Acacia Technologies to Offer 'KBM Custom Advantage'; Complete Enterprise Solution Focuses on Architectural Products Industries.

LISLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 1998--"Custom manufacturers" who are looking for a complete enterprise solution specifically designed for their special requirements, now have a software package they can call their own.

Acacia Technologies(TM), a leader in manufacturing and distribution enterprise software, announced today that it is now offering an integrated enterprise solution for custom manufacturers. The packaged solution, called "KBM(TM) Custom Advantage(TM)," will include powerful configuration capabilities, fully integrated manufacturing and financial applications, and a dynamic planning and scheduling engine - all with a Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) that uses IBM's AS/400 platform as a server.

Acacia Technologies, a division of Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), is one of the key players in the growing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) and advanced Warehouse Management System (WMS) software markets.

"Custom manufacturers" are those that build specific products using dynamic rules or formulas to meet its customer's exact requirements. A typical custom manufacturer needs to handle an infinite number of end items, manage interdependent product characteristics, take orders by customer description rather than established part number, or build products by dimensional characteristics. These attributes are especially prevalent in architectural products, such as doors, windows, hardware, lighting fixtures, shelves, ceilings and wall panels as well as made-to-order furniture.

KBM Custom Advantage includes:

-- KBM(TM) 2.0, the newly released version of Acacia's enterprise solution for manufacturers that build specific products using dynamic rules or formulas for product definition to meet their customer's exact requirements.

-- KBM(TM) View(TM), a Windows-based GUI that can co-exist with traditional green screen user interface.

-- Quick Response Engine(TM), an object-based, client/server APS application that employs the Drum-Buffer-Rope philosophy to manage independent demands such as customer orders, synchronized materials requirements, production load-to-capacity and shop floor scheduling into a single planning tool.

"With KBM Custom Advantage, custom manufacturers can not only manage their day-to-day business, but can also review 'what-if' scenarios to analyze the effects of new orders, changed orders, equipment bottlenecks, and other issues," said John McCarron, senior vice president and general manager of Acacia Technologies.

The creation of the KBM Custom Advantage package will help Acacia Technologies aggressively compete in the make-to-order manufacturing industry.

"This package is a terrific fit for the architectural products market," said Ken Ramoutar, vice president of worldwide marketing at Acacia Technologies. "We believe the functionality of KBM, coupled with our Advanced Planning and Scheduling engine, Quick Response Engine, offers the architectural products market the most robust solution in the industry. This offering underscores our commitment to making the KBM product line the number one software solution for custom manufacturers."

KBM 2.0 offers a number of new features to enhance its knowledge-based solution -- including greater vendor tracking capabilities - to its already robust functionality.

Other new features in KBM 2.0 include:

-- Enhanced project tracking for manufacturers who need to track any type of activity against specific projects.

-- Vendor returns enhancement offering comprehensive functionality for all aspects of the return to vendor process.

-- Generic Planning enhancements will create generic forecasts, planning bills, product popularity profiles and planned orders.

Acacia Technologies provides four product families to the IBM AS/400(TM) marketplace as well as a suite of implementation and analysis tools. In addition to KBM and Quick Response Engine, the company offers:

-- PRMS(TM) -- an integrated ERP solution for a variety of businesses using discrete, repetitive, process or co-existent manufacturing process;

-- Warehouse BOSS(TM) -- a complete warehouse management system covering all aspects of receiving, locating, putaway, order management, picking, packing and shipping.

The current releases of the four Acacia products are Year 2000 compatible.

Acacia Technologies, with headquarters in Lisle, Illinois, is a division of Computer Associates International, Inc. This division is responsible for the development, support, marketing and sales of PRMS, KBM, Warehouse BOSS and Quick Response Engine. The objective of Acacia Technologies is to meet the evolving needs of manufacturing and distribution businesses through a set of solutions built on the AS/400 client/server technology. Acacia Technologies can be reached by visiting http://www.acaciatech.com on the World Wide Web, or calling 1-800-523-5260.

Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), with headquarters in Islandia, N.Y., is the world leader in mission-critical business software. The company develops, licenses and supports more than 500 integrated products that include enterprise computing and information management, application development, manufacturing and financial applications. CA has over 11,000 people in 160 offices in 43 countries and had revenue of $4.7 billion in fiscal year 1998. CA can be reached by visiting http://www.cai.com on the World Wide Web, emailing [e-mail] or calling 1-516-342-5224.

All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

    CONTACT:  Acacia Technologies
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