Columbia Ultimate Debuts New Products and Services at Annual Client Conference

Columbia Ultimate, an expert in technology and integrated solutions for the collection industry, debuted a range of new products and services at its 2011 Art of Success conference, held September 12-16 in Portland, Ore. The annual conference brings together professionals from collection agencies, healthcare, and government organizations to build relationships and foster dialogue around key issues currently facing the industry. Conference session topics included industry trends, predictions, possibilities, compliance updates and leadership education.

“I really enjoyed this year’s conference and look forward to it each year,” said Jim Westwood, Director of Information Technology at Avadyne Health. “It’s great rubbing shoulders and sharing ideas with fellow clients, industry experts and Columbia Ultimate associates. I always walk away having learned something.”

This year’s conference featured 30 exhibitors, drew more than 200 attendees and offered enhanced content through a joint effort with the Columbia Ultimate Users Group (CUUG).

“I find the most valuable part of Art of Success is the opportunity to spend time with our clients and get their feedback on the state of the industry and what they need to be successful,” said Columbia Ultimate President and CEO R. Fred Houston. “We listen carefully and take their interests to heart. It’s really an invaluable forum for exchanging ideas.”

Houston delivered the keynote speech on Tuesday where he announced several new and enhanced products and services, including:

• Ultimate Find—a brand new data services solution that provides users with access to more information coupled with significant innovations in integration and automation.  It also includes a probability score that changes as account activity is tracked.
• New hosting services will be available soon for Columbia Ultimate’s small agency solution Collector Express. Future hosted offerings will include all flagship software in addition to disaster recovery options.
• Enhanced dashboards and analytics with future mobility application options.
• A new hosted dialer that will work in conjunction with all Columbia Ultimate solutions and will include IVR, voice recording, online negotiator, and more.
• An enhanced graphical version of the Collector Screen, available at no charge, will debut in 2012.
• The latest upgrades to Ajility, Columbia Ultimate’s newest all-inclusive collection solution.

ACA President Mark Neeb presented Wednesday’s keynote speech. Neeb shared his views on the state of the collection industry and expressed the importance for the industry to work collaboratively in facing ongoing legislative challenges at the state and federal level.

For more information on Art of Success 2011 including session highlights, please visit www.columbiaultimate.com/aos/2011/

Columbia Ultimate is an expert in delivering integrated technology solutions and services for enhancing business intelligence, maximizing performance and profitability for the collection industry.  Since 1979, the company has led ongoing innovation in debt collection software technology delivering results-oriented offerings that empower organizations to effectively manage and address new and growing challenges in an ever-increasing competitive collection environment. Today, collection agencies, banks, healthcare and retail organizations, along with state, county and local governments across the country rely on Columbia Ultimate for their collection needs. Columbia Ultimate is privately held with headquarters in Vancouver, Wash.