Avanade to Deliver, Integrate Customer Relationship Management Solution; Microsoft Business Solutions Practice optimizes Microsoft Application and Platform for Maximum Business Impact.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 2003

Avanade Inc., the premier global technology integrator for Microsoft solutions in the enterprise, today announced it will begin selling, implementing, and supporting Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Relationship Management (Microsoft CRM). Avanade will deliver this solution via its Microsoft Business Solution practice, which focuses on implementation of Microsoft Business Solutions and integration with existing systems, Microsoft-based infrastructure and Microsoft server products.

"Avanade's support for Microsoft CRM draws on our deep expertise in Microsoft technology and our comprehensive experience helping customers to design and deploy tailored applications that cost-effectively improve their business," said Mitch Hill, CEO, Avanade. "We see Microsoft's introduction of customer relationship management tools as an opportunity to further expand on our capability of helping companies realize the value of the Microsoft platform."

As Microsoft's first business application built entirely on the Microsoft .NET platform, Microsoft CRM can be readily connected to disparate systems and integrated with Web services. As an early leader in delivery of .NET applications and Web services, Avanade is positioned to help customers identify opportunities to optimize and integrate their existing systems in order to further enhance the value of Microsoft CRM, while improving horizontal functions such as messaging and collaboration.

"Microsoft CRM software offers companies the means to build lasting, profitable relationships with customers, on a mid-market budget," said David Thacher, general manager of Customer Relationship Management at Microsoft Business Solutions. "Through its focus on the Microsoft platform and the extensive skills and experience of its technologists, Avanade will deliver additional efficiency and cost-effectiveness to businesses that choose Microsoft CRM, for value that extends beyond the software itself."

Dedicated Delivery Arm

Avanade Microsoft Business Solutions Practice is a group of expert consultants and engineers dedicated to the Microsoft Business Solutions family of connected software and services, including Microsoft CRM, Microsoft(R) Business Solutions-Great Plains(R), Microsoft(R) Business Solutions-Axapta(R), Microsoft(R) Business Solutions-Navision(R), and Microsoft(R) Business Solutions-Solomon. These Microsoft Business Solutions applications encompass customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM). When delivering these applications to customers, the technologists in the Avanade Microsoft Business Solutions practice follow a proven methodology that includes:

-- Analysis of business requirements to ensure each implementation is relevant to business functions.

-- Assessment of existing technology, and recommended adjustments to infrastructure and existing systems to ensure maximum value from Microsoft Business Solution applications.

-- Development of a deployment and integration path that is cost-effective and meets business needs.

-- Implementation and customization of the applications, using proven tools and best practices Avanade has developed to ensure quality, speed, and long-term value.

-- Integration of the applications with existing front and back-end systems, to deliver maximum value throughout the enterprise.

"Avanade provides more than just a properly functioning application for a business. We deploy Microsoft CRM to enhance related, horizontal operations such as messaging and collaboration, and deliver value throughout the enterprise," said Mike Pazak, director of the Avanade Microsoft Business Solutions practice.

"We chose Microsoft CRM because as a company that anticipates 50% annual growth, we needed a CRM solution that met our price needs today but with the flexibility and scalability we anticipate needing in the future," said Tom Windle, Executive Vice President of Sales for Impole Corporation, a business development and sales intelligence firm headquartered in Waltham, Mass. "And because of their skill and experience with the whole Microsoft suite of tools, we chose Avanade to implement and integrate our new CRM solution."

About Avanade

Avanade is the premier global technology integrator for Microsoft solutions. The certified technologists at Avanade help customers use Microsoft technology to realize a lower total cost of ownership for their infrastructure and application investments. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

About Impole Corporation

Impole Corporation, the leader in the acquisition and management of external information, excels in business-to-business sales process development that accelerates the enterprise level sales cycle and provides a competitive advantage to field marketing and sales organizations. Additional information can be found at www.impole.com