Aberdeen Study Explores the Promise of PSA Solutions, Endorses QuickArrow ECS; ``ECS -- A Thin-client PSA Solution'' Analyzes ECS' Suitability to Task.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2000

Professional Services Automation (PSA) software developer QuickArrow Inc. announced today the publication and immediate availability of a new Aberdeen Group white paper, "Enterprise Consulting Suite -- A Thin-client PSA Solution Meets the Strategic and Operational Goals of Professional Service Organizations."

The paper explores typical PSO business management needs and concludes that QuickArrow's 100% Web-based solution -- ECS v3.1 -- delivers on its mission of empowering decision-makers to focus on customer satisfaction, growth and profits.

The paper is available now at www.quickarrow.com.

"Aberdeen finds Enterprise Consulting Suite's functionality to be both extensive and robust, with a modular approach that enables PSO executives to `pick and choose' the functionality that meets their current and future business needs," said David Hofferberth, research director of Professional Services Automation for Aberdeen Group. "The company has also developed an intuitive graphical user interface that makes the solution easy to begin using, speeding internal adoption and ROI."

PSA is an emerging software segment offering applications that help Professional Services Organizations (PSOs) streamline business operations and better manage services delivery. PSOs gain significant benefits by selecting the right PSA application for their unique needs. Because the investment and potential return are substantial, finding the right PSA solution ranks among the most important decisions a consulting organization can make.

The Aberdeen paper focuses on ECS' architecture, discusses the advantages of its development and deployment methodologies, and explores factors to consider during the PSA evaluation process. These evaluation factors include the intrinsic advantages of the thin-client model's underlying technology, ease of use, level of integration and compatibility, functionality, cost and time-to-return.

The paper also outlines the advantages of QuickArrow's focus on information technology (IT) services organizations and how its strategic partnerships with companies such as Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT), Navisite (Nasdaq:NAVI), Concero, Great Plains Software (Nasdaq:GPSI), Intuit QuickBooks (Nasdaq:INTU) and Intraspect will increase QuickArrow's market presence and enable the addition of new product capabilities.

"The Aberdeen paper gives potential users insight to the features and functions a PSA solution must deliver to realize its promised return -- the user's freedom to focus on their core business," said Abdul Yoosufani, QuickArrow co-founder and lead technologist. "Industry expert David Hofferberth analyzes how well ECS meets the real-world needs of mid-market PSOs, and I am pleased to say he relegates the competition to `catch-up' mode."

QuickArrow's ECS enables IT consulting organizations to move beyond manually-driven processes and point solutions to the power of a comprehensive, integrated Practice Management platform. ECS' end-to-end infrastructure touches every aspect of the client's business -- from account acquisition through final billing. Organizations use ECS to:

-- Track and schedule skilled workers

-- Manage documents and approvals

-- Support vendors

-- Automate time and expense reporting

-- Archive and search on proprietary knowledge

-- Forecast and respond to new business opportunities

-- Automate accounting and billing

-- Analyze business metrics for strategic decision-making

ECS works with common office applications to automate common administrative tasks, reducing overhead while increasing billable hours. More than 140 metric-driven reports virtually eliminate guesswork from the decision-making process.

About QuickArrow Inc.

Austin, Texas-based QuickArrow Inc. is a leading provider of professional services automation (PSA) and management solutions for professional services providers. The QuickArrow Enterprise Consulting Suite (ECS) helps consultants manage and automate business processes from client acquisition through project delivery to back-end accounting. ECS provides insights for strategic decision making focused on improving service delivery, increasing customer satisfaction, and planning for growth and profits. By leveraging the Web for rapid delivery and deployment, ECS offers industry-leading time to benefit and a rapid return on investment. For more information on QuickArrow and ECS, visit www.quickarrow.com.

About Aberdeen Group

Founded in 1988, Aberdeen Group provides IT consulting and market strategy advice to IT supplier community. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Aberdeen Group has offices in Palo Alto, Calif., and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Aberdeen is located on the Web at www.aberdeen.com.