Accenture and Agile Software Join Forces to Deliver Internet-based Manufacturing and eCommerce Solutions
New York and San Jose, CA, September 6, 2000 -- Accenture, a leading global management and technology consultancy, and Agile Software Corporation, (Nasdaq: AGIL), a leading provider of collaborative manufacturing commerce solutions, today announced a strategic alliance to deliver enhanced Internet-based manufacturing collaboration and e-commerce solutions to firms around the world. Accenture will dedicate a team of consultants to market Agile’s collaborative manufacturing commerce solutions based on the Agile Anywhere™ product content collaboration and Agile Buyer™ e-commerce solutions. These products are designed specifically to help manufacturers speed up their manufacturing timetable and bring their products to market faster.
"The market is experiencing an acceleration in outsourced manufacturing, as well as a shortening of product lifecycles. As a result, our manufacturing customers increasingly need ways both to share rapidly-changing product content information across the supply chain, and to quote and order the necessary direct materials at e-speed," said David L. Anderson, a managing partner in Accenture’s Supply Chain Management practice. "We currently are implementing global solutions with Agile Software, and have found the solutions to be powerful, extensible, and easily installed, with an extremely rapid return on investment. We are excited about expanding our relationship with Agile to bring these solutions, and their time and cost savings benefits, to our manufacturing customers worldwide."
Under this business arrangement, technology and process consultants from Accenture’s Communications and High Tech operating unit, together with personnel from Accenture’s supply chain practice, will work closely with Agile Software to market and sell the collaborative manufacturing solution created by Agile and Accenture to high tech companies worldwide. Agile and Accenture will jointly implement a Strategic Value Assessment program, under which specialists from both companies will evaluate potential clients’ manufacturing processes and technology, and assess the potential benefits that these clients can expect from a collaborative manufacturing solution from Agile and Accenture.
"I believe Accenture’s experience in manufacturing, combined with Agile’s software capability and technical expertise, provides very powerful synergies. We believe that this team’s strengths will allow us to move forward rapidly with our plans for global deployment," said Vincent P. Melvin, Chief Information Officer at SCI Systems, a Huntsville, Alabama-based global provider of manufacturing and supply chain services.
By working with the Agile Software and Accenture team, companies will be able to rapidly implement and deploy strategic collaborative manufacturing commerce solutions, enabling all of their employees, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to collaborate seamlessly as one virtual manufacturing company.
"We have also been very impressed by the rapid rate of adoption of Agile technology within the high tech manufacturing community," said Greg Sterling, the Accenture partner responsible for the alliance between Agile and Accenture. "We have observed that after a manufacturer installs Agile’s solutions, its suppliers and outsourced manufacturing partners tend to quickly adopt Agile solutions, magnifying the benefits across the supply chain network."
Agile Anywhere is a complete suite of collaborative manufacturing commerce solutions that totally automates the distribution and synchronization of product content across the e-supply chain, with all information and services available through Agile eHubs. Agile Anywhere solutions include the Agile Product Definition Server, Agile Product Change Server, Agile AML Server, Agile iCM (Internet Content Manager) and Agile ChangeCAST.
Agile Buyer is an Internet-based secure private exchange for sourcing and procurement of direct (production) materials. Agile Buyer encompasses all direct materials and all members of a supply chain in a single Internet-based environment, automating request for quote (RFQ) preparation and dissemination, buying decision support, purchase orders, commodity and contract management, and supplier performance management.
"Agile is very pleased to formalize and expand its relationship with Accenture," said Bryan D. Stolle, Chairman and CEO of Agile. "The combination of Accenture’s global presence, proven methodology, and experience in business transformation with Agile’s collaborative manufacturing commerce solutions will ultimately benefit companies around the world who are seeking to squeeze every possible hour and every possible penny out of their manufacturing operations."
About Agile
Agile Software Corporation (Nasdaq: AGIL) is a leading supplier of business-to-business collaborative manufacturing commerce solutions. Agile products enable supply chain partners to communicate and collaborate over the Internet about new or changing product content, and then source and procure the required components. Customers include Agilent Technologies, Compaq Computer, Dell Computer, Flextronics International, GE Medical Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Jabil Circuit, Lucent Technologies, Philips, Texas Instruments and others. For more information, call 408-975-3900, or visit Agile at http://www.agilesoft.com.
On January 1, 2001, the firm will enter the next century with a new name marking its wholly independent status and reflecting the firm’s bold new marketplace positioning.
Agile Software, the Agile Software logo, Agile Buyer, and Agile Anywhere are trademarks of Agile Software Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other brand or product names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective holders.
This "Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Information in this release that involves Agile’s beliefs, hopes, plans, expectations, intentions or strategies regarding the future consists of forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which are based upon information available to Agile as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, delays and difficulties in introducing new products and upgrades of existing versions of our products; lack of market acceptance of Agile Anywhere or Agile Buyer or other new products or services; inability to continue timely delivery of competitive new products and services; introduction of new products or services by major competitors; risks related to the Internet on our business and prospects; and our ability to recruit or retain necessary personnel. These and other factors and risks associated with our business are discussed in the Company’s Form 10-K filed July 24, 2000.