BT Squared Announces New Configuration Engine for OEM Partners.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 1998--

New COM architecture yields unparalleled ease and

flexibility for integration into front- and back-office

enterprise applications

BT Squared Technologies, a leading provider of packaged enterprise software solutions that simplify the selling process for companies with complex products, services and pricing, today announced the immediate availability of Configuration DesignerTM /OEM. CD/OEM is the first configuration development tool designed to be easily embedded into both front-and back-office enterprise software applications, and e-commerce systems.

"While manufacturing leaders including Bell Helicopter, Dresser Industries, and ABB Instrumentation continue to rely on BT Squared for complete interactive selling solutions, there are thousands of companies in financial services, high-tech and numerous other industries that can benefit from our core configuration technology," said Scott Geller, president and CEO of BT Squared Technologies. "Configuration Designer/OEM is the culmination of over 5 years of research and development and is specifically designed for other application vendors and systems integrators to create new, innovative solutions by embedding our technology into their solutions."

BT Squared will continue to focus its direct selling efforts on tier-1 manufacturers while relying on partners to expand its reach into non-manufacturing and mid-market opportunities.

CD/OEM is a packaged software tool that enables companies to develop, test, and maintain robust configuration engines that are compiled and optimized for their specific needs. CD/OEM enhances 3rd party applications with the ability to perform a needs analysis requiring as many as 1,000 cross-validated inputs, and based on the results of that analysis, configure appropriate, accurate products or services, along with price, commission and availability information. Patent-pending features include a Configuration Engine Compiler, SQL Constraints(tm) and an integrated Configuration User Interface Development Environment. CD/OEM can automatically generate customized configuration engines that are much faster and can handle larger, more complex configuration problems than products using static, interpreted run-time configuration engines.

The CD/OEM architecture features a Microsoft(R) Component Object Model (COM) interface that eliminates the need for data duplication and enables seamless integration into a variety of front-office and back-office enterprise applications including field sales and service, supply chain, customer support, PDM, CAD, and ERP. The internet-enabled version of the product, to be available in early 1999, will be ideal for electronic commerce applications such as Web-based catalogs.

"Our unique use of COM makes it possible to directly embed CD/OEM into enterprise applications in a matter of weeks, not months," according to Neil Harman, director of product integration at BT Squared. "Also, because CD/OEM is capable of supporting both requirements-based analysis and bill-of-materials generation, the same configuration can be used in the front-office and back-office, eliminating the need for companies to learn two different configuration metaphors. These are huge advantages for our OEM partners and their customers."

BT Squared will also develop an integrated offering using the SalesLogix Sales Information System and BT Squared's 2order interactive selling system to create a unique, complete selling system. "These are highly complementary enterprise-class applications, each inclusive of the capabilities needed by today's complex distribution channels, and both are designed for a rapid time-to-benefit. The seamless integration with BT Squared's new CD/OEM product will afford significant benefits to our joint customers." said Pat Sullivan, president and CEO of SalesLogix.

"Many companies implementing flow (or lean) business strategies manufacture a variety of complex, configured-to-order products," said Scott Yetter, Sr. vice president of sales and marketing with American Software, the leading provider of the first dedicated Flow Manufacturing(R) software solution. "Partnering BT Squared's product configurator with American Software's Flow Manufacturing enables companies to quickly and accurately respond to specific customer demand which is satisfied by daily mixed model production flexibility."

According to Robert Gumaer, vice president of marketing at SynQuest, "We partnered with BT Squared because integrated, state-of-the-art configuration capabilities are very important to many customers of our Supply Chain Performance Series(tm) solution. Our combined technologies will help companies maximize the profitability of complex orders based on content, price, cost and availability -- right at the point of sale".

"Interactive Selling is a key component of our of ERP strategy for engineer-to-order customers" stated Duncan C. Moore, President and CEO of Visibility, Inc. "We are eager to streamline and enhance our integration to BT Squared with the new Configuration Designer/OEM based on Microsoft's COM architecture".

"We selected BT Squared as a partner because of their innovative configuration engine, says Steve Haley, President and CEO at Pivotpoint, Inc. "Our commitment to helping our customers solve complex business problems is strengthened through this partnership. BT Squared's 2order system combined with our Point.Man ERP system ensures that accurate orders are created and processed more quickly."

"BT Squared's integration of Visio Technical's diagramming capabilities demonstrates the power of Visio technology as an open, programmable platform for configuration management," said John Forbes, vice president and general manager, technical business unit at Visio Corp. "The new architecture of CD/OEM will open the door for many new applications of Visio and BT Squared technology that will increase our customer's productivity and profitability across a number of different market segments."

"The combination of Thru-Put Manufacturing 5.0 and CD/OEM creates the ideal internal supply chain solution for manufacturers of complex products," said Bob Patterson, CEO and president at Thru-Put technologies. "Our customers are very pragmatic technology buyers with little tolerance for long and costly implementations. The combination of BT Squared's CD/OEM and Thru-Put's manufacturing 5.0 allows our customers to create care-free orders and then manufacture those products in less time, more profitably and with shorter lead times."

About BT Squared Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 1991, BT Squared, a Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Certified Solution Provider, is uniquely focused on solving the complex selling issues of today's manufacturers. The 2order suite delivers the most out-of-the-box functionality in the industry, resulting in the fastest time to benefit. Using 2order, manufacturers are able to analyze customer requirements more accurately, and configure, quote and sell more effectively, dramatically enhancing revenues, eliminating errors and improving customer responsiveness.

Today, BT Squared selling and configuration software applications are used in front- and back-offices worldwide by over 200 customers including Bell Helicopter Textron (NYSE: TXT), Dresser Valves and Controls, a division of Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), and ABB Instrumentation (NASDAQ: ABBBY). 2order is currently available for use with Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) and Microsoft Access and SQL Server databases.

BT Squared is privately held and venture funded by Oak Investment Partners, who have also invested in other leading software companies including Pivotal Software, Quintus Corporation, and Parametric Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: PMTC).