ATLANTA, and PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryla Teleservices, a leading provider of outsourced customer contact solutions, is expanding operations to Providence, Rhode Island, by opening a new call center facility to handle inbound support phone calls for new client GTECH Corporation.

Initially, the center will handle incoming calls from GTECH lottery customers in Rhode Island, Michigan, and Kentucky. Once the call center is operating at full capacity, Ryla's employees will handle approximately 20 percent of GTECH's retailer help desk calls.

"The opening of this call center is important to GTECH as it demonstrates our long-term commitment to our new corporate hometown, Providence," said GTECH President and CEO W. Bruce Turner. "We are pleased to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the city by creating jobs and furthering the city's economic development goals. We look forward to working with Ryla and welcome them to the GTECH family."

The new building will be located in the Providence "historical district" (also known as South Providence) and will be Ryla's second contact center in the U.S. GTECH awarded a three-year contract to Ryla based on the company's ability to fulfill project requirements and its status as a U.S.-based minority-owned firm.

"GTECH's new call center represents another success in my efforts to create 20,000 new jobs," said Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri. "GTECH is one of our state's most important employers, and their relocation to Providence is a key in the continued redevelopment of Rhode Island's Capital City. I want to thank GTECH and Ryla for making this important investment in Rhode Island's economy and in its people."

Ryla is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, where the company employs more than 200 business associates and performs customer contact services including customer care, lead generation, surveys and data collection for such customers as D&B, LexisNexis, and BellSouth.

"We are honored to have been selected as the contact center provider for GTECH and are equally excited about moving into and doing business in the wonderful city of Providence," said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of Ryla Teleservices, Inc. "I am very proud of this unique business partnership and we expect our vision will make a positive impact on the city."

According to Richard Larson, Managing Director of SJF Ventures, a community development venture capital fund, and Ryla Teleservices Board member, "The members of Ryla's Board of Directors wholeheartedly support our expansion into Rhode Island, and see this expansion as an integral part of the Company's overall goals related to future growth. GTECH along with government and community leaders have been extremely supportive of this new partnership, and we view Rhode Island as a place where our businesses will be able to prosper."

"We are extremely pleased by this new development," said Michael McMahon, executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC). "GTECH is bucking a trend of taking these kinds of jobs overseas. Anyone who has researched Ryla knows that they are the premier player in their respective space. Together, they will help to strengthen each other's business operations. Our desire is to help them grow and expand their services here just as they have done in Georgia (where their headquarters is based)."

About Ryla Teleservices

Ryla Teleservices, Inc. is a leader in outsourced customer contact solutions. Ryla's solutions allow its customers to focus on their core business while the company provides value-added customer contact services in support of client growth initiatives. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with more than 200 employees and performs a variety of customer contact services for such customers as D&B, LexisNexis, and BellSouth. For additional information or a sample copy, contact Robb Duke at 1-888-YES-RYLA (e-mail: pr@rylateleservices.com) or visit Ryla Teleservices online at http://www.rylateleservices.com/ .

About GTECH Corporation

GTECH, a leading global information technology company with over $1 billion in revenues and more than 5,400 people in over 50 countries, provides software, networks, and professional services that power high- performance, transaction processing solutions. The Company's core market is the lottery industry, with a growing presence in commercial gaming technology and financial services transaction processing. For more information about the Company, please visit GTECH's website at http://www.gtech.com/ .

CONTACT: Robb Duke, Director of Marketing of Ryla Teleservices, Inc.,
+1-678-505-4956

Web site: http://www.rylateleservices.com/
http://www.gtech.com/