(EMAILWIRE.COM, June 05, 2009 ) SAN DIEGO, CA, June 5, 2009 – John Ragsdale, vice president of technology research for AFSMI, SSPA, and TPSA—the three leading professional associations of the services and support industry—lent his expertise to several key recent industry events. Ragsdale served on the judge’s panel for two significant services awards and also provided commentary for recent podcast and Webcast events.

Ragsdale sat on the expert judging panel for SearchCRM.com’s Products of the Year Awards, which highlight some of the best CRM and call center products introduced this year, and CRM magazine’s CRM Service Awards, which honor several of the industry’s best and brightest across eight categories of service and support offerings. He also provided his commentary on a recent SearchCIO.com Webcast, where he discussed the potential ROI of a remote support solution via the SaaS model, as well as a podcast for TechTarget’s SearchCRM.com site, where he explored today's self-service technology market.

With vast experience in researching how the technology industry ticks, Ragsdale is considered a leading technology services authority and is often called upon by top organizations to share his expertise with the services and support community. His recent speaking engagements allowed participants to gain import knowledge in the areas of technology spending for 2009 and beyond, Web self-service, the Web 2.0 effect, value-added service, and remote and proactive support.

“Despite the economic gloom, my 2009 Member Technology Survey shows service and support organizations continue to make investments in technology that improves the customer experience, particularly products with a proven ROI,” Ragsdale said. “Our association members are very aggressive in pursuing innovative solutions as service excellence has become a key criteria for technology buyers.”

Ragsdale’s blog, Ragsdale’s Eye on Service, has gained increased popularity over the years and is looked to daily by services professionals searching for answers on technology spending and more. His blog can be found at http://jragsdale.wordpress.com.

About AFSMI
The Association for Services Management International (AFSMI) is the global leader in helping service professionals and field services organizations deliver more value to their customers. www.afsmi.com.

About SSPA
The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) is a key resource for the information and best practices needed to make better business decisions in the delivery of technology service and support. www.thesspa.com.

About TPSA
The Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA) is the only organization for executives who create, deliver, manage, measure, and optimize technology services in the world’s leading corporations. www.tpsaonline.com.

###

Contact Information:
AFSMI, SSPA, and TPSA
Suzanne Hite
Tel: 410-774-5322
Email us