Baan announces new release of Triton; creates enterprise applications group to target new vertical market areas.

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 1995--Baan Co., a leading supplier of client/server Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions, today announced a new release of its TRITON applications software.

Designed to meet the enterprise requirements of multi-plant, global manufacturers, the new release of TRITON adds significant technology enhancements, such as a support for Microsoft Windows and Motif graphical user interfaces and extended client/server capabilities. Baan Company also announced today its Enterprise Applications Group (EAG) program which pairs Baan with complementary applications vendors to develop and market software solutions based on Baan s TRITON applications architecture.

"With its robust applications functionality, TRITON 3.0, which shipped in December, enabled Baan to penetrate the high-end of the ERP market as evidenced by significant sales to blue chip manufacturers, such as Boeing and Snap-on Incorporated," said Amal Johnson, president of Baan USA. "With TRITON 3.1, Baan continues to deliver the enterprise technology that large, global manufacturers need to meet the challenges and opportunities of business change."

TRITON 3.1

TRITON applications address the strategic business requirements of multi-plant, multi-product global manufacturing environments. They feature a distributed client/server architecture that is designed for large scale installations of 500 or more users deployed across the enterprise. To support these environments, TRITON 3.1 has been completely renewed to support Windows and Motif graphical user interfaces that are fully exploited by all TRITON applications, including manufacturing, distribution and financial management. This new GUI support simplifies the user interface and makes it easier to integrate with existing desktops used by of non-technical users, such as shop floor workers, line managers and senior executives.

In addition to the new graphical user interface, TRITON 3.1 now supports multi-level client/server configurations including distributed presentation, remote presentation, distributed application logic, remote data management and distributed database. Baan also has added support for embedded SQL, simplifying database access, and support for multi-byte and reverse characters, providing greater native language capabilities for global organizations.

These technologies support the robust applications functionality introduced in TRITON 3.0, including:

o Multi-currency financials in multi-national organizations including extensive budgeting and cash management tools, drill down capabilities and multi-level consolidated financial statements;

o Integrated multi-site production planning and scheduling for hybrid manufacturing environments including make-to-stock, assemble-to-order, make-to-order and engineer-to-order environments;

o Engineering data management to identify the impact of engineering change orders, control engineering change notice authorizations and review implementation costs; and

o Distribution requirements planning, including time-phased replenishment orders and bill of distribution support for inventory balancing.

Enterprise Applications Group Program

The Enterprise Applications Group (EAG) program targets new market opportunities in fast-growth vertical industries. Three leading manufacturing software providers -- BAIN, Compact 3000 Ltd. and Prolog Nederland BV -- have joined the program and are developing applications using TRITON.

o BAIN, based in Southfield, Mich., which develops software for visually managing information and documentation involved in product development and maintenance;

o Compact 3000 Ltd., headquartered in Sedgley, England, which develops software for managing the supply chain in the automotive component industry; and

o Prolog Nederland BV, based in Veenendaal, The Netherlands, which develops software for managing cable manufacturing operations. Companies in the EAG program develop solutions using TRITON Tools, Baan's open, high-performance fourth-generation language (4GL) for client-server based, customized application development. By developing with TRITON Tools, software vendors ensure tight integration with Baan's TRITON family of UNIX-based, client-server applications.

Companies interested in participating in the EAG program can contact Baan at 408/462-4949.

TRITON Pricing

TRITON applications are highly scalable across heterogeneous networks and can support a company's entire business processes. Pricing is based on customer configuration with a typical license for 100 simultaneous users at a single site costing about $500,000. TRITON 3.1 will be available in March 1995.

Baan's TRITON is an innovative, feature-rich Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution based upon distributed client/server, relational database and graphical user interface technologies. TRITON applications offer the scalability to support the entire spectrum of an organization's business processes, including manufacturing, finance, distribution, service and maintenance operations. Baan also offers advanced fourth-generation language (4GL) tools, called TRITON Tools, that extend TRITON's capabilities by enabling further application development. In addition, Baan provides Orgware, a set of proven methodologies, services, knowledge tools, and business templates, that enables rapid TRITON implementation and ongoing business improvement, helping customers maximize their return on systems investments.

The Baan Company is a leading supplier of ERP software for multi-national, multi-location corporations in the discrete and process manufacturing, distribution and construction industries. Founded in 1978 in Ede, The Netherlands, Baan operates from dual corporate headquarters in Ede and Menlo Park, Calif. Through a significant investment in research and development, Baan continuously renews TRITON to leverage emerging technologies and business practices to meet the evolving information management requirements of Baan's customers. The company has an installed based of more than 1,800 corporations in more than 40 countries worldwide. Its worldwide customers include ABB, Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, Noranda, Northern Telecom, Philips and Snap-on Incorporated.

CONTACT: Copithorne & Bellows, Cambridge, Mass.

Tim Hurley or Julie Redard, 617/252-0606

or

Baan Company, Menlo Park

Doug Sallen, 408/462-4949