Aspect wins $150 million IRS contract

Aspect Communications Corp., San Jose Calif., has been awarded a $150 million contract to equip the Internal Revenue Service with the company's newest customer relationship management software, the company announced April 18.

The six-year contract also calls for maintenance, training and related services to the agency's 40 contact centers, which already use Aspect software. The contract also provides support for possible agency expansion.

"We're thrilled to extend our long history with the IRS by helping them leverage their contact center investment. We're excited to help the nation's largest customer-facing agency move ahead with a broad range of customer service initiatives over the next six years," said Beatriz Infante, Aspect's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

Founded in 1985, Aspect specializes in customer relations management software and related services. The company, which has 1,750 employees, has installed more than 7,600 customer call centers for corporations and government. The company reported revenue of $449.4 million in 2001 and losses of $151.8 million, according to Hoover's Online of Austin, Texas.

Federal clients include NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Postal Service and various branches of the Department of Defense.

Earlier this month, Larry Sells was named vice president for Aspect's Government Solutions unit. He left Oracle Corp. where he was a vice president in charge of software sales to communications companies.