Financial Watch:

Decision Systems/Applix Renew iTM1 Planning Partnership

Decision Systems Inc and Applix Inc announced renewing a Systems Integrator partnership to provide systems integration services relating to the Applix iTM1 Planning product line. Applix is a leading global provider of interactive planning, CRM analytics and business intelligence solutions.

Decision Systems, an Applix iTM1 full-service Planning Partner since 1995, offers a wide array of services and products in support of iTM1. Decision Systems introduced its first product to market in 2000. decisionport is a Web-based management reporting solution for the iTM1 marketplace. Decision Systems ITM1 Planning Systems integration services include:

• iTM1 Application Design
• iTM1 Application Development
• iTM1 Tier I Product Support
• Regularly scheduled iTM1 training classes

As Applix moves forward with significant new customers in the MidWest, said Bob Delamore, Applix vice president of Partner Channels, Decision Systems will continue to deliver a high level of support in this region. "Applix is consistently able to deliver low Total Cost of Ownership through the professionalism and experience of its partners," added Delamore.

"We are pleased to renew our long-standing relationship as an Applix iTM1 Planning Partner," stated Reid Karabush, president, Decision Systems Inc. "iTM1 enables us to deliver world-class OLAP solutions to our clients. In our opinion, iTM1 continues to be the technology leader for delivering interactive planning, reporting and business intelligence solutions."

About Decision Systems Inc

Decision Systems Inc is a consulting and technology company specializing in business intelligence, OLAP, analytical applications and data warehousing. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Northbrook, IL, Decision Systems is now recognized nationwide as experts in these fields.

Decision Systems clients are located thought North America. They represent a cross-section of industry segments including Financial Services, Manufacturing, Technology, Automotive, Food & Beverage, Advertising, Retail and Pharmaceutical.

decisionport delivers global iTM1 business intelligence solutions to organizations using next-generation, Web-based delivery.

To find out more, visit the Decision Systems Web site at www.decisionsystems.com.

About Applix

Applix is a global provider of interactive planning, CRM analytics and business intelligence solutions that rapidly transform information into knowledge, enabling companies worldwide to obtain and retain customers through better decision-making. Applix solutions capture information from every corner of a company's extended enterprise, including internal and external customers, financial operations, partners and suppliers. Adaptable, scalable and real-time, Applix solutions support unique, complex and disparate business processes, providing analysis, planning, measurement and response to changing customer requirements and business dynamics. Headquartered in Westboro, MA, Applix maintains offices in eight countries and has more than 2,600 customers worldwide. For more information on Applix, please visit www.applix.com.

Contact Decision Systems Inc, Cynthia Davis, 847-433-0876 x104, cdavis@decisionsystems.com.

Sand Tech Announces Agreement with Business Objects

Sand Technology announced that it has signed a worldwide application reseller agreement with Business Objects, a leading provider of Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, to resell the BusinessObjects 2000 product suite as an alternative user interface for Sand's Nucleus-powered Information Integration T solutions.

In delivering business-driven, enterprise-wide Information Integration solutions which are built upon its unique and innovative Nucleus data management system, Sand Technology recognizes the importance of being able to integrate with other best-of-breed products within the various stages of its information delivery pipeline. The reseller agreement with Business Objects enables Sand to provide an alternative user interface, thus giving the customer increased choice and flexibility.

"In a very competitive marketplace, Business Objects is recognized as the clear leader in business intelligence solutions, resulting in many enterprises standardizing on Business Objects as their BI solution of choice," said Duncan Painter, president, Sand Technology EMEA. "While our solutions are not dependent on any particular BI interface, several of our customers already use BusinessObjects to provide their business users access to our Nucleus-powered enterprise-wide analytical solutions. Given their market presence, we see the relationship with Business Objects as key to our approach of providing comprehensive, end-to-end, analytical solutions to the marketplace."

"We are very pleased that Sand Technology has chosen to partner with Business Objects to provide a BI component for its enterprise-class Information Integration analytical solutions," said Steve McLoughlin, Channel Sales Director, Business Objects UK. "Leveraging BI from Business Objects will enable Sand Technology to offer an alternative solution to their customers, providing them with the ability to access, analyze and share information across the enterprise so that they can make better, more informed business decisions."

About Business Objects

Business Objects a leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions. Business intelligence lets organizations access, analyze, and share information internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers, and partners. It helps organizations improve operational efficiency, build profitable customer relationships, and develop differentiated product offerings.

The company's products include BusinessObjects 2000, the industry's leading integrated business intelligence toolset and platform; and BusinessObjects Analytics, an integrated suite of enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects pioneered the modern BI industry in 1990 by inventing a patented "semantic layer" that insulates users from the complexity of databases. In 1995, the company was first to focus on enterprise-scale BI deployments and today supports customers with more than 20,000 users. The company moved aggressively to the Internet in 1997 by pioneering the market for BI extranets, a market that it continues to lead today. In 2000, the company delivered the industry's first interactive mobile BI solution. Today, Business Objects continues to innovate, creating and delivering a unique vision for enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects has more than 15,000 customers in over 80 countries. Business Objects can be reached at: U.S: +1 408-953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com, or in the UK at: +44 (1628) 764 600 and www.uk.businessobjects.com.

About Sand Technology

Sand Technology helps leading organizations across North America and Europe cope with data overload, by giving them rapid access to the information they need to make the right business decisions. Sand focuses on delivering business-driven solutions which are built upon its unique and innovative Nucleus data management system with "next generation" analytical functionality. Sand's powerful and highly scalable Information Integration solutions leverage the existing IT investment, require no additional human resources, and deliver business value quickly-resulting in a rapid return on investment (ROI). Sand's solutions include CRM and CRM analytics, Web analytics, healthcare analytics, supply chain management, inventory & production optimization, financial analysis, and strategic planning. Sand Technology has offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Central Europe. For more information, see Sand's Web site at www.sand.com.

Contact Hellena Smejda, WordsWorth International, 815-736-9902, hellena.smejda@sand.com.