Lawson, IBM's Application Management Service Power Virtual Growth's Customized Web-based Financials

Business Wire, March 22, 2000

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)

March 22, 2000 - Lawson Software, the Enterprise behind the Internet, and IBM today announced that Virtual Growth Incorporated (VGI), a LawsonTone business process outsourcing partner and Lawson customer, is using Lawson financials and the IBM Application Management Service to power the infrastructure and support of its Web-based, customized accounting services solution. VGI is the first of Lawson's outsourcing partners to offer customized Lawson financials to small- and mid-market companies via the Web.

Under this agreement, IBM Global Services, a Lawson enterprise consulting partner, will provide Virtual Growth with Application Management Services support for Lawson general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable modules. The companies made the announcement at CUE 2000, Lawson's annual conference and user exchange, at the San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Hotel.

Virtual Growth Incorporated provides outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services to fast-growing, small-to medium-sized businesses. The company selected Lawson financials as the software platform powering its new Virtual Accountant, a comprehensive Web-based bookkeeping and accounting service, because of Lawson's sophisticated financial reporting capabilities and its custom desktop that provides access to additional features as the client's business grows - without further implementations or upgrades.

"It was important for VGI to have someone with strong Lawson expertise and a commitment to providing value-added services and support managing our Lawson applications," said Stephen King, president and chief executive officer, Virtual Growth Incorporated. "We chose IBM because of its solid reputation for reliability, security and availability. With IBM, we know that all the backup systems and redundancies are in place to provide 24/7 service to our customers."

IBM Application Management Services for enterprise resource planning (ERP) include a wide array of customer options such as Business Support, Technical Support and Project Support for packaged enterprise applications. They are offered worldwide on a flexible, modular basis to ensure affordability as well as the ability to quickly adjust to changing business needs.

"IBM Application Management Services provides companies with an affordable means to manage their enterprise applications while focusing their own limited information technology resources on e-business opportunities and other strategic initiatives," said Esther Parker, offering executive, IBM Global Services.

Services is the fastest growing segment of IBM with 1999 gross revenue of $32.2 billion and more than 136,000 professionals serving customers in 160 countries. IBM Global Services integrates IBM's broad range of capabilities services, hardware, software and research to help companies of all sizes realize the full value of e-business. For more information visit http://www.ibm.com/services.> Lawson Software, the Enterprise behind the Internet, is a $270 million provider of integrated e-business solutions powering enterprises and e-services. Lawson offers role-based Self-Evident Applications(TM) (SEA), transaction engines and solution extensions powering financials, human resources, procurement, distribution and analytics solutions. With 3,000 mid- to large-sized corporate customers, Lawson has distinguished itself competitively through a unique blend of feature-rich customer solutions, technology innovation and user-friendly support. IDC states that Lawson is "...primed for the next generation of enterprise-applications utility." According to the Aberdeen Group, "Lawson's commitment to Internet application standards and the delivery of e-business-enabling enterprise applications...should propel it to the forefront of this market space."

Red Herring magazine lists Lawson among the world's top 50 private companies. Offering enterprise e-business solutions for UNIX, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and IBM AS/400 and S/390 platforms, Lawson has 30 offices and affiliates serving North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The company is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. and London. Additional information about Lawson Software is available on the company's Web site, http://www.lawson.com, or by calling (800) 477-1357, ext. 100.

Lawson, Lawson Software, lawson.insight, lawson.community, lawson.consulting and Self-Evident Applications are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lawson Software. IBM and IBM Global Services are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Other company and product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.