Nextel Calls On IBM For Customer Care

IBM Global Services will work with CRM vendor TeleTech to manage Nextel's six customer relationship centers, which employ 4,500 professionals. The transition will take place during the first quarter of 2002, and the deal is expected to reduce Nextel's future costs by more than $1 billion over the eight-year term.

In addition, the two companies have also signed an alliance agreement for the development, marketing and deployment of mobile e-business solutions to enterprise customers in the U.S. As part of the partnership, the two companies will work together to enhance Nextel's data networking capabilities, and provide integrated, end-to-end wireless systems that improve productivity and quality and help companies control costs. Nextel will work with IBM Research to leverage new wireless technologies that can be delivered through the Nextel National Network, using existing Nextel handsets and other mobile devices.