SHELL SERVICES INT'L ANNOUNCES KALIDO V.6.0

Shell Services International (SSI), the $1 billion revenue global IT and business services group of the $149 billion sales proceeds Royal Dutch/Shell Group (Shell), announced that the KALIDO version 6.0 package is now available in the United States. A pre-built data warehouse and advanced dynamic analytical engine, KALIDO offers the flexibility and power of a tailored solution plus the fast implementation and reduced cost of pre-packaged software. The KALIDO data warehouse -- which is used by businesses in more than 100 countries around the world -- is now offering version 6.0 to companies everywhere, including the U.S.

KALIDO's unique (patent pending) structure is ready for change, and it can dramatically increase the speed of response to changing business requirements. Because KALIDO adapts to the rules and dynamics of any business, it enables changes in the business model to be reflected in the data warehouse easily and quickly -- whatever the reason, from mergers and acquisitions to changes in account code structures. There is no need for costly database schema changes, software modification or the need to unload, modify and reload data when making such changes. By allowing companies to change the dimensional reference data without impacting the existing transactional data in the warehouse, KALIDO enables end user analysis to more accurately reflect the state of the business.

As a result of its design, KALIDO can help to lower a data warehouse's total cost of ownership by enabling business model changes to be made easily and quickly. It also has a short implementation time due to its pre-built component framework and pre-configured functionality. In addition, it handles complex hierarchies that enable past, present and future decision-support scenarios. The functionality also integrates multiple currencies, disparate internal and external data sources (including ERP packages), and provides meta data management. Already XML-enabled, KALIDO can play a key role in an eBusiness solution.

"By meaningfully comparing inconsistently structured data, KALIDO will allow forward-thinking enterprises to maximize the value of their customer information assets," said Bob Moran Research vice president, Decision Support Research for the Aberdeen Group. "But the high note of this release is KALIDO's ability to pave the way for enterprises of all sizes to systematically evolve from operational CRM to analytical CRM -- transitioning from a partial to a complete view of the customer."

The KALIDO data warehouse allows companies to globalize operations, re-organize, merge with or acquire new companies and form new alliances. Version 6.0 has a variety of new features, including:

• Full adaptation of XML technology: XML-based inter module communication and data navigation,
• New user interface: Allows for better navigation, improved security, and improved handling of data loading errors
• Improved business modeling: Improves roles and dimension support and provides more detailed data ownership and model revision level.
• Improved querying: Support for additional query tools and improved currency conversion feature
• Greatly extended support for a federation of KALIDOs: Moves business models between instances and provides simpler client configuration and logon
• KALIDO application server: Allows performance intensive tasks to be carried out on the server and all tasks to be run in parallel.

KALIDO Designed Specifically to Help eBusiness

One of the key challenges facing eBusinesses today is ensuring that shared information is understood by the parties/systems using it. KALIDO has a proven capability to allow integration of multiple, diverse sources of data. Designed to evolve as new sources and users of information become relevant, KALIDO allows different types of data to be integrated seamlessly. KALIDO was created with various features specifically to help eBusiness, including generic reference data, multiple views, multiple names and codes and time effectiveness. Because KALIDO has built in support for XML and uses XML internationally for many processes, it is ahead of the industry in the adoption of this valuable method of tagging data. The XML server provides all KALIDO meta and reference data via the Web.

About Shell Services International

Shell Services International (SSI) provides world-class information technology (IT) services and IT-enabled business solutions to customers around the world. By applying proven consulting, information management and technology, SSI enables customers to focus on their own core businesses and improve their business performance, thereby helping them decrease costs, increase revenues, and gain a competitive advantage. SSI operates in over one hundred countries with thousands of employees and a range of strategic relationships. With resources, capabilities and scale to consult, build and operate globally whilst providing local support, SSI integrates innovative solutions and fosters new and advanced technologies. SSI's end-to-end services portfolio includes Management Consulting, Information Management, eBusiness, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management, and Infrastructure Services and Solutions. Please visit SSI at www.shellservices.com.

Contact Sarah Kerestes of Hill & Knowlton, 312-255-1200, skerestes@hillandknowlton.com, for Shell Services International or Emma Hillan of Shell Services International, 31 70 303 4586, emma.j.hillan@is.shell.com.