Ascentium Expands Enterprise Solution Capabilities with Acquisition of Serriform; Consulting Firms Join Forces to Broaden Reach in the Enterprise Market for Complex, Scalable Solution Development.

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Ascentium Corporation, a leading Northwest technology and marketing consulting firm, today announced the acquisition of Serriform LLC, a Seattle consulting firm that designs and delivers enterprise software solutions. Serriform develops multi-tier client server systems, database-driven information management systems, mission-critical e-commerce systems and other solutions for corporate clients such as Microsoft, Nordstrom, MSN, Unigard and the Snohomish Health District. The acquisition is Ascentium's second in the past two months, reflecting the company's rapid-growth strategy to deepen its capabilities and open up new business opportunities in the Northwest.

"Serriform is one of the premier .NET developers, and we are pleased to add their expertise in solving large-scale enterprise software problems to our arsenal of client solutions," said James Beebe, president of Ascentium Corporation. "Serriform's achievements in developing complex technology solutions - such as enterprise-wide procurement management systems and service support systems that can handle a huge volume of transactions daily - are a great addition to Ascentium's proficiencies in business and marketing process. Joining forces, we are positioned to launch more comprehensive enterprise offerings and generate new business."

Founder Alessandro Muti started Serriform in 2001 after a distinguished ten-year Microsoft career which included developing AutoUpdate for Windows and Windows "Out of Box Experience" Internet connectivity tools, identifying a niche for high-level consulting services in software methodology and architecture to solve complex corporate business issues. Serriform's enterprise solutions include a customer support status application to provide real-time status updates for hundreds of millions of customers per day; enterprise-wide vendor management and procurement systems; a retail delivery compliance system to provide real-time supplier tracking and comprehensive reporting capabilities; troubleshooting services for a mission-critical corporate self-service portal; and a content management system to manage millions of public health records while providing secure, centralized access and management of confidential information across departments.

"Joining forces with Ascentium is a natural fit for us," said Muti. "We bring our proven experience in delivering large and complex systems to corporate customers, and we're excited to gain the advantage of Ascentium's great reputation, broad reach, and fantastic sales force. We can also serve our customers better by offering them Ascentium's capabilities in areas ranging from taxonomy to website development to creative and marketing services."

The acquisition of Serriform is part of Ascentium Corporation's sustained growth strategy, accelerated in recent months with the acquisition of software developer LMJ Consulting, interactive design firm Tattoo Media, and Enterprise Project Management (EPM) specialists Aurora Consulting Group. Last fall, Ascentium was named the tenth fastest-growing private company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

"Our plan is to continue to acquire small companies to augment Ascentium's assets in key geographies and strategic capabilities," said Beebe. "This will enable us to expand our opportunities in the Northwest region and the Western U.S. We have sustained our rapid growth in today's economy by continuing to enhance our competencies, our solution offerings, and our commitment to nurturing outstanding client relationships."

About Ascentium Corporation

Ascentium Corporation is an award-winning, integrated technology and marketing consultancy with a proven track record in delivering information-driven business solutions to achieve our client's strategic objectives. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with decades of experience in application development, web development and integrated marketing, the Ascentium team helps clients create high quality, information-driven solutions to achieve their business goals. The company has a diverse clientele, including Boeing, Dell, Expedia, GeoEngineers, Infospace, Labor Ready, Microsoft, Paccar, Swedish Hospital, Washington Mutual, and Watchguard. Ascentium is based in Bellevue, Washington.

About Serriform, LLC

Serriform offers consulting services for enterprise-level software development, systems architecture, and Internet-based service solutions, bringing customers over 30 years of combined experience delivering mission critical applications for the software industry. The company specializes in application development, .NET development and migration, user experience services, and training and process reengineering for corporate clients such as Microsoft Corporation, Nordstrom, MSN, Unigard and the Snohomish Health District. Serriform was founded in 2001 by Alessandro Muti following a ten-year career with Microsoft, which included developing localization software tools to automate the process of generating international versions of Windows, Microsoft Java Virtual Machine, and Windows Out of Box Experience connectivity technology to enable a simple Internet connection process for new PC owners. As part of the Windows Update team, Muti developed the Critical Update and Automatic Update technologies that serve approximately 400 million users a day, providing updates for Windows operating system software and hardware to address bugs and help protect against security threats.