Descartes Supports UDDI Project, Initiated by IBM, Microsoft and Ariba

Business Wire, Sept 7, 2000

Business Editors

WATERLOO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 7, 2000

Descartes Systems Group Inc.(NASDAQ:DSGX)(TSE:DSG.)

Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) Standard

Expected to Benefit Participants of Descartes' Global Logistics

Network

The Descartes Systems Group Inc., a leading provider of global Internet logistics solutions, announced today that it has joined a broad coalition of business and technology leaders in support of the Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) Project, a cross-industry initiative designed to accelerate and broaden business-to-business integration and commerce on the Internet.

IBM, Microsoft and Ariba (NASDAQ:ARBA) have initiated the development of the UDDI protocol to provide online businesses with a common language for finding each other and conducting transactions over the Internet.

"We are pleased to participate in the UDDI Project, contributing our expertise in B2B integration and messaging standards," said Art Mesher, Executive Vice President at Descartes. "The UDDI standard will have a significant impact on the speed at which Descartes customers can leverage Descartes' Global Logistics Network to find new suppliers, logistics service providers, and customers. It will also accelerate the deployment of Descartes' logistics applications and services to Net markets, logistics service providers, global enterprises and other organizations."

Business-to-business commerce on the Internet faces challenges in its growth due to confusion over the platforms and standards used by businesses and e-marketplaces. UDDI will address these challenges by providing two things: First, UDDI defines a platform-neutral set of specifications to enable businesses of all sizes to describe themselves and indicate their preferred means of doing e-commerce transactions. Second, UDDI includes the shared operation of a globally distributed UDDI Business Registry. Through the business registry, companies publish information describing how they conduct commerce, and search for other businesses that provide the capabilities, Web services or products they need.

The UDDI Business Registry and UDDI specifications will work for any company or organization with access to the Internet, from the smallest home-based business to FORTUNE 500 companies.

The open draft of the UDDI specification can be found at http://www.uddi.org. The final specification will be available shortly after comments and feedback are incorporated.

About Descartes

Descartes is a leading provider of end-to-end logistics solutions that facilitate B2B e-commerce. Descartes' e-fulfillment software and exchange solutions enable companies to create high-speed, high-performance fulfillment networks called DeliveryNets. DeliveryNet solutions empower organizations to deliver reliable, responsive customer service in a profitable manner and to create innovative new products and services.

DeliveryNet solutions leverage Descartes' Internet-based Global Logistics Network, an open, worldwide network of shippers, receivers, carriers, logistics service providers, e-marketplaces, vertical portals, and transportation exchanges. The result is a global e-fulfillment information infrastructure that provides cost savings and revenue opportunities for businesses that need to manage physical product movement.

Descartes products are licensed today by more than 850 companies in 35 vertical industries in over 50 countries worldwide. For more information about Descartes, visit www.descartes.com.

All registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains statements that may relate to expected revenue from and transaction volume of Descartes customers, performance of Descartes' DeliveryNet solutions, market dynamics and other matters that may constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of factors discussed in the section entitled, "Risk Factors" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada.