Profile Systems' MasterDepot to Support IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite with Product Data Management Tools

Business Wire, July 25, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2000

Profile Systems, Inc. of West Springfield, Massachusetts is pleased to announce that their MasterDepot(TM) (www.masterdepot.com) product line will include support of the product data requirements for IBM WebSphere(1) Commerce Suite. The companies will work together on the development of a rapid deployment model for selling organizations using the IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite to efficiently populate their Internet catalogs with clean, clear and current product information.

The acquisition and maintenance of accurate product master data in Internet procurement and Net Marketplace applications is often noted as a gating issue for buyers and Marketplaces looking to achieve critical mass in their electronic commerce applications. MasterDepot is a set of Internet tools and services that allow a selling organization to gather, store, enhance and maintain their electronic product data for use in a variety of electronic initiatives.

"We are excited to be working with IBM to assist suppliers utilizing WebSphere Commerce Suite to keep their product data fresh and current," stated Bill Bean, vice president, Business Development for Profile Systems. "Working with IBM is a natural parallel to our partnership with Ariba as we work together to empower suppliers in the new Internet business economy."

IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite provides selling organizations with an integrated e-commerce solution that helps e-businesses build customer loyalty and site activity to increase revenues. The solution includes the industry-leading WebSphere Application Server, a rich application development workbench, an award-winning database and a secure online payment manager.

"Suppliers extending their WebSphere Commerce Suite solution with MasterDepot get the added functionality they need to efficiently gather, prepare and maintain their product data for use in Internet commerce," said Don Ness, manager, e-Commerce Business Development, IBM. "As a result of this combined solution, suppliers can deploy and update their catalogs more quickly."

Product Data Direct from Fulfillment Systems

Using MasterDepot, suppliers use the product data resident in their existing business and fulfillment systems as the foundation for their electronic cataloging efforts. This practice assures that electronic catalogs are populated with data that will be easily recognized by supplier fulfillment systems when electronic orders based on those catalogs are received.

With the MasterDepot Import Utility in place within their firewall, suppliers are able to monitor their business systems for changes in product related information and efficiently communicate those changes to their data dependant constituencies. Customer procurement applications, Industry Data Warehouses, Net Marketplaces and web-based e-commerce applications, including IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite, may all benefit by the routine and consistent flow of up-to-date supplier product data.

For more information and a benefits discussion on MasterDepot, please visit www.masterdepot.com or contact Profile Systems, Inc. at 413-737-2000.

About IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite

IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite, the first integrated e-commerce solution, provides a wide range of easy-to-use features and functions for content management, relationship marketing, order management, and payment management for all types of Internet businesses, including business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and e-marketplaces. Sites built with WebSphere Commerce Suite can easily integrate with both internal and external systems and grow with the changing needs of an e-business. IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite customers benefit from the functionality of the WebSphere family, which integrates Web commerce, Web application server, Web application development tools, transaction processing and distributed component software from IBM.

About Profile Systems, Inc.

Since 1994, Profile Systems has been providing software solutions to industry that have allowed selling organizations to succeed in electronic commerce. The company develops tools for the efficient sharing of product information and product data synchronization including ProSYNC(R) for sellers and ProLYNC(TM) for buyers. Profile's ProSAIM(R) allows suppliers to automatically replenish their trading partner inventories employing the principles of Supplier Assisted Inventory Management (SAIM).

Profile Systems' MasterDepot is a web-based service, offering sellers to privately create, manage and share electronic product catalogs with trading partners, Internet markets and procurement applications. With MasterDepot, sellers use best-of-breed data management tools to enhance existing product data directly from their business systems as a base for their electronic catalogs.

(1) Indicates trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. For more information on Profile Systems, visit our corporate home page at www.profilesys.com or call 413-737-2000.