activAeon Brings Real-Time, Automated Reporting For Microsoft Software Usage to ProPlus; activAeon XA cuts licensing reporting time for ASP

Business Wire, July 20, 2004

BOSTON -- activAeon, providers of a real-time reporting solution for service provider licensing, has announced activAeon XA has been selected by ProPlus, a leading ASP with financial institutions and commercial customers across Canada. activAeon XA has been implemented to match the needs of ProPlus' growing customer base and has streamlined the license usage reporting process to Microsoft.

ProPlus joined the Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA), an on-demand licensing scheme in March 2002, to gain greater flexibility to scale services to end users up or down on a monthly basis at no upfront capital cost.

Under the SPLA licensing scheme users are required to submit a license usage return to Microsoft each month, which can be a time consuming and complex process. activAeon XA automates data collection and generates a range of license usage reports. A template of the Microsoft Order Entry Tool (MOET) is produced and can be directly submitted to Microsoft, satisfying set requirements.

ProPlus will make an annual cost saving of approximately 40% against their activAeon XA monthly outlay. activAeon XA tracks exact software usage per desktop throughout the enterprise, as well as user activity, session activity, and server application usage for selected Microsoft products.

"Before implementing activAeon XA our reporting was done manually, which was both time consuming and error prone. However, as our business continues to experience dramatic growth we need to effectively audit and analyze usage," said John Kennedy, president for ProPlus, Inc. "activAeon XA allows us to control the reporting process in real-time, down to individual user details, and has also taken away our compliancy concerns."

"ProPlus and its customers share the common pressure to streamline and optimize resources," said Steve Dunton, CTO for activAeon. "Our solution goes a step beyond managing the 30-day cycle of reporting, enhancing the planning and billing facets of the Microsoft partner program for increased efficiency and cost control."

About activAeon

activAeon XA is an analytical tool that allows organizations governed by Microsoft's Service Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) program to automate and streamline reporting on actual software usage. It provides freedom from unpredictable licensing costs and ensures compliance with Microsoft reporting requirements, enabling providers to achieve regular rebates. activeAeon XA automates the real-time collection of actual software usage, increasing efficiency and productivity, and enabling service providers to make an informed choice on the most cost effective method of licensing.

activAeon is a division of Techtonik, headquartered in Sunderland, England. www.activaeon.com

About ProPlus

Founded in 1991, ProPlus has become a leading provider of IT solutions and services to niche markets across Canada. Its creative solutions are based on cutting-edge technologies and feature rich applications, professionally delivered and supported. ProPlus provides clients with a wide array of services including application hosting, managed firewall/VPN and network services, IT help Desk, hardware/software provisioning, and internet related integration. ProPlus is located in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Tel: 1 506 383 1941 Web: www.proplus.ca