Acta Technology Introduces New ERP RapidMart for Cash-Flow Analysis; New Data Mart for CFOs, Credit Managers and Payables Departments.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 23, 1999--

Acta Technology, Inc. (Acta(TM)), a leading provider of data warehousing solutions for both internal decision support and business-to-business eCommerce, has announced the availability of Acta AR/AP (Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable) RapidMart(TM) for SAP R/3 (TM) (NYSE:SAP). The new data mart enables managers to use ERP (enterprise resource planning) data to analyze and manage cash flow.

Acta designed its AR/AP RapidMart for a variety of end-users, including CFOs, credit managers, and payables departments. In receivables, end-users can make informed decisions about payments and collections. In payables, end-users can identify strategic vendors for sourcing and to better manage payments to optimize net terms.

The AR/AP RapidMart comes several weeks in advance of Acta's Customer Account Web Application, the company's first eCommerce offering. Built upon Acta's new e2e(TM) (ERP-to-eCommerce) architecture, the Customer Account Web Application will allow customers to access ERP-based account data via the Internet.

RapidMarts are powered by ActaWorks(TM), Acta's award-winning extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) platform (DBMS Magazine: Editor's Choice). Acta's industry-leading expertise in extracting and warehousing data from SAP and PeopleSoft (Nasdaq:PSFT) has positioned the company as a leading vendor for packaged data mart solutions.

Acta also sells RapidMart solutions for cost, sales, and inventory analysis.

Designed for Competitive Advantage

"As companies grapple for competitive advantage, the importance of cash availability cannot be overstated," said Carol Mills Baldwin, CEO and President of Acta. "Every dollar locked up weighs down performance, while every dollar freed supports investment and value creation. Critical to boosting cash availability is managing the operational drivers of collecting cash faster and parting with it more wisely."

With the AR/AP RapidMart, managers can analyze ERP data to reduce working capital, understand the aging of receivables, and take advantage of discounting terms from vendors. Among other functions, the AR/AP RapidMart provides precise calculations for Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) by individual customer by period. These numbers can be summarized for the entire corporation or used to rank customers, sales organizations, or divisions. The AR/AP RapidMart also allows managers to trend payables over time, view them by material, vendor and plant, and identify net-term opportunities by reporting outstanding payables in 30, 60, 90, and 120-day periods.

"RapidMarts can also be easily customized to take full advantage of specifics in your business environment," said Mills Baldwin. "For example, you can integrate additional data from SAP or other operational systems, or incorporate spreadsheets and external data from your credit agency. With RapidMarts, companies can ensure that business analysis is tuned to the needs of the entire enterprise."

About Acta Technology, Inc.

Founded in 1996, Acta Technology, Inc. is a leading provider of data warehousing solutions for both internal decision support and business-to-business eCommerce. Acta RapidMarts, a suite of pre-configured data warehouses for specific areas of business analysis, are powered by ActaWorks, an award-winning extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) platform.

Acta recently announced Acta e2e, a new architecture for integrating ERP and other back-office data with Web applications. Based on Acta's data warehousing products, e2e extends Acta's core technology beyond intra-company decision support to the eCommerce market.

Acta Technology is an active member of the SAP Complementary Software Program (CSP) and PeopleSoft Global Alliance Program. ActaWorks has been certified by PeopleSoft, and the Acta SAP BW interface has been certified by SAP. Acta customers include Chevron (NYSE:CHV), Guinness, Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP), IBM (NYSE:IBM), Monsanto (NYSE:MTC), Shell Chemical Company, and other Global 1000 companies. Acta is headquartered at 1001 Elwell Court, Palo Alto, CA 94304, and has international offices in London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Amersfoort (the Netherlands). Sales and partnership inquiries should be directed to Acta's toll-free phone number 1-888-613-3282. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.acta.com.

Note to Editors: Acta, ActaWorks, RapidMart, and e2e are trademarks of Acta Technology, Inc. All other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.