MicroStrategy, Sequent and Source Informatics Announce Partnership for Rapid Development and Deployment of Pharmaceutical Data Warehouse Applications

Business Wire, March 25, 1997

VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 1997--

Only Program to Deliver Cause and Effect Analysis Decision Support Systems in Ninety Days

MicroStrategy, the largest relational on-line analytical processing (ROLAP) vendor, Source Informatics/PMSI (NASDAQ: PMRX), and Sequent(r) (NASDAQ: SQNT) today announced a partnership to develop a rapid implementation program for integrated sales and marketing decision support systems for the pharmaceutical industry. By combining MicroStrategy's industry-leading relational OLAP technology, the optimized hardware architecture of Sequent's NUMA-Q(tm) 2000 platform, and Source Informatic's proven pharmaceutical data model and implementation methodology, clients will be able to use DSS applications in as little as ninety days- a breakthrough in the speed of deploying data warehouse initiatives.

Based on a proven pharmaceutical core data model which incorporates retail prescription activity, prescriber information, and data on sales and marketing efforts, the packaged solution includes a fully populated data warehouse with reports that provides a broad range of cause-and-effect analyses. These reports allow pharmaceutical manufacturers to evaluate the impact of their various sales and marketing efforts at the prescriber level. This fully packaged and integrated pharmaceutical data warehouse dramatically reduces the cost, time and risk associated with traditional application deployment. This implementation sets a new industry standard, as previously DSS solutions of this scope could take more than a year to design, develop and deploy.

"In today's evolving healthcare environment, building an integrated data warehouse and providing full-function decision support capabilities is a strategic imperative for our clients. This is why we are building alliances with technology companies that are innovators in their respective fields," says Larry McAferty, CIO, Source Informatics. "Our expertise in the high- volume integration of healthcare industry data, combined with MicroStrategy's relational OLAP technologies and Sequent's leading- edge server platform, will result in unsurpassed business intelligence solutions for our clients."

"A rapid implementation program for developing data warehouses addresses a high-value business need by providing pharmaceutical companies with a quick, low-risk solution," said Sanju K. Bansal, MicroStrategy's chief operating officer. "The combination of these three companies provides pharmaceutical firms with a scalable and extensible solution that can change and grow to meet their most critical data analysis needs, a requirement in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry."

"By working together, Sequent, Source Informatics and MicroStrategy are able to bring the market the most complete decision support solution to meet the needs of today's pharmaceutical sales and marketing organizations," said Peter O'Neill, vice president of American Operations at Sequent. "Our data center ready NUMA-Q(tm) 2000 systems are ideal for the most demanding DSS and data warehousing applications. This partnership will enable us to deliver bottom-line value to our customers with precision and speed."

About MicroStrategy, Inc.

MicroStrategy is the leading provider of industrial-strength decision support products for developing and accessing data warehouses.

As the Relational OLAP (ROLAP) industry pioneer, MicroStrategy has delivered a series of technology breakthroughs including high- performance, multidimensional OLAP analysis directly from relational databases; VLDB drivers for terabyte-range scalability; a multipass SQL generation engine; OLAP over the World Wide Web; and the first management and monitoring tool for administering VLDB and web-based DSS applications. MicroStrategy's worldwide customer base includes hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies, and it has developed strategic partnerships with value-added resellers and leading software and hardware companies. More information about MicroStrategy can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.strategy.com/ or by calling 1-800-927-1868.

Source Informatics

Source Informatics, Inc. is a leading provider of prescription prescriber, pharmacy, and managed care information solutions for the healthcare industry. Source Informatics provides a wide range of solutions to pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. Through the integration and management of disparate data sources, the utilization of enabling technologies, and the application of business expertise, Source Informatics helps its clients turn data into information and information into business intelligence. More information on how Source Informatics can help you meet your business intelligence needs can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.simatics.com or by calling (602) 38l-9300.

About Sequent Computer Systems

Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNT), Beaverton, Ore., is uniquely capable of delivering robust and scaleable Data Center Ready open systems solutions that are guaranteed to perform. Sequent minimizes customers' risk, enabling implementation of complex business applications that support critical business needs. Sequent solutions are based on the breakthrough Sequent NUMA-Q architecture, a comprehensive portfolio of proven migration services and offerings, and an established set of partnerships with the industry's best-in-class. For further information, phone Sequent at (503) 626-5700 or (800) 257-9044, or visit our World Wide Web site at http://www.sequent.com