Accenture and Impress Software Forge Alliance to Integrate Emerging Technology with Existing Business Management Systems

(Boston, MA), October, 18 -- Accenture today announced an alliance with IMPRESS SOFTWARE, a leading provider of connectivity for collaborative e-business, to enable companies to expand their markets and supply chains throughout the Web via seamless, real-time connections to all business partners

The new agreement will allow companies in the automotive, industrial equipment, pharmaceutical, consumer package goods, retail and transportation and travel services industries to connect existing business processes -- such as those within ERP systems -- with the Internet. These solutions will provide an environment for speed, simplicity and flexibility, allowing companies to harness the power of the Web to streamline business, enhance revenue streams and reduce costs.

As part of the alliance, Accenture will take an equity position in IMPRESS and become their preferred integration supplier in addition to receiving fees for their consulting services. The initial scope of the alliance covers North and South America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom and France as well as South Africa.

Accenture and IMPRESS will jointly market and deliver IMPRESS’s Online Information System (OIS) software suite to targeted business partners and select customers. The combination of IMPRESS’s unique, modular software with Accenture ’s industry-specific skills, resources and established network will expand the reach of both organizations in the growing B2B marketplace.

IMPRESS provides a comprehensive, open and proven solution for leveraging back-end systems to conduct collaborative business online. Its collaboration engine, IMPRESS/OIS, is an open-platform software solution that provides real-time integration between business processes on the Web and those in ERP and legacy systems. No other company automates strategic sales and procurement across the Internet in one solution with the ability to connect customers and suppliers via all forms of communication, including electronic exchanges and marketplaces. The integration of existing environments, the use of best-of-breed applications and a flexible tool set allow companies to achieve their business goals and differentiate themselves from competitors.

"We are pleased to form this alliance with IMPRESS, which will build our leadership position in providing solutions for the B2B market," said Eberhard Fledel, partner, Accenture . "Together we can help businesses take advantage of emerging technology without the major investment needed to create an entirely new system."

"This alliance will help companies take control of their eBusiness destiny," said Marc Elmhorst, co-CEO of IMPRESS SOFTWARE. "As business models become more complex, companies need robust network connectors that can seamlessly join them to all their business partners, regardless of the number or complexity of the systems involved. Customers will directly benefit from our combined expertise in taking their operations to the next level of collaborative eBusiness."

About IMPRESS SOFTWARE, http://www.impress.com IMPRESS SOFTWARE enables companies to achieve their full collaboration potential through Web-based connectivity to customers, suppliers and partners as well as internal resources. IMPRESS’s collaboration engine, IMPRESS/OIS (Online Information System), is an open platform software solution that provides real-time integration of business processes on a wide variety of ERP and legacy systems and eBusiness applications. With IMPRESS, companies can extend their markets and supply chains with seamless, real-time Web connections that streamline business processes, enhance revenue streams and reduce costs. IMPRESS has implemented collaborative eBusiness solutions for more than 60 leading companies worldwide including adidas, BASF, DaimlerChrysler and Siemens.

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