Whirlpool Selects Kodiak Quick-To-Market For UCCnet Data Synchronization

Business Wire, May 28, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PITTSFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2004

The Kodiak Group, a leading provider of data synchronization consulting and UCCnet onboarding services, announced today that Whirlpool Corporation has selected their Quick-To-Market hosted solution for UCCnet connectivity and data synchronization. Whirlpool, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, will use the Kodiak service to load their product information into the UCCnet GLOBALregistry.

"We selected The Kodiak Group because of their unique ability to help us achieve both rapid compliance and long-term success," stated Dave Cosgrove, Director eWhirlpool Group. "Kodiak's Quick Start education program helped us better understand the long-term implications of data synchronization and to mobilize the cross functional support we need to be successful. Quick-To-Market allows us to be UCCnet compliant now and will help us to go beyond compliance and re-engineer the way we interact with our most important trading partners."

Kodiak's Quick-To-Market is a full-service data capture, validation, translation and message transport solution for managing and publishing product data through UCCnet. It provides large and small suppliers the tools they need to get up and running fast and to successfully manage their data synchronization program long-term including training, a variety of integration tools and robust feedback messages that are easy to manage. It is designed and supported by Kodiak consultants who have been providing data synchronization services since 1999.

Through industry-developed standards for item registry and data synchronization, UCCnet provides a foundation for electronic commerce and cost effective transaction of data among partners. By supporting global EAN-UCC standards, UCCnet delivers an open platform for collaborative commerce services, including compliance verification, synchronization of product information, registry and lifecycle management of synchronized products, user locations and user trade capabilities.

About Whirlpool

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of over $12 billion, 68,000 employees, and nearly 50 manufacturing and technology research centers around the globe. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Consul and other major brand names to consumers in more than 170 countries. Information can be found at www.whirlpool.com.

About The Kodiak Group

The Kodiak Group is an eBusiness solutions company, helping clients to achieve success in data synchronization, EDI, and the full range of collaborative B2B processes and technologies. Kodiak combines industry and business process expertise with technical integration excellence, to deliver practical, logical solutions. Since 1994, Kodiak has delivered strategy, integration, and outsourcing services to major corporations in a variety of industries, and also helps smaller firms to achieve rapid compliance with the exacting requirements of their customers. Information is available at www.kodiakgroup.com or 888-777-5232.

Quick to Market is a service mark of The Kodiak Group. All other marks are the property of their owners, and are used for identification purposes only.