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Astea International Achieves a Microsoft Gold Application Development Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network

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^{Published in Science and Technology on Tuesday, March 12th 2013 at 5:46 GMT by Market Wire}  

Astea International Achieves a Microsoft Gold Application Development Competency in the Microsoft... -- HORSHAM, Pa., March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

HORSHAM, Pa., March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Astea International Inc. (NASDAQ: [ ATEA ]), the leader in [ service lifecycle management ] and [ mobility solutions ] announced today it has achieved a Gold Application Development Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network, demonstrating its ability to meet Microsoft customers' evolving needs in today's dynamic business environment. To earn a Microsoft gold competency, organizations must complete a rigorous set of tests to prove their level of technology expertise, submit customer references and demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction by participating in an annual survey.

Astea is the only global solution provider that offers all the cornerstones of [ service lifecycle management ]: customer management; service management; asset management; forward and reverse logistics management; third party/dealer network management; and mobile workforce management with enhanced workforce scheduling optimization. Astea's solutions are seamlessly orchestrated to share and leverage information throughout the service lifecycle – removing the traditional barriers between the field and back office. With Astea's solution modularity, companies can introduce one module at a time or deploy a seamless information backbone across the entire service lifecycle continuum.

"We are extremely pleased to have achieved Gold Application Development Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network. Our software solutions are one of the most widely-used service management solutions on the market today and continue to have a dramatic impact on the way organizations deliver service to their customers," said John Tobin , President, Astea International. "The benefits provided through our Gold Certified status will allow us to continue to deliver innovative and market leading solutions that help our customers accelerate revenue growth, provide proactive insight to customer interactions, improve customer satisfaction, and lower overall cost of service."

"The Microsoft Partner Network is designed to empower solution providers to succeed in today's business environment. By achieving the prestigious gold competency, participating companies are provided with a rich set of benefits, including increased customer visibility and accessibility, training and support," said Jon Roskill , corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp. "We are proud to put forth a program that provides the resources to help a company develop the expertise customers demand in today's competitive market and also provides the community and infrastructure that can connect them to one another, lowering costs for all parties."

The Microsoft gold competency signifies to the market that a company has demonstrated the highest level of skill and achievement within a given technology specialization. All of the Microsoft competencies are designed to help differentiate a partner's specific technology capabilities, helping customers find solution providers quickly and easily. Each competency has a unique set of requirements and benefits, formulated to accurately represent the specific skills and services that partners bring to the industry.  To achieve a competency, partners must demonstrate and maintain a significantly more rigorous set of requirements than are required for other competencies.

About Astea International
Astea International (NASDAQ: [ ATEA ]) is a global provider of software solutions that offer all the cornerstones of service lifecycle management, including customer management, service management, asset management, forward and reverse logistics management and mobile workforce management and optimization. Astea's solutions link processes, people, parts, and data to empower companies and provide the agility they need to achieve sustainable value in less time, and successfully compete in a global economy. Since 1979, Astea has been helping more than 600 companies drive even higher levels of customer satisfaction with faster response times and proactive communication, creating a seamless, consistent and highly personalized experience at every customer relationship touch point.

[ www.astea.com ].   Service Smart.  Enterprise Proven.

© 2013 Astea International Inc. Astea and Astea Alliance are trademarks of Astea International Inc.  All other company and product names contained herein are trademarks of the respective holders.

SOURCE Astea International Inc.