Applix TM1 Named Best Performing Analytics Engine in The OLAP Survey 3; Rates Top in Helping Companies Achieve Business Goals.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2003

Applix, Inc. (Nasdaq: APLX), a global provider of Business Intelligence (BI) and Business Performance Management (BPM) software solutions, today announced its flagship product, TM1, was named best performing analytics engine in The OLAP Survey 3 by independent analyst and OLAP (online analytical processing) authority Nigel Pendse.

The OLAP Survey 3 (http://www.survey.com/olap) also showed that TM1 helped users achieve their business goals at a higher rate than other OLAP products.

"Nigel Pendse's OLAP Survey 3 quantifies and qualifies what we hear from Applix customers every day," said David Menninger, vice president, worldwide marketing, Applix, Inc. "Companies -- including their financial planners, analysts, line-of-business managers and executives -- see TM1 as the best performing analytics tool for strategic business planning and analysis. Its rapid response level means users see fresh data within seconds, enabling them to recalculate as often as necessary in their planning process."

This year's OLAP Survey 3 shows TM1 as the top performer for query and data load/calculation times. 60 percent of respondents reported typical query response times of less than five seconds and 80 percent of less than ten seconds. The product's median load/calculate times, another key aspect of performance, is more than eight times faster than the next fastest product. "The criticality of performance is often overlooked," said Menninger, "but the survey results indicate that performance is one of the key factors that determines a project's success."

"The OLAP Survey 3 also found that users of TM1 had the highest rate of business goal achievement and that the product had the best implementation times, with more than 80 percent of its customers implemented within six months," said Menninger. "These findings make sense: the sooner a system is in production, the more rapidly it can produce results."

The OLAP Survey 3, the largest and most detailed survey of OLAP products to date, is a quantifiable survey of the $3.5 billion OLAP market. The Survey, conducted by Nigel Pendse and Survey.com, analyzed data from 1047 OLAP sites in 48 countries. No vendors were involved in developing the questions, or in sponsoring the survey, making it the most reliable and unbiased research on the OLAP market. This year's survey asked more than 50 usage and adoption questions concerning 42 different OLAP products.

"If OLAP surveys are carried out, they are usually under the umbrella of broader data warehouse and business intelligence surveys. We believe this survey is the only independent research that surveys large numbers of OLAP users in such detail," said Nigel Pendse. "The report is a comprehensive look at OLAP tools, usage, technical issues and overall success rate in customer sites. Applix's TM1 came out particularly strong in this year's survey in key areas that support success in achieving business goals, beyond its often recognized features of ease-of-use and performance."

According to The OLAP Survey 3, Applix TM1 has:

-- The fastest data load/precalculation times and query times

-- A remarkably high win rate once it appears on the short list

-- The greatest percentage of customers achieving business goals

on their projects

-- The fastest implementation times

-- The lowest percentage of data quality and access problems

-- One of the preferred products on which to standardize

-- The lowest shelfware rate at nine percent - well below

average.

About Applix

Applix (Nasdaq: APLX) is a global provider of Business Intelligence and Business Performance Management solutions. These solutions enable the continuous management and monitoring of performance across the financial, operational, customer and organizational functions within the enterprise. More than 1,700 customers worldwide use Applix's adaptable, scalable and real-time solutions, delivered by Applix and by a global network of partners, to manage their business performance and respond to the marketplace in real-time. Headquartered in Westborough, MA, Applix maintains offices in four countries in Europe, North America and the Pacific Rim. For more information about Applix, please visit www.applix.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this document are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements concerning future plans or results are only estimates and actual results could differ materially from expectations. Certain factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include without limitation, competitive pressures, changes in customer demands, adverse economic conditions, loss of key personnel, litigation, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, lengthy sales cycles, market acceptance of new or enhanced products and services, factors affecting spending by customers and other risks, uncertainties and factors including those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 under the heading "Risk Factors" and its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the heading "Factors That May Affect Future Results." The forward-looking statements provided by the Company in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, and these forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.

(C)2003 Applix, Inc. All rights reserved. Applix and TM1 are registered trademarks of Applix, Inc. All other trademarks and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.