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SAS Selects the Ultimus Workflow Suite

Ultimus, a leading Web-based workflow automation platform provider, announced the sale of its award-winning Ultimus Workflow Suite to SAS Institute, a leader in business intelligence and data warehousing. Initially, SAS will utilize the Ultimus Workflow Suite in its information technology (IT) department where it will streamline key processes. SAS IT is excited about leveraging SAS' data mining solutions against the Ultimus Workflow Suite to help interpret and manage the data and metrics generated.

"We selected the Ultimus Workflow Suite because it easily integrates with all of the current programs and legacy systems we have in place today. This fact alone makes it a good fit for us. Using new interfaces available from SAS, we can extract and analyze data for fast answers to questions about the efficiency of processes, steps that need work, and their overall effectiveness," said Bob Bonham, director of information technology services for SAS. "The introduction of the Ultimus Workflow Suite in SAS will have a significant impact on the day-to-day performance of the company, enabling us to streamline select business processes, track and measure the effectiveness of each, and operate more efficiently."

SAS will roll out the Ultimus Workflow Suite in the IT department, where it will be used to automate request management and problem management processes. Traditionally these two processes have been executed manually and have involved communication between IT and other areas of the company such as the customer service department. The Ultimus platform will also enable the company to track and measure both processes to make certain they are operating in the most efficient manner possible.

"SAS is the largest private software company in the world, which translates into thousands of processes being executed every day. The timely execution of each of these processes plays an important role in the company's continued success," said Rashid Khan, co-founder and CEO of Ultimus. "The use of the Ultimus workflow platform enables SAS to create an automated, paperless environment where employees are freed up to focus on more mission critical tasks, such as customer support and software development. We are proud to include SAS in the growing list of our marquee customers."

Ultimus Workflow Suite

Analysts report that business process "lag time" represents 90% of the total time required to complete a task; the remaining 10% represents actual task time. Ultimus provides a complete workflow platform that helps companies decrease business process lag time to increase overall productivity. The company's flagship product, the Ultimus Workflow Suite, is uniquely designed for fast deployment without expensive programming, macros or scripting that can lead to time delays and cost overruns. This unique product attribute allows Ultimus professional service programs to focus on coaching companies through the process of identifying the thousands of critical processes that govern their business. Once these processes are understood, implementation of a customized solution is quick and inexpensive.

About Ultimus

Ultimus is a pioneer in the development of flexible end-to-end workflow platforms that allow companies across industries to realize enhanced revenues through improved worker productivity. The company currently services more than 800 customers from its corporate headquarters in Cary, NC, sales offices in Germany, Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia, and through its network of 85 worldwide partners. Current Ultimus customers and partners include Carnival Cruise Lines, Siemens, FreeBalance, McKessonHBOC and Step9 Software. In 2001, Ultimus was named to both the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500 and the North Carolina Fast 50, as well as KM World Magazine's list of "Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management." Additional information about Ultimus can be obtained by visiting the Ultimus Web site at www.ultimus.com, emailing info@ultimus.com, or by calling 919-678-0900.

About SAS

SAS is a market leader in providing a new generation of business intelligence software and services that create true enterprise intelligence. SAS solutions are used at more than 38,000 sites -- including 99 of the top 100 businesses on the Fortune 500 -- to develop more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; to enable better, more accurate and informed decisions; and to drive organizations forward. SAS is the only vendor that completely integrates leading data warehousing, analytics and traditional BI applications to create intelligence from massive amounts of data. For 25 years, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know.