Tivoli Selected by Whirlpool Corporation to Deliver Comprehensive Enterprise Systems Management

Business Wire, Sept 2, 1998

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 1998--

Tivoli Management Software to Support Major SAP R/3

Implementation Initiative

Tivoli Systems Inc., the world's leading supplier of IT management solutions, today announced that Whirlpool Corporation, the leading appliance manufacturer worldwide, has chosen Tivoli Enterprise software and services as the standard for the company's global enterprise systems management (ESM) initiative. Tivoli products and services will enable Whirlpool to meet aggressive implementation goals for the company's new SAP R/3 system, and improve management of the company's extensive IT infrastructure which supports more than 17,000 users across 300 locations.

Tivoli provides a comprehensive tool that will help Whirlpool achieve true global management and reduce the total cost of ownership of its IT investment. By employing an integrated, enterprise-wide and proactive approach to systems and network management, Whirlpool will be able to lower overall IT costs, thus lowering the cost of doing business.

Aggressive SAP R/3 Implementation Made Possible

Tivoli Enterprise software is playing a significant role in supporting Whirlpool's SAP R/3 initiative. With Tivoli, Whirlpool is able to simultaneously deploy the SAP R/3 system to all users. If changes have to be made at the desktop following deployment, the IS team can coordinate these changes centrally, without having to send staff to a number of different sites. As a result, Whirlpool's SAP R/3 system will be "online" faster, and users will experience less downtime, resulting in reduced costs and service problems.

Using Tivoli Output Manager which automates distribution of output to users, groups and output devices, Whirlpool will be able to route reports directly to SAP R/3 users or post reports to its corporate intranet for online viewing.

Tivoli Output Manager automates the key services of customizing, bundling and distributing only the reports Whirlpool's SAP R/3 users need. With Tivoli Output Manager in place, Whirlpool will be able to achieve a high level of end user service in addition to savings in wasted paper and lost reports.

Whirlpool help desk staff will immediately benefit from the SAP knowledge base that Tivoli offers. Using Tivoli Problem Management and Tivoli Knowledge Pack for R/3, help desk operators will be able to quickly resolve problems and answer end-user's SAP questions without extensive additional training.

"Tivoli's comprehensive approach to managing business critical applications, as compared to point product vendors that focus on one management discipline like monitoring, ensures that end users get the service levels they need to succeed in today's fiercely competitive environment," said Mike Turner, vice president, Applications Management Business Solutions, Tivoli Systems Inc. "Like Whirlpool, many companies are facing budget, resource and deadline constraints when implementing business-critical applications such as SAP R/3. By using Tivoli's integrated, open and scalable enterprise management solutions, our customers are able to achieve a greater return on their information technology."

Improved Management, Decreased Costs

Whirlpool selected Tivoli Enterprise software based on the product's scalability, flexibility, cost and technological innovation. Tivoli software will play an important role in managing systems worldwide, proactively monitoring and responding to systems problems and overseeing general system security and operations.

Without Tivoli, Whirlpool would need to dramatically increase its support staff to effectively manage its global environment. Instead, Tivoli Enterprise software will enable Whirlpool staff to focus on strategic technology initiatives while the software takes care of the everyday tasks that must be addressed.

In addition to the Tivoli modules for applications management, Whirlpool's Tivoli management solution includes the Tivoli Management Framework for automation of mission-critical resources, along with Tivoli Software Distribution, Tivoli Inventory, Tivoli Security Management and more.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company manufactures in 13 countries and markets products under 11 major brand names in about 140 countries.

About Tivoli Systems

Tivoli Systems Inc. provides the industry's leading open, highly scalable and cross-platform management solutions that span networks, systems, applications and business-to-business e-commerce. Leading companies around the world use Tivoli software and compatible third-party products to reduce the cost and complexity of managing networks, systems, databases and applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Tivoli is an IBM Company. Tivoli distributes its products worldwide through a network of global sales offices, systems integrators, resellers and IBM sales channels. For more information, visit Tivoli's World Wide Web site at http://www.tivoli.com.