Epicor Uses Centra-Powered Web Collaboration to Drive Interactive Marketing Events and Customer Outreach Programs

Business Wire, Feb 18, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 2003

Centra Helps Epicor Streamline Marketing Processes,

Generate Sales Leads, and Accelerate Delivery of Product Information

to Customers and Prospects

Centra (NASDAQ: CTRA) today announced that Epicor(R) Software Corporation (NASDAQ: EPIC), a leading provider of integrated enterprise, eBusiness and collaborative commerce software solutions for midmarket companies, is using Centra to improve the frequency and effectiveness of communications with existing and potential customers. With a steady stream of product introductions and enhancements, Epicor needed a more efficient marketing process to accelerate delivery of product information to its user community, and better generate, capture and track sales leads. Epicor turned to Centra's real-time Web collaboration application to conduct online, interactive Web conferences and events, which is facilitating growth in its customer outreach programs.

"With Centra, Epicor has a powerful, cost-effective marketing communications vehicle that allows us to quickly and clearly articulate business-critical information, consistently to our customers and market," said Sanjay Ejantkar, Demo Systems Manager for Epicor. "With Centra, we have been able to reduce preparation time from two weeks to just one day for online events - providing us with unprecedented flexibility and speed, to streamline our processes and reach target audiences."

Prior to Centra, knowledge experts would have to travel to different locations to conduct these marketing events. Now the time and cost previously spent on organization, advertising, travel, and registration can be focused more directly on customers and products. Epicor had been using Webcasting technology, but found it required significant preparation time and did not have the capability to capture lead information on prospects. After an extensive evaluation, Epicor selected Centra's Web collaboration suite because of its robust interactivity tools, ease of use, and ability to record and archive marketing events. Centra's reliable voice-over-IP capabilities have enabled Epicor to dramatically reduce the costs of each Web conference.

Added Ejantkar, "One of the key selling points for Centra was how it eased the process of customer and prospect registration. The recorded sessions have become a key way to capture sales lead information and a valuable resource for our marketing team, who places them on a central customer Web site along with other marketing materials and information."

Scalable Software Solution for Enterprise Collaboration

Centra's secure and scalable enterprise application provides collaboration solutions for sales, marketing, human resources, information technology, and other departments across the enterprise that need to take advantage of more efficient and cost-effective business communication over the Web. CentraOne(TM) brings together voice, video, data, and graphics in easy-to-use interfaces for Web conferencing, meetings, and virtual classrooms that can be deployed onsite or accessed through a secure ASP, leveraging Centra's global network of servers. Centra integrates with existing infrastructure to help organizations align enterprise IT strategies with key business processes to enhance productivity, lower costs, and drive revenue. Centra's solutions are available in 13 language editions and in 29 countries worldwide.

"Epicor is an excellent example of how companies are leveraging Centra-powered Web communications to accelerate their sales and marketing processes with workflows for more efficient, end-to-end online event management," said Paul Daly, Centra's senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing. "In today's economy, companies are driven to improve enterprise productivity with fewer resources. Centra has become invaluable to customers who need to address these pressures, helping them to cut down on operational costs, while increasing their ability to communicate faster and more effectively with target audiences."

About Epicor Software Corporation

Epicor is a leading provider of integrated enterprise and eBusiness software solutions for midmarket companies around the world. Founded in 1984, Epicor has over 15,000 customers and delivers end-to-end, industry-specific solutions that enable companies to immediately improve business operations and build competitive advantage in today's Internet economy. Epicor's comprehensive suite of integrated software solutions for Customer Relationship Management, Financials, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Professional Services Automation and Collaborative Commerce provide the scalability and flexibility to support long-term growth. Epicor's solutions are complemented by a full range of services, providing single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership, now and in the future. Epicor is headquartered in Irvine, California and has offices and affiliates around the world. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.epicor.com.