Asurion and NEW Partner With PlumChoice, Create Single Source for Mobile Device and Consumer Electronics Protection and Technical Support

Partnership powers maximum value for customers with unprecedented end-user experience

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Sep 14, 2011, 09:00 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. and BILLERICA, Mass., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Asurion, the global leader in technology protection services, along with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, LLC (NEW), the leader in buyer protection programs and service solutions, today announced a comprehensive partnership with PlumChoice, a pioneer in the delivery of remote technical services in the Service 2.0, service-at-first-contact model. For end-users experiencing loss, damage or difficulty with a device, such as a wireless phone or one of the myriad consumer electronics products available, this partnership creates a single point of contact for immediate access to answers, solutions or replacement devices by combining hardware and software protection with premium support services.

Asurion is the largest consumer technology protection company, providing handset insurance, mobile device tech support, security services and extended warranty products to North America, Asia and Europe. The company's products are trusted by all major U.S. wireless carriers, cable companies and global telecom companies. NEW is the partner of choice for the nation's top retailers who focus on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Both companies' commitment to customer satisfaction is illustrated by their continuous effort to develop and deliver innovative solutions to their customers. The agreement with PlumChoice further expands Asurion and NEW services portfolio by adding remote help desk, live technical support and other value-added services, such as anti-theft and virus protection, across a broad set of consumer electronic devices.

"As users of technology we take for granted the sophisticated designs and advanced components that enable consumer electronics and wireless communications devices to deliver the experiences we've come to expect," said Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Parks Associates. "But when those devices aren't functioning as expected, consumers need a quick fix. Parks Associates sees this need fueling a nearly threefold increase in support services revenue over the next five years, becoming a $30 billion market."

"With today's announcement we're effectively creating the most comprehensive one-stop shop for consumer technology protection and support available," said Sue Nokes, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions, at Asurion. "As individuals we depend on technology -- whether it's a cell phone; desktop, laptop or tablet computer; software program; network; other consumer electronics or even a broadband connection -- to work as expected. Asurion and NEW, in partnership with carriers and retailers, can now enable customers to receive exclusive concierge assistance by calling one number or logging-in to one website for assistance, regardless of the device affected or the nature of the question or problem. One call, one successful resolution."

"The addition of PlumChoice's capabilities allows us to provide an even richer end-user customer service experience," said Rob DiRocco, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Product Development at NEW. "For our consumer electronics manufacturers and retailer partners, the new PlumChoice-enabled services offer a pre- or post-sale, tiered service plan and tech support product that allows their customers to receive real-time resolution and troubleshooting on complex consumer electronics. This partnership shows NEW's and Asurion's commitment to bringing new solutions and technologies to market to help us further evolve our products and deliver on our promise of exceptional customer care."

"What we have here is an entirely new technology services category based on the broadest range of customer support and technology protection available," said Fred King, President, Americas & Chief Operating Officer at PlumChoice. "We know the power of PlumChoice drives customer satisfaction rates to previously unattainable levels. Experience tells us that our services -- combined with the existing Asurion and NEW products -- can meet more than 95% of consumer and small business technology needs. Together, we are now in a better position than ever before to help our collective customers build revenue while contributing directly to customer satisfaction and retention."

About Asurion

Asurion, a privately-held company operating across three continents, is the global leader in providing consumer technology protection services. Asurion offers support to help customers derive optimum benefit from the usage of electronics; security to help ensure content privacy; and peace of mind through rapid replacement of lost, stolen, damaged or malfunctioning devices. As the premier technology protection provider, Asurion's 5,000+ employees specialize in fulfilling the needs of more than 95 million consumers through strategic partnerships with the world's top wireless and cable brands. For more information about Asurion, please visit www.asurion.com.

About N.E.W. Customer Service Companies LLC (NEW)

NEW, together with its affiliates and member companies, is the leading global provider of extended service plans, buyer protection services and product support, providing coverage to more than 150 million consumers around the world. Founded in 1983, with headquarters in Sterling, Va., NEW provides award-recognized post-sale consumer care for leading retailers, consumer service providers, wireless carriers and financial services firms in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. NEW delivers a comprehensive customer care solution that begins on day one of the product purchase and extends through the end of the product life cycle. For more information, please visit NEW at www.newcorp.com or call 1-800 WHAT'S NEW (1-800-942-8763).

About PlumChoice

PlumChoice is setting a new standard of customer care with its Service 2.0 approach that has reinvented the way technology care is provided to connected homes and small businesses. As the largest independent technology care provider in the industry, PlumChoice pioneered the remote technical services business in 2001, providing 24x7 online repair and assistance for digital devices through local industry-certified agents. With the addition of its patented SAFElink™ service relationship platform, PlumChoice now offers a fully integrated and highly secure solution for service providers and other business partners, working under their brand names to provide them with new sources of revenue and cost reduction. PlumChoice's services can be delivered remotely or on-site as a one-time incident, bundled with products/services, or subscriber-based solutions, including the option for IT support automation, self-service and self-healing solutions. Covered devices include PCs and Macintosh® computers, laptops, netbooks and mobile phones, TVs and home theater systems, routers and servers, networks, security systems, consumer electronics, software, peripherals, iPhones® and other devices. For more information, visit www.plumchoice.com, call 1-866-811-3321 or email [email protected]

SOURCE Asurion