Microsoft and Business Engine Host Free Webcast on Project Portfolio Management Best Practices

Market Wire, 20050229

Business Engine, a leading provider of Enterprise Services Automation (ESA) software applications, announced today, a free live Webcast panel discussion on project portfolio management. The Webcast entitled, "Where it all comes together: Portfolio Management", is presented in collaboration with Microsoft and will take place on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 from 10:00am -11:00am PST / 1:00pm -2:00pm EST. Registration is free for senior managers of IT & R&D portfolios at ems.interwise.com/msfm/live/Enroll.asp?id=1668.

In today's economic climate of ongoing budget cuts and changing corporate objectives, how can you be sure that your organization is working on the right projects and the highest priority initiatives? The session addresses why Portfolio Management is critical to succeeding in today's business environment and how leading organizations are using the joint Business Engine Network(TM) and Microsoft(R) Project 2002(TM) solution to maximize the return on their portfolio of IT and R&D investments.

Margo Visitacion, research director at Giga Information Group, and Kazim Isfahani, former Giga Information Group industry analyst and current director of marketing at Business Engine will moderate the session.

The session includes Portfolio Management best practices and addresses the quantified benefits resulting from these proven procedures. Attendees will learn:

- Benefits and challenges of Portfolio Management - Critical success factors - Role of automation in successful Portfolio Management efforts

By integrating all project-related information within a single collaborative platform, the Business Engine Network(TM) (BEN(TM)) consolidates cost, status and performance information associated with IT and R&D project portfolios within a single view. As a result, The BEN supports a critical need by providing a continuous business management process that allows organizations to plan, communicate, execute, monitor and adjust their portfolio of assets and projects against value, risk and cost.

The BEN solution includes enhanced project portfolio management, budgeting and financial management applications, vendor management, and customizable portal dashboard views to support the needs of multiple stakeholders across the organization including CIOs, R&D Leaders, CFOs, Business Unit leaders, project managers and virtual team members.

About Business Engine

Founded in 1987, Business Engine solves portfolio project, resource and financial management issues for large global IT, engineering and R&D organizations. 430 blue chip customers use Business Engine products, including market leaders from the aerospace and defense, financial services, and pharmaceuticals industries such as Boeing, Deutsche Bank, Elan, Ericsson, Fidelity, Honeywell, Merrill Lynch, Pharmacia and Siemens. New customers won in 2002 include Capital One, GE Consumer Finance, Lloyds Bank, Tesco and Raytheon. The company's flagship product, the Business Engine Network(TM), (BEN(TM)) is a collaborative software solution that provides managers the visibility and control they need to continually balance their portfolio of projects and assets -- people, time and money -- against value, risk and capacity.

Business Engine is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has offices throughout the United States, Belgium, England and India. Privately held, key investors in Business Engine include Broadview Capital Partners, Deutsche Bank Capital Partners, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, NSE Ventures, Oak Investment Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures. For more information, please visit www.businessengine.com.