Chico-Based Altivation Software Named As Finalist for Dell/NFIB Award

Release Date: 06/ 06/ 2005

NFIB Contact: Michael E. Diegel, (202) 554-9000
Dell Contact: Roe Thiessen, (512) 725-1405

Dell and NFIB Partner to Recognize Innovative Use of Technology and Superior Customer Experience

Washington, D.C. -- The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading small-business group, and Dell Inc., today announced that Altivation Software in Chico, Calif., has been chosen as a finalist in the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award.

The Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award finalists were selected by members of the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas at Austin for their spirits of innovation. Small-business owners were challenged to illustrate how they have used information technology to drive a significant change and/or developed a competitive advantage in delivering superior customer value and experience.

Altivation Software is an eight-employee firm that has been in business for three-and-a-half years. Michael Reale is president and chief executive officer. Altivation Software provides its Customer Relations Management and Logistics (CRM) software to nonprofit blood banks. Altivation's Hemasphere software provides information-technology tools to the account management staff of the blood-bank industry. Michael Reale can be reached for further comment at (530) 566-1233.

"The 10 small businesses that have been chosen as finalists exemplify the spirit of innovation, smart use of technology and focus on the customer that has helped Dell succeed and grow into the company it is today," said Frank Muehleman, vice president and general manager of Dell's Small and Medium Business Segment.

"Main Street entrepreneurs take risks every day, but one thing they won't risk is delivering less than the best when it comes to customer service. The finalists for the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award use technology to deliver a first-class customer service experience," said NFIB President and CEO Jack Faris. The award winner will be announced Oct. 6 during a Dell Small Business Town Hall event in New York City. The winner will receive $30,000 in Dell technology and professional services, a "Day with Dell" program with Dell executives including Michael Dell to share best practices, a lifetime NFIB membership and other prizes. The remaining nine finalists will each receive a Dell Latitude™ notebook computer and a one-year NFIB membership.