i2 Announces Advance in E-Business Transaction Performance with i2 TradeMatrix IFS on IBM eServer p680 and DB2 Universal Database

Business Wire, March 19, 2001

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2001

i2 Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ITWO), the leading provider of supply chain and marketplace solutions, today announced a program to develop a high volume, industrial strength Internet-based order fulfillment platform that includes real-time order promising, for large-scale e-business environments.

This framework combines the i2 TradeMatrix Internet Fulfillment Suite (IFS)(TM) running on the IBM eServer pSeries 680 using IBM DB2 Universal Database V7.1, creating powerful and scalable platforms for high-volume transactions.

The combined technology is designed to enable visibility and optimization of actual material, capacity and logistical constraints across suppliers and execution partners, and to ensure accurate, real-time delivery date promising for high-volume e-business in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) environments.

The joint development effort between i2 and IBM includes porting the i2 TradeMatrix Solutions(TM) to AIX(R), IBM's world-class UNIX operating environment, and DB2 environment, as well as benchmarking the various complex transactions that can enable companies to meet the high-performance, high-scalability requirements of the Internet.

"IBM's work with i2 has resulted in the delivery of high-performance e-business platforms to our customers," said Mike Kerr, vice president, IBM eServer. "The strong performance of the new IBM eServer p680 and DB2 combined with i2 TradeMatrix IFS is a clear example of how our relationship can provide customers with superior solutions for e-business."

i2 TradeMatrix IFS is a robust, scalable, high-performance solution designed for easy use and deployment for collaborative order fulfillment within B2B enterprise portals, private and public marketplaces and electronic retailers. Enhanced IFS capabilities drive high transaction volumes and include intelligent allocation planning and management, real-time order promising and visibility, and supply-demand matching.

In benchmark tests, the joint solution processed more than 15,000 quotes per second and more than 2,200 promises per second. This included delivery due date promises and demand-supply matching computations in real-time, based on optimization of actual material, capacity and logistics constraints. The test simulated a large-scale e-business environment executing multiple line-item orders involving multi-step transactions, with over half a million SKUs. Performance gains of this magnitude may provide a significant competitive advantage to customers such as leading electronic retailers, B2B and B2C marketplaces and hubs with high-volume transactions.

"Under our partnership with IBM, we've been able to take the performance and scalability of the IFS solution to new levels," said Stan Thomas, i2 vice president, Product Management. "Bottom line: high performance fulfillment solutions yield higher value for our customers."

Today's announcement follows the recent decision by i2 to standardize on IBM's DB2 for all of its application development. The combination of DB2 on the i2 TradeMatrix Platform(TM) is designed to provide customers with a solid foundation for B2B applications. DB2 is unmatched by the competition in areas of high performance, rapid response times and 24x7 availability.

About IBM

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM's Global Industries division works with small, medium and large companies around the world to deploy the full range of IBM technologies, products and services. In addition this division works hand-in-hand with customers to conceive, develop and deploy integrated technology solutions that address specific business issues. The fastest way to get more information about IBM is through the IBM home page at http://www.ibm.com.

The IBM eServer pSeries family (based on AIX(R), IBM's world-class UNIX operating environment and leading-edge RISC technology) is designed to serve an exceptional range of business and I/T needs, from powerful desktop workstations to sophisticated systems handling high-end solutions such as ERP, e-business and business intelligence, to complex scientific and technical applications.

About i2

i2 is creating real value for its global e-business customers through its i2 TradeMatrix decision support solutions, content and marketplace platform. i2 TradeMatrix allows businesses to create both private and public marketplaces, while improving the efficiencies of all participants. i2 provides a wide variety of collaborative e-business services for both the early stages and the next generation of e-business adoption, with each service supported by decision optimization, transaction management and content management solutions. Founded in 1988, i2's mission is to deliver $75 billion in value to its customers by 2005. i2 is headquartered in Dallas, TX, has more than 5,900 employees and maintains offices worldwide. Visit i2 at www.i2.com.