Aberdeen Group Appoints Eight New Analysts; Aberdeen Extends Technology Coverage and Primary Research Capabilities.

Business/Technology Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2000

Aberdeen Group, an IT consulting and market strategy firm, today announced the appointments of eight new analysts. These analysts will expand Aberdeen's IT consulting and primary research capabilities in the areas of XML, optical equipment, information security, Linux and Unix platforms, messaging and collaboration, directory services, and storage. Aberdeen's analyst organization grew by 30% in 1999, finishing the year with a total of 55 analysts.

Kate Fessenden joins Aberdeen's Internet Infrastructure group as Research Director where she leads Aberdeen's XML (Extensible Markup Language) practice. Fessenden's current research focuses on the impact XML will have on the Fortune 2000, how XML will leverage the reuse of legacy applications, and how it will impact the installed base of client-server and distributed systems. Fessenden is based in Boston.

Dana Gardner covers Messaging and Collaboration as well as Directory Services and joins Aberdeen's Internet Infrastructure group as a Research Director. Gardner is currently conducting primary research on the adoption of directory services. Gardner has more than 20 years of experience following enterprise computing, having worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers, magazines, online services, and Web sites. Prior to Aberdeen, he was the founding news editor of InfoWorld.com, and a former news editor for the IDG News Service, Digital News & Review, and Design News. Gardner is based in Boston.

Andrew McCormick leads Aberdeen's optical equipment practice, joining Aberdeen's Networking and Telecommunications group as Senior Analyst. McCormick focuses on the optical equipment vendors in four market segments: long-haul, metropolitan area networks (MANs), access, and optical switching and cross-connects. His research examines the economic and OAM&P (operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning) effects of new technologies and architectures in one segment along the entire chain. McCormick is based in Boston.

Bill Claybrook joins Aberdeen as Research Director, covering Linux and Unix Platforms. Claybrook's focus includes hardware, operating environments, performance, scalability, availability, reliability, security, and systems management. Claybrook has over 25 years of experience in the computer industry and has directed software development for several firms developing and marketing Unix-based OLTP, DBMS, voice mail, and multimedia products. In addition, he was Chief Architect and Director of Technology at Unix International. Claybrook is based in Boston.

Dan Tanner joins Aberdeen's Storage and Storage Management practice as Senior Analyst. Tanner concentrates on how enterprises can best leverage their enterprisewide storage investments in other areas of IT, including storage software and its links to systems management software and server hardware. His current research focuses on the impact of storage area networks (SANs) on storage management solutions and storage outsourcing. Tanner has over 35 years experience in IT and is based in Boston.

Mylissa Tsai joins Aberdeen's Information Security group as a Research Analyst. Tsai focuses on emerging trends in electronic fraud and risk management, electronic security gateways, and the security needed for safe but effective e-Business relationships. Tsai is also monitoring how "buy, lease, and build" alternatives may help service-based suppliers better meet specific buyer needs. Tsai is based in Boston.

Suresh Chakravarthi and Stacey Hamwey join Aberdeen as Research Analysts conducting surveys and qualitative research. Chakravarthi is a member of Aberdeen's Computing Platforms and specializes in projects for Unix and NT platforms. Hamwey is a member of Aberdeen's e-Business team.

About Aberdeen Group

Founded in 1988, Aberdeen Group provides IT consulting and market strategy advice to the IT supplier community. Steeped in technology and armed with end-user field research, Aberdeen focuses on answering clients' critical business and technology questions in the context of the Internet economy and across the product life cycle. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Aberdeen Group has offices in Palo Alto, California, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Aberdeen is located on the Web at www.aberdeen.com.