FrontRange Solutions' HEAT Supports Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance; FrontRange's Partners Help SME Customers Use HEAT to Meet SarbOx Objectives

Business Wire, Sept 21, 2004

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Public companies that must comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SarbOx), can now tap the HEAT(R) IT Service Management software from FrontRange Solutions, the leader in Service Management and Customer Relationship Management(CRM) solutions for distributed and small to mid-size enterprise(SME). HEAT's capabilities help SMEs meet the stated objective of SarbOx to "protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws."

For many SME companies, the most challenging component of SarbOx compliance is Section 404, which requires that management file an internal control report demonstrating adequate internal controls over financial reporting have been established and maintained. Section 404 also requires that management report their assessment of the effectiveness of these internal controls. External auditors are then obliged to provide an independent opinion or attest to the adequacy of these controls.

FrontRange Solutions Partners are now equipped to help SME customers expand their use of HEAT to provide their operations with proper approval procedures and the audit trail of information required for Section 404 compliance. The flexibility of HEAT's capabilities enables companies to extend and integrate the best practices of a sound internal audit -- formalized review and assessment of internal controls and procedures -- beyond IT services into all core business processes.

"On a practical level, Sarbanes-Oxley translates into the need to be accountable for decisions, changes and procedures," explained Steve Dreyer, President and CEO of SMA Management Systems, a top FrontRange Partner that currently is engaged in helping customers with SarbOx compliance through HEAT.

Dreyer continued: "Companies must be able to document processes and provide audit trails that demonstrate strict approval processes and the presence of internal formal controls. For an organization's IT department, this requires a solution that will track requests and changes that comply with SarbOx audit requirements. HEAT provides managing approvals electronically with read-only time and date stamps, tracking activities at a greater level of detail and providing comprehensive reporting on all activities."

Dreyer added that HEAT screens can be designed to capture critical, valid data and automated actions put in place to enforce new business processes without compromising the integrity and security of the information. The integrity and security of information are important criteria for SarbOx compliance.

"Our mission is not only to unfailingly help companies deliver outstanding service and generate revenue, but to also meet critical compliance standards. Shareholders have greater confidence in companies that lead their peers with solutions for important issues such as compliance," said Michael McCloskey, FrontRange Solutions CEO.

About FrontRange Solutions

FrontRange Solutions USA, Inc., is a leading international provider of Service Management and CRM solutions that have been used by more than 130,000 companies and over 1.5 million users worldwide to automate and manage IT projects and customer-facing initiatives.

A leader in consolidated sales and service solution suites, FrontRange established its reputation with the award-winning GoldMine(R) family of solutions for business relationship management, team-based contact management and sales forces automation; and with HEAT(R) solutions for complete service management, including Help Desk, Knowledge Management, Asset Management and Service Level Management.

FrontRange's expanded family of solutions includes: IT Service Management (including HEAT(R)), Infrastructure Management, Contact Center Management, Customer Service, and Sales, Marketing & Relationship Management (including GoldMine(R)). FrontRange products are designed specifically for small- to mid-sized enterprises and distributed enterprises. Customers represent over 50 percent of the Fortune 500 and over 75 percent of the FTSE 100. More than 80 diverse industries use FrontRange products, including Coca-Cola, Shell Oil, Prudential Securities, Electricite de France, Mack Trucks, and Turner News Network. For more information, call (800) 776-7889 or visit www.frontrange.com.

About SMA Management Systems

Since 1984, SMA Management Systems has provided help desk and support center solutions to Fortune 1000 corporations, small and medium-size businesses, educational institutions, hospitals, government and not-for-profit organizations. SMA's focus is to enhance business processes and productivity with best-in-class software products and implementation services.

SMA consultants apply their hands-on experience in building, evaluating, and managing help desk operations. SMA consultants ensure successful support solution implementations through services such as help desk assessments, knowledge management needs evaluations, product integrations and configurations, installation and management consulting, SLA development, Crystal reporting, and help desk software training.