KPMG Consulting and Evolve Form Alliance to Provide Internet-based Solutions for Professional Services Organizations

Business Wire, Sept 6, 2000

Business Editors, Technology Writers

EMERYVILLE, Calif. & McLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2000

Strategic Alliance is Groundbreaking for the Professional Services

Automation Market According to Aberdeen Group

KPMG Consulting, LLC, a leading provider of Internet integration services, and Evolve(R) (Nasdaq:EVLV), a leading provider of 100 percent Internet end-to-end solutions for automating professional services organizations (PSOs), today announced a strategic alliance to provide PSOs with Internet-based solutions for collaborating with partners and clients.

Through the alliance, KPMG Consulting and Evolve will jointly target the global professional services automation (PSA) market, which is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2003, according to an independent research report by the Aberdeen Group.

Under the terms of the agreement, Evolve will provide the software platform that can help KPMG Consulting's professional services clients automate the core business processes of selling, managing and delivering professional services, as well as better manage external and internal collaboration. KPMG Consulting, which helps clients leverage technology for improved competitiveness, selected Evolve after an extensive analysis of all the major professional services automation solutions.

"This is a groundbreaking alliance for the PSA market. It validates the need for solutions that automate the core business practices of professional services firms, the professional services arms of product companies and the internal professional service functions within corporations," said David Hofferberth, research director, professional services automation, Aberdeen Group. "Evolve is a leader in the PSA market, having consistently demonstrated its ability to execute on a large scale. Likewise, KPMG Consulting has a proven ability to identify significant new opportunities to both better serve their existing client base and develop new practice areas. For executives running services organizations, this alliance is good news."

Evolve's PSA solution, to be jointly implemented by Evolve and KPMG Consulting, coordinates communication and workflow throughout a company's entire service chain allowing PSOs to allocate personnel and manage operations more effectively with up-to-the-minute information on contractor schedules, project progress, and sales opportunities. Evolve's solution extends collaboration beyond the four walls of an organization by enabling professional services organizations to integrate more closely with their clients, partners, and suppliers.

"KPMG Consulting's system integration capabilities combined with Evolve's professional services automation platform will enable enterprises to realize several key benefits," said Charles Burns, managing director, professional services, KPMG Consulting. "These include streamlined business processes, and enhanced collaboration internally as well as with business partners and customers outside the organization."

As part of the alliance, KPMG Consulting will serve as an implementation partner for Evolve. KPMG Consulting professionals already are trained and implementing solutions with Evolve customers. Additionally, KPMG Consulting will cooperatively market Evolve's platform as the consulting firm expands its practice focused on automating professional services for new and existing clients.

"KPMG Consulting is at the vanguard of the new professional services economy, and we are pleased to be working with them to serve clients who are themselves providers of professional services," said Evolve President and CEO John Bantleman. "This alliance is intended to allow Evolve to extend its reach in the PSA market by leveraging KPMG Consulting's global brand presence, customer base, and sales force. We intend to use this opportunity to demonstrate to more professional services organizations the benefits of automating core business processes, and how Evolve's complete PSA solution can work to improve the effectiveness of their internal and external operations in the networked economy."

About KPMG Consulting

KPMG Consulting, LLC is a leading provider of Internet integration services. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.kpmgconsulting.com.

About Evolve

Evolve (Nasdaq:EVLV) provides 100 percent Internet end-to-end solutions for automating professional services organizations. Our ServiceSphere(R) software suite integrates and streamlines the core processes that are critical to professional services organizations: managing project opportunities, professional resources and service delivery. Evolve's Services.com(TM) online applications portal enables smaller professional services providers to rapidly and cost-effectively access the benefits of Evolve's technology to manage their businesses. Evolve's solution combines the efficiency gains of automating business processes with the benefits of online inter-company collaboration, creating an ePlatform for Connecting the Service Chain(TM) in the professional services industry. Customers include Broadbase, Cambridge Technology Partners, eGain, Ericsson, Exodus, iPlanet, Lante, marchFIRST, Novell, Personify, Rare Medium, Razorfish, Scient, Xpedior and Zefer. Evolve is headquartered in Emeryville, Calif. (San Francisco Bay area) with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Silicon Valley, the United Kingdom and Washington, D.C. Additional information can be found at www.evolve.com or 888/2EVOLVE.