Kalido Master Data Management Software Plays Key Role in Business Objects Enterprise Information Management Initiative; EIM Solutions Provide Customers with Trusted Foundation for Business Intelligence and Performance Management

Business Wire, May 3, 2006

CANNES, France -- Kalido, the leading provider of adaptive enterprise data warehousing and master data management software, has announced support for the Business Objects Enterprise Information Management (EIM) initiative for dramatically improving the quality of information in business intelligence (BI) and performance management solutions. Kalido's master data management software (KALIDO MDM) enables business people to collaboratively control and manage master data (business definitions) to help increase the consistency and accuracy of management and reporting information.

"By quickly and flexibly integrating and improving information from disparate source systems, KALIDO MDM software, along with Business Objects metadata management, data integration and data quality EIM solutions deliver trusted information for data warehousing and business intelligence," said Dr. Michael Waclawiczek, vice president of marketing and product management of Kalido. "Many organizations have already deployed Kalido's adaptive enterprise data warehousing software in conjunction with the BusinessObjects XI platform, as well as with BusinessObjects Data Integrator for extraction, transformation and loading."

The combined offering of Business Objects EIM solutions and KALIDO MDM software builds upon the existing corporate and technology alliance between Kalido and Business Objects, and further enhances the companies' joint offerings. In 2005 Kalido was awarded Technology Partner of the Year from Business Objects and has already developed the KALIDO Universe Manager for BusinessObjects XI Release 1 and 2.

By using joint EIM solutions from Kalido and Business Objects, companies gain consolidated views of enterprise performance information throughout major business change such as mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations. This combination provides decision makers with more timely and accurate information and end-to-end visibility into corporate performance for better business planning and management.

"The effective management of master data is a critical component to an effective enterprise information management strategy," said Darren Cunningham, senior director of product marketing at Business Objects. "Kalido provides the customer-proven, comprehensive master data management functionality that organizations need to achieve visibility into the business as part of their overall EIM and business intelligence implementation and strategy."

"Business Objects' Enterprise Information Management initiative affirms the importance of information quality in ensuring a comprehensive foundation for driving accurate business decisions," continued Kalido's Michael Waclawiczek. "As companies continue to face the pressures of regulatory compliance, the complexity of growing data volumes and sources, and the demand for real-time visibility into operations and performance, the combination of KALIDO MDM and Business Objects business intelligence and EIM solutions ensures that information is trusted, integrated and current."

About Kalido

Kalido provides adaptive enterprise data warehousing and master data management software to Global 2000 companies. The KALIDO(R) application suite (KALIDO) delivers consolidated views of enterprise performance and can rapidly adapt them to major changes in the business such as mergers and acquisitions, market consolidation, or new regulatory requirements. This improves the speed and accuracy of management and financial reporting without the cost and delay of operational system standardization. Kalido customers who have measured the business benefits of their projects have typically found they have derived annual savings of millions, and in some cases tens of millions, of dollars through improved management of their company performance and reduction of IT costs.

Kalido customers include some of the largest companies in the world, such as BP, Cadbury Schweppes, HBOS plc, Intelsat, Labatt Breweries of Canada, Merial, Owens Corning, Philips, Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell) and Unilever. These companies and many others use Kalido's award-winning software in over 100 countries for their enterprise-wide data warehousing and master data management projects.

A privately held company, Kalido is headquartered in Burlington, Mass. and London, UK. More information about Kalido can be found at: http://www.kalido.com.

About Business Objects

Business Objects is the world's leading business intelligence (BI) software company, with more than 35,000 customers worldwide, including over 80 percent of the Fortune 500. Business Objects helps organizations of all sizes create a trusted foundation for decision making, gain better insight into their business, and optimize performance. The company's innovative business intelligence suite, BusinessObjects(TM) XI, offers the BI industry's most advanced and complete solution for performance management, planning, reporting, query and analysis, and enterprise information management. BusinessObjects XI includes the award-winning Crystal line of reporting and data visualization software. Business Objects has also built the industry's strongest and most diverse partner community, and offers consulting and education services to help customers effectively deploy their business intelligence projects.