Frontstep Announces SyteLine 7 Extended ERP on Microsoft .NET

Business Wire, July 24, 2002

Business Editors

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2002

Company Delivers Integrated Enterprise Suite - Extended ERP, CRM, and

Supply Chain Management - on a Single Technology Platform

Frontstep, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSTP), a leading provider of business solutions for manufacturers, today announced SyteLine(R) 7, its extended ERP suite architected on the Microsoft .NET platform. With the launch of SyteLine 7, Frontstep is delivering a global, integrated enterprise suite - including Extended ERP, Customer Relationship Management, and Supply Chain Management - on a single technology platform. Current versions of SyteLine, Frontstep's flagship offering, are in use at thousands of manufacturing locations worldwide.

The business of manufacturing is continually changing - customer expectations are on the rise, supplier relationships have gained importance and plant and enterprise operations are increasingly dynamic. "Manufacturers today require a comprehensive solution that provides the power and flexibility to achieve the fundamental goals of manufacturing efficiency while addressing their changing internal and external business environments," said Stephen A. Sasser, president and CEO of Frontstep. "SyteLine 7 is the result of a substantial development effort to transform the core enterprise system to meet the more urgent needs of discrete, to-order manufacturers."

For SyteLine 7 early adopter customer Pacific Bearing, a maker of self-lubricated linear bearings and linear motion systems, the extended ERP suite offers significant benefits and business value. "SyteLine 7 will allow Pacific Bearing to reduce expenses at least five percent, while increasing our ability to leverage intellectual capital to better serve our customers," said Bob Schroeder, CEO of Pacific Bearing. "We will have access to technologies that until recently weren't available to us, and that will allow us to compete with companies 10 times or 100 times our size. It's all about business process improvement."

SyteLine 7 represents a fundamental technology shift that takes advantage of the vision and capabilities of Microsoft .NET, particularly the SQL Server 2000 database, Exchange Server 2000, and XML Web services. Through leveraging solutions built on .NET, manufacturers are assured that today's technology investments will provide longevity, reliability and ease of maintenance with the greatest benefit at the lowest total cost. "By using .NET, Frontstep is able to produce scalable systems that are flexible and allow the manufacturer to adapt to meet customer demands and the demands of the manufacturing organization itself, especially in today's global economy," said Don Richardson, managing director for manufacturing, Microsoft.

In addition to the new architecture, Frontstep's SyteLine 7 includes key advances designed to help manufacturers address today's complex business requirements. Advancements have been made in the following areas: planning and scheduling, multisite capabilities, business process automation, reporting, globalization, navigation and personalization. SyteLine 7 provides both the breadth and depth of functionality that manufacturers need to automate business processes, improve employee productivity and achieve continual return from their business system. This latest release of Frontstep's flagship offering will help manufacturers meet the evolving requirements of their customers and compete successfully today - and in the future.

SyteLine 7 is currently in final field-testing by select customers and is targeted for general availability in North America in September 2002. Frontstep will begin rolling out SyteLine 7 to international markets by year-end.

Current versions of SyteLine will continue to be sold and supported. In addition, Frontstep has developed a program to migrate customers to SyteLine 7.

About Frontstep

Frontstep is a leading global provider of software and services for discrete, to-order manufacturers. With more than 20 years of experience, Frontstep leverages the Microsoft .NET platform to help manufacturers create and implement solutions - including extended ERP, customer relationship management, and supply chain management - that simplify and streamline business processes and operations. Through these innovative and practical solutions, manufacturers can respond better and faster to customer demands for quality products and services.

Frontstep, formerly Symix, is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and has more than 4,400 customer sites and 26 offices worldwide. For more information visit www.frontstep.com.

Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are not historical facts and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the demand for and market acceptance of the company's products and services, the impact of competitive products, the company's ability to increase sales and earnings, the current economic climate, the worldwide political uncertainties and other factors detailed in Frontstep's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to revise or update or publicly release the results of any revision or update to these forward-looking statements.