Business Services Industry

Banks Go ''Back to the Future'' to Reduce the Cost of Delivering Great Service; Getronics Works with Microsoft to Deliver Channel Renewal, Providing ''Single Point Accountability'' and Solving Long-Standing Challenge of Integrating Retail Service Delivery

Business Wire, Nov 16, 2005

BILLERICA, Mass. -- Getronics, a global IT services company, today announced a solution that enables retail bankers to enhance their ability to sell and service while significantly reducing their cost of delivery. The solution, Channel Renewal, takes banks "back to the future" by centralizing and simplifying operations, while leveraging proven banking applications delivered via a multi-channel architecture, all bundled into an easily understood price per seat.

This unique approach includes not only the software and technology, but the design, deployment, and management services to ensure the retail banking infrastructure stays agile, resilient, and cost-effective. Through a collaborative effort between Getronics and Microsoft, bankers may now gain an integrated retail delivery solution tailored to their specific needs with a single point of accountability that is contractually committed to deliver results and predictable cost.

Getronics' Channel Renewal reduces the cost of delivering great service across all retail banking channels by:

--Eliminating unnecessary hardware and associated maintenance, resulting in significantly reduced infrastructure costs

--Reducing the time and cost associated with redundant software and support

--Streamlining and integrating voice and data communications

--Delivering the well documented sales and service benefits of integrated service delivery

--Delivering continuous innovation to keep banks current on the latest security, productivity and cost improvements with ongoing refresh cycles

Channel Renewal builds on Getronics' 40 years of delivering software and services to both US and global leaders in retail banking. Getronics has a proven track record of helping banks around the world grow revenues and enhance competitiveness by using the branch as a primary sales and service channel. The company today serves 17 of the world's top 20 financial services institutions, including providing software and services to more than 50,000 branches worldwide.

"Getronics tackles the most complex business imperatives in the retail world," said Jean-Paul Adans, senior vice president, Getronics Financial Services Industry Practice. "We empower banks with the most effective, productive, and cost-efficient branch environment. In my experience, Getronics is the only company that provides a single point of accountability in delivering a truly integrated approach to services, infrastructure, and applications that maximize the performance of the retail bank."

A multi-dimensional solution, Getronics' Channel Renewal not only integrates the channels through which banks interact with customers, but also delivers a secure, centrally managed infrastructure, leveraging Microsoft's .NET and Smart Client technology.

"Microsoft is committed to becoming the technology of choice for today's financial services industry, and the skill, experience and commitment of our partners is key to reaching this goal," said David Vander, managing director - banking, Microsoft Worldwide Financial Services Team. "Getronics' approach to multi-channel integration and renewal is a perfect example of how the combination of our products with the expertise of our partners creates business value for the banking world."

Channel Renewal centralizes the server environments, so banks eliminate the excessive hardware, service and management expenses that occur when a server is required in every branch. The solution requires no up-front capital, can be installed with minimal interruption to businesses and is available on a monthly fee per-seat basis.

About Getronics

With some 27,000 employees in more than 30 countries and approximate revenues of USD $3.6 billion, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor-independent Information Technology (IT) solutions and services.

Getronics designs, integrates, and manages IT infrastructures and business solutions for many of the world's largest global and local companies and organizations, helping them maximize the value of their information technology investments. Getronics headquarters are located in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston, Madrid, and Singapore. Getronics shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam (GTN). For further information, visit www.getronics.com/us.>