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OSI Accelerates Loan Collections with Ascential DataStage XE

Ascential Software Corporation, a leader in enterprise data integration, announced that Outsourcing Solutions Inc (OSI), a leading provider of strategic receivables outsourcing services, has deployed Ascential's DataStage XE enterprise data integration software solution to speed consumer repayments to 700 of the nation's leading credit grantors. With DataStage XE integrating OSI clients' 15 million-plus consumer loan accounts into each collection system database, OSI gives approximately 7,000 account representatives real-time access to the financial data they require to rapidly collect from delinquent account balances.

"As a receivables management company, time is money; our success depends on how quickly we retrieve payments from our clients' customers," said Stuart Pim, vice president of OSI information services. "With DataStage XE making account updates so accessible, our associates are supported by the most effective recovery methods to increase their retrieval rates, thereby improving our clients' revenue cycles and sharpening our own competitive edge."

Using DataStage XE, OSI has implemented a data integration exchange platform that allows the company to exchange data with more than 700 clients in near real-time through the automated hourly transfer of overdue account data and successful recovery activities. The solution should cut in half the time required to setup new client services and accelerate OSI's ability to launch recovery efforts on overdue accounts.

The Ascential system is predicted to deliver a rapid return on investment for the company. DataStage XE also allows OSI to quickly generate accurate recovery reports, enabling accelerated payments from OSI clients. DataStage's data quality capabilities ensure accurate data exchanges to and from the collection systems, and its meta data management allows OSI agents to effortlessly assess the origin, accuracy and meaning of every data value, enabling effective system change management.

With the deployment of a new data warehouse this year, OSI analysts expect to gain a 360-degree view into clients' day-to-day account activity and loan collection processes, enabling OSI to further improve its client service.

"DataStage XE's capacity for managing business-to-business file transformations puts it in a league of its own, and is the ideal platform for our future data warehousing needs," concluded Pim. "The solution is revolutionizing our information management to expedite results to our clients, increasing our profitability as we help increase theirs."

About DataStage

Ascential's DataStage family is the industry's most comprehensive enterprise data integration platform, enabling companies worldwide to create and manage infinitely scalable, complex data integration infrastructures. The DataStage platform enables successful implementation of data intensive applications such as customer relationship management, supply chain management, enterprise resource planning, decision support and e-business.

About Ascential

Ascential Software Corporation is a leading provider of enterprise data integration solutions to the Global 2000. Customers use Ascential(TM) products to transform vast amounts of disparate, unrefined data into reusable information assets that drive business success. Ascential's unique comprehensive data integration solutions enable enterprises to easily collect, profile, validate, cleanse, organize, administer and deliver information assets to realize more value from their enterprise data, reduce costs and increase profitability. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential has offices worldwide and supports more than 1,800 customers in such industries as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods and retail. More information on Ascential can be found on the Web at www.ascentialsoftware.com.

About Outsourcing Solutions Inc

OSI is a leading provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) services designed to boost client profitability through strategic management of receivables. Best-in-class people and business practices, deep industry knowledge and more than 50 years experience power a proven receivables management approach that consistently delivers maximum netback for clients. OSI services span the entire Credit-to-Cash Cycle and include:

• Customer Acquisition -- credit authorization, welcome calls
• Billing/Customer Management -- customer service, bill processing and management, back-office reconciliation and adjustment, claims processing
• Delinquency Management -- pre-chargeoff delinquency management, outside agency management, asset-backed securities (ABS) receivables management, distressed debt portfolio management
• Recovery -- post-chargeoff recovery, portfolio acquisition and management, legal network management, bankruptcy servicing. Headquartered in St. Louis, OSI has more than 9,000 employees in 70+ locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. More information on OSI can be found on the Web at www.osioutsourcing.com.

Contact Ascential Software Corporation, Barbara Petrocelli, 508-366-3888 x3009, barbara.petrocelli@ascentialsoftware.com.