DIRECTV Broadband Selects Business Objects to Power Partner Reporting Extranet

Business Wire, Feb 5, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2002

Leading Nationwide Broadband Provider Will Use Business Intelligence

to Strengthen Ties with Partners and Customers

Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced that DIRECTV Broadband, a nationwide provider of residential broadband services has selected Business Objects solutions for a partner reporting extranet. DIRECTV Broadband will use WebIntelligence(R), the integrated query, reporting, and analysis solution for the web to improve customer and partner satisfaction and to gain competitive advantage.

As a provider of high-speed Internet service for the home, DIRECTV Broadband partners with a diverse team of last-mile carriers throughout the nation to offer customers an integrated set of residential broadband services. DIRECTV Broadband is a subsidiary of the Hughes Electronics Corporation (NYSE:GMH) and delivers the DIRECTV DSL(TM) service.

Using an extranet powered by WebIntelligence, DIRECTV Broadband will be able to provide its partners with a direct link to their own service order records so they can access and analyze customer information, such as recurring service problems, best-selling features and individual account activity. By having easy access to this data through an extranet, DIRECTV Broadband and its partners can provide better customer service and develop targeted marketing initiatives, helping to gain and retain customers and increase sales.

Also, DIRECTV Broadband will be able to access, analyze, and track data on service orders from its last-mile carriers. With this up-to-date customer account information, DIRECTV Broadband can more effectively respond to problems and issues. For instance, DIRECTV Broadband can find out which accounts are behind in payment, which accounts have an increase or decrease in activity, and which accounts are selling specific features to particular groups of customers.

"By intelligently uncovering and tracking customer, product and business trends in our company's data, our WebIntelligence powered partner reporting extranet will strengthen our ties with our partners and ultimately instill loyalty in our end-user customers," said Regina Wiedemann, senior vice president of business development at DIRECTV.

"DIRECTV Broadband provides services to thousands of customers throughout the nation. For that reason, it is important that the company and its partners are able to leverage customer data in order to improve service and relationships," said Dave Kellogg, senior group vice president of worldwide marketing, at Business Objects. "Business Objects provides the tools to access and intelligently use this critical information."

About Business Objects

Business Objects is the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions. Business intelligence lets organizations access, analyze, and share information internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers, and partners. It helps organizations improve operational efficiency, build profitable customer relationships, and develop differentiated product offerings.

The company's products include BusinessObjects(TM) 2000, the industry's leading integrated business intelligence toolset and platform; and BusinessObjects Analytics, an integrated suite of enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects pioneered the modern BI industry in 1990 by inventing a patented "semantic layer" that insulates users from the complexity of databases. In 1995, the company was first to focus on enterprise-scale BI deployments and today supports customers with more than 20,000 users. The company moved aggressively to the internet in 1997 by pioneering the market for BI extranets, a market that it continues to lead today. In 2000, the company delivered the industry's first interactive mobile BI solution. Today, Business Objects continues to innovate, creating and delivering a unique vision for enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects has more than 15,000 customers in over 80 countries. The company's stock is publicly traded under the ticker symbols Nasdaq:BOBJ and Euronext Paris (Sicovam code 12074). It is included in the SBF 120 and IT CAC 50 French stock market indexes. Business Objects can be reached at 408/953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com.

Note to Editors: WebIntelligence is a registered trademark of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

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