Business Objects Signs Worldwide Partnership Agreement with ARINSO International; Partnership Creates New e-Business Intelligence Solution for Human Resources

Business Wire, March 6, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 2000

Business Objects (NASDAQ:BOBJ), the leading supplier of e-business intelligence (e-BI) solutions, today announced it has signed a strategic value added reseller (VAR) agreement with Argus Integrated Solutions (ARINSO).

Headquartered in Belgium, ARINSO is a fast-growing information technology (IT) consulting firm specializing in the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and a European market leader in the implementation of human resources solutions.

The partnership between Business Objects and ARINSO is based on the embedding of BusinessObjects(TM) and WebIntelligence(R) technology into ARINSO products. More specifically, ARINSO intends to integrate this technology into its own human resources (HR) reporting tools to provide greater performance and flexibility, offering ARINSO customers extra possibilities in the areas of data analysis and reporting.

The partnership is intended to bring a new reporting tool on the market which combines the advantages of Business Objects and ARINSO, highlighting the strengths of both companies. For Business Objects this demonstrates its strength in e-business intelligence which its technology offers; for ARINSO this represents foremost speed, flexibility, and integration with SAP-HR.

The result of the relationship will be a sales, marketing, and functionality cross fertilization. Working with ARINSO, Business Objects will have easier access to the HR departments of existing clients, a sector where ARINSO is very strong.

The ARINSO reporting tools will take advantage of Business Objects technology -- such as the WebIntelligence thin-client front end -- to become more user-friendly and accessible. Due to the extensive functionality and greater user-friendliness of its products, ARINSO will better highlight the ultimate objective of its service, namely to offer its clients functionally appropriate solutions which are workable for each user, on the basis of already amply proven technical support.

Jos Sluys, CEO of ARINSO International, says that the partnership is proof that the future lies in making enterprise applications more intelligent. "ERP applications, particularly in human resources, must make more use of the newest trends in business intelligence," Sluys said. "Collecting and processing information is just the first step. More flexible forms of reporting to all target groups within an organization will significantly raise the valued added of these systems. It is evident that intranet applications will play an important role in this."

"I am extremely delighted to enter into a worldwide partnership with a company with Belgian roots. The integration agreement with ARINSO is very important for us in that it involves all Business Objects products. Plus we're excited that working with ARINSO will give us even better access to the human resources segment where we are already strong," said Gilles Hocepied, country manager for Business Objects Belux. "And naturally it is pleasing to know that the users of the ARINSO total solution will, thanks to our technology, have tools at their disposal which offer even better performance and richer functionality."

About ARINSO

ARINSO International is a group of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) consultancy firms that operate under the name of ARGUS Integrated Solutions in Europe, the US, Canada, and Latin America. ARINSO provides HR solutions for some of the world's largest employers and is active in three areas: the implementation of ERP software (Enterprise Resource Planning), the development of e-HR applications and business process outsourcing and ASP (Application Service Provider) services. ARINSO has entered into major partnerships with SAP, Oracle, and Meta4 -- three leading ERP vendors. In 1999, ARINSO's net sales amounted to EUR 55,1 million. Current EBIT amounted to EUR 12 million.

About Business Objects

Business Objects is the world's leading provider of e-business intelligence (e-BI) solutions. Using e-business intelligence, organizations can access, analyze, and share information in intranet, extranet, and e-business environments. In intranets, the company's products provide employees with information to make better business decisions, and are used in environments ranging from workgroups of 20 users to enterprise deployments exceeding 20,000. In the extranet environment, the company is pioneering the use of e-BI in applications that allow organizations to build stronger relationships by linking customers, partners, and suppliers via the internet. In addition, the company's products can improve the performance of an e-business by providing reporting and analysis against the ever-expanding amount of transaction and profile data that is collected each day throughout the world wide web.

Founded in 1990, Business Objects pioneered the modern business intelligence industry by inventing and patenting a "semantic layer" that insulates users from the technical complexity of database systems. Today, the company has sold more than 1,680,000 licenses to over 9,700 organizations in more than 80 countries. The company's stock is publicly traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ:BOBJ and PARIS BOURSE: code SICOVAM 12074. Business Objects can be reached at 408/953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com.