BPCS Client/Server on-line with Telex/Fax/400.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 1996--

SSA Partners with CMA Ettworth

System Software Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSAX) today announced a strategic partnership with the leading IBM AS/400 developer of fax software, CMA Ettworth. CMA Ettworth will now offer by referral its state-of-the-art Telex/Fax/400 solution to SSA's AS/400 clients.

"CMA Ettworth's fax solution provides a quick and simple means to transmit information directly from unmodified BPCS files. Our AS/400 clients will greatly benefit from the functionality and cost effectiveness of Telex/Fax/400," said Roger Bottum, Director of Product Development at SSA. "CMA Ettworth's international client base, combined with its experience and proven success were key components in our decision to cement this partnership."

CMA Ettworth's fax solution is sold worldwide by IBM and independent agents in 28 countries. It will be available by referral from SSA. CMA Ettworth will continue to offer full product support.

"We are delighted to partner with SSA, thus providing an AS/400 based solution that complements the BPCS reporting structure and that will provide a comprehensive in-bound and out-bound fax capability. Many AS/400 users are beginning to realize the significant cost savings and improvements in customer service that an automated fax solution can provide," said Dennis Armstrong, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at CMA Ettworth, Inc.'s US headquarters in Melbourne, Florida.

Using Telex/Fax/400, PC users connected to the AS/400 platform can create, send, receive and view faxes in popular Windows based applications like Microsoft Word, Corel's Word Perfect, or IBM's Lotus notes -- in fact, any document created in Windows can be faxed using Telex/Fax/400. For 5250 dumb terminal users, a simple text editor and E-mail feature is included. The integration with IBM's Office Vision/400 and support for IBM's Integrated Fax Adapter (IFA Card) and FS400 allows for the faxing of AFPDS and IPDS data streams provides AS/400 users with all the printing features that IBM provides for the AS/400.

With Telex/Fax/400, Customer Service Representatives can be more proactive in the decision support process and offer expedient responses to inquiries with written documentation directly from BPCS, including quantity breaks, costing codes, order status, and client history immediately to customers while on-line. BPCS Client/Server maintains the inventory, pricing, and order status information, while Telex/Fax/400 provides a means to extrapolate this vital information quickly and fax out to customers.

"It lived up to our expectations like a charm," comments EDI Analyst, Walker Prescott of Savannah Foods & Industries, Inc. "Our customer services reps can input requests then fax out the response while on-line with the customer. We wanted this capability without having to embed code into the program. Telex/Fax/400 plugs right in, monitoring key spool data from BPCS."

Located in Savannah, Georgia, Savannah Foods & Industries, Inc. is a $1.1 billion consumer foods producer. They have been a client of SSA and CMA Ettworth since 1993. SSA and CMA Ettworth have numerous joint customers successfully using the Telex/Fax/400 solution.

About CMA Ettworth

CMA Ettworth, the leading IBM AS/400 developer of fax and software, partners with major AS/400 software companies to provide the most comprehensive solution to its clients. CMA Ettworth continues to offer a number of enhancements to its product line, including support for PCL5 data streams and process of text massages utilizing the internet. The latest offering from CMA Ettworth is Voice Access, an AS/400-based solution that consists of Telex/Fax/400, Fax-On-Demand, Interactive Voice Response and extensive Voice Mail features. Voice Access is already being used internationally by companies to gain cost-effective and comprehensive telecommunication functionality previously available only through the major telecommunications companies. Voice Access permits high-level integration between communication links and existing RPG applications. Visit CMA Ettworth's home page at http://www.cmaettworth.com

About SSA

SSA leverages the best of market technology of key partners, such as CMA Ettworth, to deliver the most comprehensive and cost- effective enterprise information solution to the industrial sector world-wide. As the leader in providing the business value of distributed object technology for the industrial sector, SSA's product line, BPCS Client/Server, offers business process re- engineering and integration of all operations, including multi-mode manufacturing processes, configurable supply chain management, and global financial solutions. The distributed object computing architecture (DOCA) of BPCS Client/Server provides the benefits of next generation technology in conformance with industry standards. SSA and its partners provide full implementation support for BPCS Client/Server in over 70 countries worldwide. Visit SSA's home page at http://ssax.com

Note: BPCS is a registered trademark of SSA. BPCS Client/Server and DOCA are trademarks of SSA.

NOTE TO EDITORS: There are two "at" symbols in the email addresses below, before "notegate.notes.ssax.com" and before "fax400.com." This symbol may not appear properly in some systems.

CONTACT: SSA

Lee Copeland, 312/258-6098

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

or

CMA Ettworth

Dennis Armstrong, 407/726-9941

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]