BMW Group Switzerland Accelerates Dealer Extranet With Obtree Technologies.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2002

Centralized Content Management System Drives Personalized,

Real-Time Information Updates to 138 BMW Dealers in Switzerland

Obtree Technologies Inc., an established leader in providing solutions where content and knowledge management meet on behalf of the real-time enterprise, today announced that BMW Group Switzerland is utilizing its content management solution to provide personalized, real-time information on products, services, prices, sales drives and events to its network of 138 automobile and motorcycle dealers in Switzerland.

BMW Group Switzerland was aware that the existing weekly mailers, brochures and representative visits were ineffective and inefficient in communicating with their dealerships. They wanted a content management solution that would cost-effectively deliver tailored information and radically improve communication with dealers. The Group chose the Obtree solution to centralize its information assets with a dealer extranet that can be updated in real-time and utilized by non-technical users. The flexible information platform ensures that dealerships receive information that corresponds directly with the cars and motorcycles on their showroom floor. It also allows dealers to specify what information can be seen by which employee -- delivering marketing materials solely to members of the sales department, and technical specifications and support documents only to mechanics. This enhanced level of personalization has eliminated the possibility of information being sent to either the wrong dealership or to the wrong individual within each location, easily providing them with the materials they need to maintain the quality BMW service customers have come to expect.

"With the help of Obtree's content management offerings we're now able to provide instant access to the information needed by dealers, mechanics and sales associates to provide the quality service our customers expect," said Roland Kohler, responsible for e-commerce and Internet at BMW Group Switzerland. "The extranet is available round-the-clock and informs each dealer only about the products and services they actually offer. In this way we ensure that our partners aren't overwhelmed with irrelevant information while important information is passed over."

The BMW Group is the only multiple-brand automotive manufacturer in the world that does not operate in the volume segments of the automotive market. The aim of this premium brand strategy is to create products with both an intrinsic value and an unmistakable brand profile. High levels of customer service have become one of the true marks of the BMW brand, with the flow of product information to dealers key in providing the tools they need to both generate future sales and efficiently service existing customers.

To arm these dealers with the marketing and product information they require, BMW Group Switzerland enlisted the help of Firmnet, a Swiss Obtree partner, and the Obtree content management solution. Obtree's unique graphic user interface (GUI) allows non-technical authors to create pages using predefined layout templates, simplifying the web-publishing process. Over 500 people use the solution daily, and all authors are empowered to publish information without calling on IT specialists or the Webmaster, all while maintaining the look and feel of the BMW brand. This streamlined communications process has resulted in substantial future cost savings for BMW Group Switzerland.

"Obtree is committed to providing customers such as BMW Group Switzerland with an easily implemented means of real-time information exchange," said Frank Boller, CEO of Obtree Technologies. "Obtree's solution is an easy-to-use, personalized content management system that can improve information assets across an organization -- maximizing IT investments in a short period of time."

Obtree reduces the work involved in managing Web sites, providing a comprehensive system for both the management of site content and site functionality. Obtree's flexible solutions offer the usability and open architecture required to update and support organizations' Internet, extranet and intranet sites both today and into the future.

About Obtree Technologies

Obtree Technologies Inc. provides solutions where content management and knowledge management meet on behalf of the real-time enterprise. The Switzerland-based software developer has subsidiaries in key markets such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and employs 140 people. Its customers include BMW Group Switzerland, Compaq, Credit Suisse Group, and Roche. For more information, visit www.obtree.com.