SYKES and Cigna Collaborate to Propel Cigna’s Integrated Service Capabilities Through Innovative, Multichannel Customer Engagement Platform

Business Wire

Accelerates SYKES’ strategic expansion into health care payer segment

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated (“SYKES” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: SYKE), a leading provider of customer engagement services and multichannel demand generation, will collaborate with global health service company Cigna to support delivery of service experience for customers, augmented with intelligent agent assistance, robotic process automation (RPA) and intelligent automation (IA) services. These capabilities will help Cigna continue to deliver personalized and customized healthcare solutions to help people live healthier, more productive lives.

The launch of this new relationship is planned for the fourth quarter of 2019 and is mostly reflected in the Company’s recent business outlook. SYKES’ operational excellence, strategic acquisitions and partnerships redefine the Company as a digital customer experience powerhouse, including becoming the first customer engagement–services provider with significant automation capability.

“With SYKES’ service capabilities, global reach and innovative approach, we look forward to improving service experiences for our healthcare operations,” said Tom Philibotte, Vice President of Customer Advocacy at Cigna. “SYKES is committed to innovation — including ongoing material investments in intelligent automation — and is the right choice to help us better serve our customers now and in the future.”

“Digital disruption is reaching every industry and we look forward to collaborating with Cigna to bring our comprehensive suite of proven customer engagement, RPA and IA expertise to global healthcare delivery,” said SYKES CEO Chuck Sykes. “This relationship further differentiates SYKES in the marketplace and validates our targeted approach of making strategic acquisitions and investments that are laser-focused on the success of our clients’ customer engagement strategies. We are well-positioned for continued success in other large, underserved vertical market segments.”

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," including SYKES’ estimates of its future business outlook, prospects or financial results. Statements regarding SYKES’ objectives, expectations, intentions, beliefs or strategies, or statements containing words such as "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect," “intend,” “may," "anticipate," "plans," "seeks," “implies,” or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. It is important to note that SYKES’ actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Among the important factors that could cause such actual results to differ materially are (i) the impact of economic recessions in the U.S. and other parts of the world, (ii) fluctuations in global business conditions and the global economy, (iii) SYKES’ ability to maintain margins, (iv) SYKES’ ability to continue the growth of its support service revenues, (v) currency fluctuations, (vi) the timing of significant orders for SYKES’ products and services, (vii) loss or addition of significant clients, (viii) the early termination of contracts by clients, (ix) SYKES’ ability to recognize deferred revenue through delivery of products or satisfactory performance of services, (x) construction delays of new or expansion of existing customer support centers, (xi) difficulties or delays in implementing SYKES’ bundled service offerings, (xii) failure to achieve sales, marketing and other objectives, (xiii) variations in the terms and the elements of services offered under SYKES’ standardized contract including those for future bundled service offerings, (xiv) changes in applicable accounting principles or interpretations of such principles, (xv) delays in the Company's ability to develop new products and services and market acceptance of new products and services, (xvi) rapid technological change, (xvii) political and country-specific risks inherent in conducting business abroad, (xviii) SYKES’ ability to attract and retain key management personnel, (xix) SYKES’ ability to further penetrate into vertically integrated markets, (xx) SYKES’ ability to expand its global presence through strategic alliances and selective acquisitions, (xxi) SYKES’ ability to continue to establish a competitive advantage through sophisticated technological capabilities, (xxii) the ultimate outcome of any lawsuits or penalties (regulatory or otherwise), (xxiii) SYKES’ dependence on trends toward outsourcing, (xxiv) risk of interruption of technical and customer contact management center operations due to such factors as fire, earthquakes, inclement weather and other disasters, power failures, telecommunications failures, unauthorized intrusions, computer viruses and other emergencies, (xxv) the existence of substantial competition, (xxvi) the ability to obtain and maintain grants and other incentives, including tax holidays or otherwise, (xxvii) risks related to the integration of the businesses of SYKES, Qelp, Clearlink, WhistleOut and Symphony, (xxviii) the ability to execute on initiatives to address inefficiencies around recruitment and retention in the U.S. and rationalize underutilized capacity methodically, and (xxix) other risk factors listed from time to time in SYKES’ registration statements and reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and SYKES undertakes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

About Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated

Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated (“SYKES” or “the Company”) is a leading provider of multi-channel demand generation and global customer engagement services. The Company provides differentiated full lifecycle customer engagement solutions and services primarily to Global 2000 companies and their end customers principally in the financial services, communications, technology, transportation & leisure and healthcare industries. SYKES’ differentiated full lifecycle management services platform effectively engages customers at every touchpoint within the customer journey, including digital marketing and acquisition, sales expertise, customer service, technical support and retention, many of which can be optimized by a suite of robotic process automation (“RPA”) and artificial intelligence (“AI”) solutions. The Company serves its clients through two geographic operating regions: the Americas (United States, Canada, Latin America, South Asia and Asia Pacific) and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). Its Americas and EMEA regions primarily provide customer-engagement solutions and services with an emphasis on inbound multichannel demand generation, customer service and technical support to its clients’ customers. These services are delivered through multiple communication channels including phone, email, social media, text messaging, chat and digital self-service. The Company also provides various enterprise support services in the United States that include services for its clients’ internal support operations, from technical staffing services to outsourced corporate help desk services. In Europe, the Company provides fulfillment services, which includes order processing, payment processing, inventory control, product delivery and product returns handling. Additionally, through the acquisition of RPA provider Symphony Ventures Ltd (“Symphony”) coupled with its investment in AI through XSell Technologies, Inc. (“XSell”), the Company also provides a suite of solutions such as consulting, implementation, hosting and managed services that optimizes its differentiated full lifecycle management services platform. SYKES’ complete service offering helps its clients acquire, retain and increase the lifetime value of their customer relationships. The Company has developed an extensive global reach with customer engagement centers across six continents, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. It delivers cost-effective solutions that generate demand, enhance the customer service experience, promote stronger brand loyalty, and bring about high levels of performance and profitability. For additional information please visit www.sykes.com.