Atos Origin Software Engineering Facility Garners SEI CMM Level 5 Certification

Business Wire, March 13, 2001

Business Editors

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2001

Atos Origin, a global leader in providing enterprise application implementation, integration and support services, is pleased to announce that one of its principle software engineering facilities has entered the ranks of the top 40 software development organizations in the world by attaining SEI CMM Level 5 certification.

The global facility, based in Mumbai, India, recently received this designation that is only awarded to operations that meet the strictest quality control criteria for software development processes.

As a central software engineering resource, its software services help Atos Origin customers around the world to swiftly respond to market needs for solutions and technology. Services range from new software development to customization, to software maintenance and support.

The India site provides off-shore services to the North American customer base through Atos Origin offices in North America.

"The SEI CMM Level 5 certification places Atos Origin in the top league of software organizations," says Rob Mol, Executive Vice President for Atos Origin, North America. "It is a testament to the dedication, resourcefulness and commitment of our software development team in India. They are a remarkable group that has put in considerable time and effort to bring us to where we are today. Now we can say with confidence what we and our customers have known all along - we have a truly world-class team working in a world-class facility."

Garth Schmalenberg, Managing Director, Customer Support Solutions for Atos Origin in North America, states, "We view the achievements of our team in India as a model for the rest of our organization and as an opportunity to leverage their capabilities in software engineering for the benefit of our local customers. We are able to extend the capabilities of our local service offerings by providing the customer with additional options, combining the high-quality output of our Atos Origin India offshore services with our award-winning North American services. No matter what our customers preferred approach, we are able to ensure a combination of the highest quality and best value."

According to S.R. Ramesh, Director, Offshore Services, Atos Origin in North America, "This highest maturity level will enable Atos Origin companies worldwide to leverage the software factory to gain and maintain profitable, long-term, win-win relationships with clients. The software services of Atos Origin India help companies to swiftly respond to market needs, while providing the flexibility in building and scaling down capacity. We can effectively act as an extended arm for a full range of software activities for customers, from creating new software systems to maintaining and supporting existing ones."

About SEI CMM

The SEI CMM (Capability Maturity Model) was established by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Melon University. The SEI specifically defined the model to assess the process capabilities of software companies in response to industry demand for an established set of quality criteria focused on continuous improvement through increased productivity, quality and reduced cycle time. The model defines five capability levels of which Level 5 is the highest.

About Atos Origin

Atos Origin is a leading provider of end-to-end information technology and e-business solutions and services that enable clients to turn their business objectives into value-driven results. The company's 27,000 employees deliver innovative solutions and strong industry experience to better manage the entire value network for companies, extended enterprises and e-communities. Atos Origin currently operates in 33 countries worldwide, with sales of $2.4 billion ($US) in 1999.

In North America, Atos Origin operates out of seven main locations, including South Plainfield (NJ), Irvine (CA), Dallas (TX), Cincinnati (OH), Columbus (OH), Toronto and Mexico City. Customers include Lucent Technologies, NCR, Nortel, Philip Morris, Philips, Shell, Unilever and others primarily in the high-tech electronics, chemical/pharmaceutical, discrete manufacturing and consumer packaged goods industries.