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Enhanced WebFOCUS Hailed for Wide-Scale Delivery of Real-Time Information

Now more than ever, WebFOCUS can help organizations realize a quick return on their technology investment. Release 4.3.6 allows broad delivery of real-time information to everyone who impacts key business processes with rapid time-to-market and low cost-of-ownership. It provides a complete, integrated set of features for building and deploying business intelligence (BI) applications to unlimited numbers of diverse people across the enterprise employees, managers, partners, suppliers, customers and citizens.

Information Builders President and CEO Gerry Cohen reports that customers are dramatically boosting revenues and cutting operational costs by using WebFOCUS to deliver and share information relating to performance, business process and customer relations. For example, Ford and FedEx rely on WebFOCUS applications to directly share information and analytical functions with suppliers, dealers and agents saving millions of dollars with large estimated ROIs.

Enhanced WebFOCUS mobile solutions were also introduced recently that enable business users to stay connected to their data from any location including push-pull e-mail technologies, PDA Sync, and ReportCaster alerts. By utilizing the WebFOCUS platform, Information Builders ensures access to the most up-to-date information through a variety of wireless devices. Visit www.informationbuilders.com for the latest on WebFOCUS.

Movers & Shakers . . . Gerry Cohen Rates 27 in Power 100 Enterprise

Systems Magazine has placed Gerry Cohen as number 27 on their Power 100 list of individuals who shape the landscape of technology and have the power to influence how people live. According to the editors, "With products like FOCUS, which can provide application development, data analysis and decision support features to middleware applications that open data to the rest of an organization, Information Builders has the products to manage the enterprise."

Administaff Reports Smart Access to Personnel Data

Grants Clients Secure Access to Payroll, Benefits and Employee Information With a little help from Information Builders' business intelligence solutions, Administaff, Inc, is now able to operate an online reporting environment that gives clients secure access to personnel-related reports. Based in Kingwood, Texas, Administaff is the nation's leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO), serving as a full-service human resources department for small and medium-sized businesses throughout the U.S. With revenues of $3.7 billion last year, Administaff operates 35 sales offices in 19 major markets and supports thousands of client companies and tens of thousands of work site employees. Information Builders' WebFOCUS solution manages Administaff's reporting environment through a single facility. A flexible menu system and routines give client-users everything they need to produce consistent, accurate Web-based reports. For additional information, visit Administaff's Web site www.administaff.com.

Extended Business Intelligence and Mobile Solutions Demonstrated at e-Gov

New Technologies Designed to Facilitate Next Generation of e-Government

Information Builders showcased the latest versions of its WebFOCUS and Two-Way Email during the recent e-Gov 2001 conference in Washington, DC. The latest version of WebFOCUS allows government agencies to support a larger set of users via its new Java-based servlet implementation, extending its business intelligence capability to mobile and wireless devices. The new version also includes a Business Intelligence Dashboard (BID) that allows the product to be customized to whatever look and feel is desired a vital feature for government agencies that need to maintain a consistent look over their intranets, extranets and Internet presences.

Information Builders CEO Makes News Headlines

Gerald Cohen Named NYSIA Chairperson . . .

The New York Software Industry Association (NYSIA) has installed longtime board member Gerald Cohen as its new chairperson. Replacing Oscar Schachter, who held the position for three years, Cohen will work with NYSIA President Bruce Bernstein, the not-for-profit organization's driving force, to further strengthen the IT/software industry in New York.

Cohen co-founded Information Builders in 1975 and developed the industry's first fourth-generation language, thus delivering a new, innovative way for people without formal computer programming skills to work with information systems. Today, Information Builders is the leader in Web-based business intelligence and the largest software manufacturer in New York City.

Cohen is a frequent speaker and published writer on the topic of information technology. He spoke at the inauguration of the City University of New York Institute for Software Design and Development, which is dedicated to attracting, training and retaining the brightest development talent for New York software companies.

A native Manhattanite and lifelong supporter of New York City, Cohen currently serves on the Advisory Board for the New York City Emerging Industry Fund of the Economic Development Council a $25 million venture capital fund that will provide debt or equity financing for small high-tech and bio-tech companies based in the City. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani recognized Cohen for his quarter-century commitment to the New York and global technology marketplace by presenting him with the coveted Mayor's Award for Excellence in March of 2001.

. . . And Added to Crain's Technology 100

Information Builders President and CEO Gerald Cohen has also made Crain's New York Business Magazine's list of the state's top 100 technology movers and shakers. "One reason for the company's success is that [Cohen] understands his customers and how their technology needs constantly evolve," wrote the editors. "Despite recent turmoil in the sector, those on the list are likely to shape the direction and growth of New York's economy beyond technology for years to come."

Now That's Quality

Information Builders Software Receives Third Consecutive ISO Certification

For the third consecutive year, Information Builders has received the prestigious ISO 9001 certification for the Quality Management System of its industry-leading WebFOCUS business intelligence solution.

Information Builders' most recent ISO certification exemplifies its continued commitment to enhance customer satisfaction through quality management practices and standards. In addition, ISO 9001 provides confidence in the conformance of Information Builders products to established and specified requirements as certified by an external agency. These standards ensure that vendor products and services consistently perform to the customer's quality requirements.

According to Dave Sandel, vice president of Information Builders' Business Intelligence Division, "Complying with ISO standards fully supports our plan to effectively serve our business intelligence partners and customers in both the domestic and international markets. We believe that WebFOCUS is the first and only Web-based business intelligence solution to achieve ISO 9001 Certification."

U.S. Department of Education Automates Student Loan Program
With a Little Help From Information Builders and EDS

The U.S. Department of Education's Direct Student Loan Program has stepped up efforts to provide up-to-date information that facilitates the distribution of student loans.

Information Builders in conjunction with EDS, a leading global services company, has launched a WebFOCUS application that helps the U.S. Department of Education's Client Account Managers (CAMs) better manage the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. The intelligent Web-based solution provides timely information about a school's loans and identifies those schools that are most in need of assistance.

Currently, the yearly loan portfolio totals $8 billion. System reports are accessed and used by 85 CAMs who, along with 119 Customer Service Representatives, work with 1,235 participating schools to provide reconciliation information.

FedEx Fills Global Pipeline With Information

FedEx's ISIS International Strategic Information System employs Information Builders WebFOCUS business intelligence software to extend internal sales and inventory information across the supply chain to 75 delivery agents in 150 countries. The result: 470 percent ROI and $2.3 million in savings.

According to Joe Namie, global service program administrator for FedEx, ISIS integrates several legacy systems, such as sales, marketing and inventory, and stores the information in an Oracle relational database. Agents trained and contracted by FedEx to make local deliveries outside the U.S. will use a virtual private network to access delivery information specific to their country for example, how much shipping business the company does in a particular industry. Having that information will also help FedEx management work with local agents to meet revenue goals.

Kudos Bestowed by Industry Greats

These have been a great couple of months for Information Builders' customers who were recognized for their accomplishments:

The City of Richmond in BC, Canada received two awards: "Best Wireless Business Intelligence Application" RealWare Award, and the Computerworld ROI 25 Award for their cutting-edge wireless innovations.

The WebFOCUS-driven Penn State Police Crime Reporting System was recently honored as a solutions winner in the government category.

And the USDA Rural Development Division was honored with the Government Computer News Federal Agency Award for their WebFOCUS application.

Winners Contend There's No Business Like i-business

Information Builders bestowed its new i-business awards on three deserving candidates:

Philips Semiconductor, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, received the i-business award for the fastest time to market of the "Business Forecasting" phase of its global "CLASS (SAP) Project" reporting application. In just 10 weeks, three people designed, developed, tested and migrated the equivalent of 359,000 different report combinations utilizing WebFOCUS.

CN Rail was recognized for its "Chargeable Services" application powered by WebFOCUS, and estimates the long-term ROI to be a potential gain of $100 million a year from improved billing and collections.

City of Richmond, BC won for most innovative use of technology with its WebFOCUS/AvantGo mobile application (Information Builders Magazine, Spring 2001) that literally prevents the low-lying city from sinking into the Fraser River.

Education

Scale New Heights as a WebFOCUS Certified Professional

You've made a significant investment in WebFOCUS. Why not build on that investment and make it pay off with our WebFOCUS Certified Professional Program.

WebFOCUS is today's fastest growing business intelligence solution. It's used by leading business, government, and educational organizations around the world, and powers many public Web sites. All of which makes WebFOCUS developer skills highly valued in today's marketplace. Our program provides a unique way to enhance and officially certify WebFOCUS skills.

For companies wishing to have employees certified, the program ensures highly skilled workers with up-to-date knowledge, facilitates quick deployment of Web applications, maximizes return on investment with WebFOCUS and provides a good investment in employee growth and education.

Certification helps individuals gain highly marketable skills, stay ahead of the technology curve, broaden their areas of expertise and enhance career and business opportunities.

Who Should Participate

The WebFOCUS Certified Professional Program is designed for any developer involved in creating Web applications:

	Application Developers
	Network Administrators
	Systems Analysts/Programmers
	Database Administrators
	Business Analysts and Power Users

This fee-based program consists of a series of instructor-led training courses. Instructors are drawn from Information Builders' staff of education specialists all highly trained and experienced in WebFOCUS development techniques.

Courses are held in our 18 Education Centers, conveniently located in areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Toronto.

Contact your local Education Account Manager, visit www.informationbuilders.com/certification or e-mail us at education_mailbag@ibi.com. Or you can call (800) 969-INFO and check out this year's conference highlights and find out what's in store for 2002.

Partners

InfoElite UPDATE: WebFOCUS Certification Gives Partners an Edge

Information Builders' new certification program will enable InfoElite partners to position themselves as certified WebFOCUS experts with advanced ability to create and deploy self-service applications using Information Builders' Web development technologies. "End-users value certifications highly when assessing third-party contractors," said Don Grady, director of the InfoElite Partner Program. "Therefore, becoming a WebFOCUS Certified Professional is a competitive advantage." For more information, contact Don at (212) 736-4433 ext. 4892 or don_grady@ibi.com.

Westport Software Bundles Compensation Tracking App With WebFOCUS

InfoElite Partner Westport Software Group (WSG) is bundling its CATS (Compensation Activity Tracking System) with WebFOCUS to provide a cutting-edge solution for complex incentive compensation systems.

WebFOCUS for CATS can produce mission-critical reports essential to administering complex incentive compensation processes via the Web. John Laurino, Westport's CEO said, "We looked at all of the Web reporting and business intelligence tools. Information Builders' deep bench strength on the report development, connectivity to enterprise systems, and support fronts, coupled with CATS' incredible price to value in the incentive compensation arena, truly gives our clients the best of both worlds."

Visit www.informationbuilders.com/press/westport_5_2_01 for the full story.

Information Builders, First Rate Develop Advanced Performance Analysis Tools

Information Builders and First Rate Investment Systems recently announced a strategic alliance focused on providing high-capacity, Web-based performance analysis for brokerage and defined contribution portfolio providers. The companies plan to offer a truly scalable and dynamic set of analysis tools that can handle hundreds of thousands of investment transactions required to report accurate, portfolio-specific performance analysis for retail and institutional investment clients.

"We have experienced tremendous success working with Information Builders to quickly and easily accommodate the necessary information to compute performance from multiple data sources," David A. Stone, president of First Rate Investment Systems, said. "Their technology makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of portfolios to have performance processed daily and made available for review by clients over the Internet."

For the complete story go to www.informationbuilders.com/cgi-shell/press/intpr/f_intpr.pl?intpr_code=firstrate_6_18_01.