APPSMART 2.0 FOR MICROSOFT SQL SERVER 2000

Appsmart Software, a leading provider of packaged analytic application solutions for Microsoft SQL Server announced Appsmart 2.0, a new version of the company's flagship software development environment for Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

Appsmart 2.0 integrates SQL Server 2000 along with Microsoft's Data Transformation Services (DTS), Meta Data Services, Analysis Services and Office 2000 to provide an end-to-end platform that enables developers to quickly build, customize and deploy packaged analytics from pre-built vertical market solutions. AppsMart 2.0 is being demonstrated at the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) 2000 North America Conference and Expo, currently taking place at the San Francisco Marriott.

Appsmart 2.0 enables a powerful, yet flexible process for developing customizable analytic applications that take advantage of all of the features of SQL Server 2000. It incorporates best-practices analytics and business processes into pre-built vertical market solutions that developers can reuse and extend. Appsmart 2.0 includes features to capture the complete lifecycle of Meta Data associated with building an analytic application, from business requirements modeling, source systems meta data capture, to data transformation, to information delivery to business users.

According to Colin White, president of DataBase Associates, a leading business intelligence consultancy, analytic applications are essential to providing companies with the business intelligence needed to make informed decisions and to take rapid action when business goals are not being achieved. "Appsmart 2.0 provides a powerful development platform for application developers and ISVs who wish to build analytic applications that are easy to customize and that can be cost-effectively deployed by a broad range of companies with limited IT resources and budgets," White said.

Added John Eng, Lead Product Manager, SQL Server at Microsoft Corporation, "Appsmart 2.0 is an exciting new product that enables small and middle market companies that previously lacked the expertise or budget to rapidly implement packaged analytic applications on SQL Server 2000. Appsmart has achieved an extremely high level of integration with SQL Server 2000, greatly reducing the complexity, time and cost associated with implementing highly targeted decision support solutions."

Conchango Develops Retail Fraud Application with Appsmart 2.0

Conchango, a UK-based Internet professional services company with expertise in designing and delivering business intelligence solutions in the retail sector, used Appsmart 2.0 to develop FraudAlert!, an analytic application that detects retail fraud. According to Iyas AlQasem, director of Conchango's BI and CRM practice, retail industry losses due to fraud can equal up to five percent of annual sales, translating to a 25 percent drain on net profit.

"FraudAlert! analyzes point of sale (POS) data to quickly identify registers exhibiting potentially fraudulent activity," AlQasem said. "FraudAlert! makes it easy for companies to detect the most common causes of retail fraud by providing detailed analysis of discounts, payments, high credit card usage, refunds, returns and scan rates," he said. "Appsmart 2.0 combines the cost-effectiveness of a packaged application with customization that meets the specific needs of each retailer."

Application PerforMart Developing Health Care Billing Application

Application PerforMart Ltd (APM), a provider of affordable, pre-packaged analytic solutions, is using Appsmart 2.0 to build a health care billing application for First Choice Medical Management, which handles more than 50 percent of all radiology billings in the Houston, Texas area. According to APM CEO Dennis James, APM is using AppsMart 2.0 to build an analytic application infrastructure that "will convert standard billing reports into meaningful analytics" that First Choice Medical Management will share with its customers via the Web.

"Every analytic application we implement requires extensive customization on all aspects of the system, including extraction rules, schema design, analysis services design and end user query and reporting," said James. "Appsmart provides us a powerful platform for delivering customized business intelligence applications on SQL Server 2000 that provide our customers with immediate insights into their business," he said. "Equipped with this powerful analysis capability, organizations can quickly pinpoint positive or negative bottom line impacts, business performance problems and utilization trends."

Added Dennis Loucks, CEO of First Choice Medical Management, "We wanted to provide our customers with the ability to take advantage of the wealth of information contained in their billing data. They are ecstatic about the way their raw data comes back to them as actionable information."

SmartCustomizer Enables Point-of-Delivery Customization

Appsmart 2.0 features the SmartCustomizer, which automatically synchronizes changes made to any element of the pre-built application models (ETL, schema, Analysis Services, information access) resulting in significant productivity gains while at the same time drastically reducing error rates. The SmartCustomizer provides robust versioning with exhaustive genealogy of the customization process.

Other key features and benefits of Appsmart 2.0 include:

• Pre-built vertical market solutions and reusable components that speed time-to-market, reduce costs, and accelerate custom development.
• Patent-pending packaging technology that enables developers to package, protect and distribute domain-specific expertise
• Powerful versioning features to enable iterative development and simplify application support and maintenance.
• Automatically generates complete application documentation via XML.

"Appsmart 2.0 automates the deployment of a complete SQL Server 2000 infrastructure for packaged analytics, enabling developers to focus on domain expertise instead of building application frameworks," said Appsmart Software CEO Brian Burnett. "Appsmart 2.0 makes analytic applications faster to build and easier to customize, enabling the rapid delivery of highly targeted solutions that meet the specific business needs of each individual customer," Burnett said. "Our strategic partnership with Microsoft ensures Appsmart 2.0's full integration and seamless access to the capabilities native to SQL Server 2000 and Analysis Services."

Pricing and Availability

Appsmart 2.0 is completing beta test and will be available November 1, 2000. Pricing for Appsmart starts at $22,500. Appsmart is available through the Appsmart Developer Network, consisting of VARS, OEMs, distributors and systems integrators.

About Appsmart Software

Appsmart Software, formerly AppsCo Software Inc, provides the only solution for rapidly delivering affordable, customized packaged analytic applications. By automating the deployment of a complete infrastructure for packaged analytics, Appsmart enables developers to focus on adding domain expertise instead of building application frameworks. Appsmart incorporates best-practice analytics and business processes into pre-built solutions that developers can reuse and extend. Appsmart's patent-pending advanced packaging technology (APT) streamlines deployment, and Appsmart's SmartCustomizer capability allows business analysts to tailor application functionality.

Backed by venture capital firms 3i, Vertex Management Group, Scottish Equity Partnership, Grampian Enterprise Limited, Aberdeen Asset Management and British Linen Equity, AppsCo is a privately held company based in Cupertino, Calif., with European headquarters in Guildford, UK. More information on the company and its Appsmart solution is available on the Web at www.appsmart.com or by calling 408/777-4422.

Contact Appsmart Software, Humphrey Strategic Communications, Scott Humphrey, 503-644-9709, humphrey@strategic-pr.com, PASS Booth No. 206.