Columbia Ultimate Focuses on Solutions to Support Collection Agencies Amid Challenges

Columbia Ultimate, the industry expert in providing software and integrated solutions for collecting money, today announced that it is entering 2009 with expanded offerings to help agency clients optimize overall collection performance due to economic challenges that have lead to a significant increase in placements with significant lower liquidation rates.

Initiatives for 2009 include an extensive focus on its analytics and telephony offerings to bring new ways for agencies to better segment, score, model, and reach the most likely payers.  The company will focus on developing new strategies around its dashboards, analytics, scoring, and dialer solutions.  Columbia Ultimate also plans to announce new industry alliances, as well as enhancements to existing solutions that will support its continued efforts to deliver agencies with solutions and services to improve call techniques, increase recovery profitability and drive maximum outcome with collections.  

“The current economic crisis has created unprecedented challenges impacting markets across all sectors, including the collection industry,” said Mike Cosenza, Chief Executive Officer, Accounts Receivable Management.  “Columbia Ultimate understands the challenges and issues that collection agencies are facing, and continues to deliver services, support and solutions to help us maximize efficiencies under ever evolving market conditions.”

Columbia Ultimate continued steady client growth in 2008 and concluded the year with 85 new clients.  Developments in 2008 included the launch of the Ajility Call Management Suite with an integrated dialer, voice messaging and IVR, as well as the Performance Dashboard to help agencies better monitor collection activities and understand key business drivers.  Columbia Ultimate also experienced growth in both new client acquisitions and product innovations in the government sector; and its 2008 Art of Success Conference drew record attendance bringing together collection agency owners, IT staff, government representatives and healthcare professionals from across the country to discuss, learn and share collection industry best practices.

“Agencies are adopting new strategies to increase collections and are looking to suppliers to deliver new levels of value,” said R. Fred Houston, president and CEO, Columbia Ultimate. “Our clients recognize the value in working with an organization with a consistent and steady track record, and we appreciate their ongoing partnership.  We will continue to focus on delivering solutions and tools that will enable our clients to work smarter, faster and leaner; and connect with as many debtors as possible to achieve their productivity and cost goals in the coming year.”

About Columbia Ultimate
Columbia Ultimate is the industry expert in providing software and integrated solutions for collecting money.  Since 1979, collection agencies, debt buyers, banks, healthcare and retail organizations have relied on Columbia Ultimate’s comprehensive line of software and services to increase efficiency, profitability and success with their collections.  In addition, Columbia Ultimate is the leader in providing revenue recovery solutions for state, county and local governments across the country.

Headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., with an office in Atlanta, Georgia, Columbia Ultimate is a privately held company with more than 550 clients worldwide. For more information, visit www.columbiaultimate.com.