Astea Announces Agreement With Stratman Software.

HORSHAM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 1997

--New agreement provides Astea International customers with

"best of breed" business solution

for optimizing service part inventories--

Astea International Inc. (NASDAQ:ATEA) today announced a new distribution agreement with Stratman Software of Avon, Connecticut for global sales and installation of OSQ Optimum Service Quantity(tm) software in conjunction with DISPATCH-1(tm), Astea's industry's leading customer service application, and ServiceAlliance(tm), Astea's new integrated service automation software. The bottom line for Astea DISPATCH-1 and ServiceAlliance users is that they can minimize their inventory levels, yet retain the optimum amount of inventory in their various locations required to provide the highest level of service to their customers.

The Stratman OSQ Optimum Service Quantity package enables Astea's customers to optimize planning and management of their service and spare parts inventory. It sets the proper stocking level for each part based on the stocking location's individual needs, automatically identifies future needs without manual intervention, and operates inventory at the lowest possible investment while achieving higher service goals and better asset management.

An interface between DISPATCH-1 and OSQ already exists and one is being developed for ServiceAlliance. "Typically, installation takes less than thirty days for new installations requiring the integrated products," according to Dan Hojlo, Stratman's Director of Sales.

"Seamless. It's beautiful. I love it," said Matthew Barbagallo, Parts Procurement Specialist at Giesecke & Devrient LP of Reston, Virginia about their use of the integrated version of DISPATCH-1 and OSQ. "Obviously, we're very happy with the integration of these two packages. We've been using this integrated version since the first of the year, and since we're already a DISPATCH-1 user, having this new capability makes a lot of sense. OSQ is the best package we've seen, and making it available has certainly improved the way we do business, especially since we were doing everything previously on a spreadsheet. The savings? You can easily say it's in the millions."

"Interfacing to Stratman's OSQ product builds on Astea's strategy to leverage the vast array of information maintained in DISPATCH-1 through integration with 'best of breed' partners," said Bill Fletcher, Senior Program Manager for DISPATCH-1 at Astea. "In a rapidly changing technological world, companies are looking for information integration to maintain their competitive edge. The OSQ product's state-of-the-art technology and ease of use make it an ideal companion to DISPATCH-1."

The Stratman OSQ Software is designed exclusively for service parts inventory forecasting and planning. It incorporates Stratman's unique Part Criticality Planning Logic methodology, which classifies parts based on their effect on equipment uptime and reliability.

"By tracking the value of parts as well as their availability, the system can provide a client with an immediate return on investment through development of an inventory reduction program for excess stock. The savings can be on the average of 30% or more," said Richard F. Vaccaro, President of Stratman Software. "OSQ's unique core logic is based on classifying inventory as to the criticality of the part and the probability of failure. As a result, OSQ can identify those parts that have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction as well as those parts that are over-stocked. This provides an inventory plan designed to optimize service locations' inventories, maximize availability and minimize inventory investment."

This agreement between Stratman Software and Astea International allows all Astea customers to more efficiently acquire an effective and affordable service parts planning solution. "With the launch of our latest OSQ Version 3.2, with Astea we can both reach a wide range of service organizations needing such a solution on a national and international basis," Vaccaro said.

About Astea International Inc.

Astea International develops client/server-based customer interaction software that enables organizations to automate their customer support, field service, and marketing and sales operations. This includes DISPATCH-1, the industry's leading customer service application with over 400 customers worldwide; ServiceAlliance, the first integrated service automation software that enables medium-sized organizations to utilize the business functionality and best practices that, until now, only the larger Fortune 500 companies could deploy; the Abalon sales and marketing solution; and HEAT(tm), the leading helpdesk product from the Bendata division. Astea markets its products through a direct sales and services network throughout North America, Europe, Israel, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The company's customer base of approximately 3,500 companies and 75,000 end users includes such industry leaders as GTE Customer Networks, Siemens Business Communications Systems, the Swedish PTT, Chevron and Sprint. Astea can be reached at [phone] or via the World Wide Web at www.astea.com .

About Stratman Software

Stratman Software International, Inc. was founded by its parent company, Stratman Group, Inc., an aftermarket and spare parts consulting firm, to market their unique service parts inventory management application Optimum Service Quantity (OSQ). Current customers include such companies as Siemens Medical, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Data General, Monroe Business Systems and Bell & Howell. OSQ was developed and tested over an eight year period and is based upon the in-depth knowledge acquired by their parent company. Stratman Software can be reached at [phone]. -0-

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could materially affect future results. Among these risk factors are continuing acceptance of Astea's products, general competitive pressures in the marketplace, and the continued overall growth in the customer interaction software industry. Further information regarding these as well as other key risk factors and meaningful cautionary statements which could affect the Company's financial results are included at length in the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Astea International Inc.

Bob Ingersoll, 215/682-2500

[e-mail]

or

Southard Communications

Jeyran Chara, 212/777-2220

[e-mail]