AUSTIN, Texas, and ST. LOUIS, Missouri, May 20, 2005 - Scottrade, a leading online brokerage, and Perficient, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRFT), a leading information technology consulting firm in the central United States, announced today the re-launch of Scottrade.com, Scottrade’s online trading site. Designed to be a state-of-the-art online trading site, Scottrade’s new trading platform provides an unparalleled online trading experience for Scottrade’s more than 1.2 million global customers. In addition to incorporating an integrated feedback mechanism on every page for customers to send feedback and suggestions instantly, the platform features a number of technology and design advancements, including:
- Interactive watch lists and stock alerts that provide customers with up-to-the-second investment news and account information;
- Customization features that allow customers to set up their account information and trading tables to meet their unique viewing preferences;
- Visual graphs that illustrate account performance and fund availability over a variety of time periods;
- Improved search functionality allowing customers to search for a quote by partial ticker symbol or company name;
- Trailing stops, an advanced order type;
- Portfolio Accounting by GainsKeeper®, an automated cost basis analysis program that allows customers to efficiently track the gains and losses in their Scottrade account at no cost; and
- Enhanced research utilities that help customers make better-informed decisions about various investment products.
“We’re very excited to roll out this platform which was based on our customers’ feedback and needs,” said Kevin Dodson, Scottrade’s Manager of Online Trading Platforms. “Scottrade has always been known for its commitment to service and value and, by partnering with Perficient to provide our clients with this comprehensive solution, we’ll be known as a technology leader as well. Online trading is a competitive industry and we’re committed to delivering the very best experience for Scottrade clients. Perficient was the clear partner of choice based on their extensive experience delivering customer self-service solutions that exceed users’ expectations.”
Perficient business and technical consultants began collaborating with Scottrade executives in August 2004 to redevelop the entire trading platform. Perficient’s services included project management, application development assistance, heuristic evaluation and design, usability testing involving current Scottrade customers and competitive benchmark testing with Scottrade’s competitors’ clients.
“Scottrade executives articulated their desire to offer best-in-class value and customer service as well as cutting-edge, industry-leading technology,” said Derrick Brooks, Perficient’s Project Manager. “With the launch of this powerful platform, Scottrade is delivering exactly that to their 1.2 million customers.”
“We’re thrilled to be joining Scottrade to unveil this solution,” said Jeffrey Davis, Perficient’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Helping our clients leverage technology to better support their customers is at the heart of each of the dozens of customer self-service solutions we’ve implemented so successfully over the last several years.” Scottrade clients may begin trading on the new site beginning today. After logging onto their account, Scottrade clients will be able to choose between trading on the legacy platform or trading on the newly rebuilt site, allowing customers the opportunity to transition to the new site at their own pace before the site is adopted exclusively at the end of the summer. In addition, Scottrade customers are invited to call or visit any of Scottrade’s 229 brand offices nationwide to receive a free personal tutorial on how to use the new platform.
About Perficient
Perficient is a leading information technology consulting firm serving Global 2000 and midsize companies in the central United States. Perficient helps clients gain competitive advantage by using Internet-based technologies to make their businesses more responsive to market opportunities and threats, strengthen relationships with customers, suppliers and partners, improve productivity and reduce information technology costs. Our solutions enable our clients to operate a real-time enterprise that dynamically adapts business processes and the systems that support them to the changing demands of an increasingly global, Internet-driven and competitive marketplace. Perficient is an award-winning "Premier Level" IBM business partner, a TeamTIBCO partner and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. For more information about Perficient, which has more than 470 professionals in the central United States and Canada, please visit www.perficient.com. IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
About Scottrade
Now in its 25th year, Scottrade (formerly Scottsdale Securities, Inc.) is a leader in online investing and is currently ranked Highest in Investor Satisfaction with Online Trading Services by J.D. Power and Associates (www.jdpower.com). The September 2004 announcement was the fifth consecutive time Scottrade has received the honor. Scottrade is unique in the industry because it boasts very low commission rates while offering easily accessible, local branch office support of online trading in 229 locations nationwide. The firm serves individual investors who are comfortable making their own investment decisions. Scottrade.com is the online trading site of Scottrade and offers customers the convenience of placing orders online for as low as $7 per trade. In addition, customers can trade through Scottrade’s streaming quotes platform, Scottrader, or through ScottradeELITE, an advanced trading platform built for active traders. Customers may also place trades assisted by a broker or through the firm’s state-of-the-art electronic order entry and account access systems. Touchtone telephone trading is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Scottrade also offers a Chinese version of its Web site at http://chinese.scottrade.com/, which includes research from CBS Marketwatch and Zack’s in Chinese. In addition to Chinese-speaking representatives in nearly 30 offices nationwide, Scottrade has a Chinese National Service Center available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.
Safe Harbor Statement
"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risk and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the impact of competitive services, demand for services like those provided by the Company and market acceptance risks, fluctuations in operating results, cyclical market pressures on the technology industry, the ability to manage strains associated with the Company's growth, credit risks associated with the Company's accounts receivable, the Company's ability to continue to attract and retain high quality employees, accurately set fees for and timely complete its current and future client projects, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent Form 10-KSB and Form 10-QSB.