ST. LOUIS and MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), the leading provider of customer experience systems, today unveiled a new program called Open Innovation at an event held in Silicon Valley. Open Innovation's goal is to foster new ideas and collaboration between Amdocs and startup companies in the communications industry. The program also benefits Amdocs' customers -- many of whom are the world's leading service providers -- by providing a forum for innovation as service providers address business and technology challenges as the industry evolves.

The Open Innovation program consists of three areas:

    --  Amdocs Ascend! - A startup partnership program focused on creating new
        solutions by combining external innovation with Amdocs products and
        services. Amdocs seeks to develop partnerships that complement the
        Amdocs CES (customer experience systems) portfolio.
    --  Amdocs Engage! - A business development program promoting business
        opportunities between Amdocs, service providers and startup companies,
        through which Amdocs offers selected companies a discussion channel with
        its global customer base.

    --  Amdocs Venture - A program focused on investments in carefully selected
        startups. Today, Amdocs has announced two minority investments: Amobee
        Media Systems, a provider of telco-grade mobile ad server solutions, and
        Trivnet, a company that delivers mobile-based transaction management
        capabilities.

"Amdocs is now a well-established leader in the industry -- however, we were once a startup too. When we look back, we recall how innovation, often introduced by our employees, played a role in our success," said Seth Nesbitt, vice president of product and solutions marketing for Amdocs. "The Open Innovation program honors Amdocs' deep heritage in innovation, and offers us an opportunity to foster the startup community that will inevitably help shape the future of the industry."

At the Amdocs hosted event taking place today, venture capitalists and startups will hear from Amdocs executives about the marketplace's most pressing needs and areas for potential partnership. In addition, attendees will learn how to participate in the program and how they can benefit from Amdocs' global expertise.

While Amdocs is announcing the Open Innovation program today, it holds long-standing relationships with the startup community. Currently, there are more than 100 startup companies participating in the program, with a range of focus from customer experience optimization and mobile applications, to television/converged platforms and applications.

About Amdocs

Amdocs is the market leader in customer experience systems innovation, enabling world-leading service providers to deliver an integrated, innovative and intentional customer experience(TM) at every point of service. Amdocs provides solutions that deliver customer experience excellence, combining the software, services and expertise to help its customers execute their strategies and achieve service, operational and financial excellence. A global company with revenue of $3.16 billion in fiscal 2008, Amdocs has approximately 17,000 employees and serves customers in more than 50 countries around the world. For more information, visit Amdocs at www.amdocs.com.

Forward looking statement

This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Amdocs' growth and business results in future quarters. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations will not be material. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, the effects of general economic conditions, Amdocs' ability to grow in the business segments it serves, adverse effects of market competition, rapid technological shifts that may render the Company's products and services obsolete, potential loss of a major customer, our ability to develop long-term relationships with our customers, and risks associated with operating businesses in the international market. Amdocs may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, however the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These and other risks are discussed at greater length in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, filed on December 8, 2008, and in our quarterly 6-K furnished on February 9, May 12, and August 10, 2009.

SOURCE Amdocs