XXX-month
          engagement in the organisation of documents from approximately 60 countries. 
          At every step of the transaction, a dedicated client service project manager
          was available.  Around the clock telephone support was also available to all
          parties involved in the transaction. 

          Trained service personnel have been able to offer local language support to
          many clients.  In EMEA in 2006, qualified client service managers conducted
          training sessions in Dutch, German and French – literally speaking the
          language of the client.

          Companies operating in corporate finance transactions often claim a 24/7
          service model.  But the reality has been a basic helpline rather than the full-
          service model employed by IntraLinks.  This holistic approach to client
          service includes fully-trained, experienced personnel available at any time of
          the day or night. 

          Through its Client Services organisation, IntraLinks ensures that every new
          client, in any industry, can start using its services immediately to transform
          the way they share confidential information.  With IntraLinks’ high-touch
          service model, our support staff must be there to help clients any time of day
          or night.  In this last year, our team has made the vision for the company’s
          growth a reality. 

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of this nominated team:

          Brian Ward, Senior Vice President of Client Services for IntraLinks, has over
          13 years of experience managing customer service organisations. Prior to
          joining IntraLinks, he served as Director of Customer Care and Operations for
          ePromos.com.  Previously, he was the Director of Customer Service for HIP
          (Health Insurance Plan) of New York, and held several positions at Oxford
          Health Plans. He is a member of the Help Desk Institute  (HDI), the Service
          and Support Professionals Association (SSPA) and International Quality and
          Productivity Center (IQPC).