Barcelona Chosen as Venue for ASP Industry Consortium `Aspire Awards'; Deadline Is August 3 for Global ASP Recognition Program.

Business/Technology Editors

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2001

The Spanish Mediterranean will be the location this October when the Application Service Provider (ASP) Industry Consortium hands out its second annual "ASPire Awards," honoring the best in the ASP industry.

Consortium officials this week announced that the awards will be presented as part of the ASPIC's Global Meeting October 14-16 at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona, Spain. The ASPire Awards will be the centerpiece of the three-day conference, which will also feature keynote presentations from internationally renowned business leaders, a panel of CEOs from several successful ASPs sharing some of their strategies and a technology track to showcase the latest in ASP services.

"We're building a world-class program to showcase the ASP industry, the highlight of which will be the gala presentation of the ASPire Awards," said ASP Industry Consortium Chairman Paula Hunter. "This conference will also mark the first time we've opened a Consortium meeting to non-members because we feel the work we've done is something everyone in the ASP industry can benefit from."

The ASPire Awards themselves will reward industry best practices in six categories: Delivery and Enablement; Innovative Technology - "Wireless"; Integration; Management & Operations; Security; and Service Satisfaction. The deadline for entering case studies for consideration is August 3, 2001.

Following their submissions, the case studies will be reviewed by the Consortium's Best Practices Committee, whose members will choose three finalists in each category. An Independent Review Board, comprising industry experts from outside the ASP Industry Consortium, will then anonymously review all finalists and choose an ASPire Award winner in each of the six categories.

Case study submission template forms, guidelines, and criteria for the 2001 ASPire Awards are available at the Consortium website, www.allaboutasp.org. Members may choose to submit case studies in one or more categories that most closely reflect their company's business model. All case studies must demonstrate how they meet each measure of performance for that category as defined by the Consortium's Best Practices committee.

The ASP Industry Consortium 2001 Global Meeting is open to members and non-members alike. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information on the program or sponsorships, visit the Consortium web site at www.allaboutasp.org, or contact an ASPIC representative at [e-mail].

About the ASP Industry

An application service provider manages and delivers application capabilities to multiple entities from data centers across a wide area network. ASPs give customers a viable alternative to procuring and implementing complex systems themselves. ASP customers also are able to control more precisely the total cost of technology ownership through scheduled payment schemes. Though the ASP market is relatively new, computer industry analysts foresee rapid growth and multi-billion-dollar annual sales within the next few years. End users cross industry lines and include anyone from the small office/home office (SOHO) client to large corporations and from complex businesses to specific verticals.

About the ASP Industry Consortium

The ASP Industry Consortium is the global advocacy group formed to promote the application service provider industry. Its goals include educating the marketplace, promoting best practices, developing common definitions for the industry, as well as serving as a forum for discussion and sponsoring research. Among the technology sectors represented among its membership are Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), Network Service Providers (NSPs), telecommunications companies, infrastructure providers, Application Service Providers (ASPs) and other sectors supporting the industry. Since its founding by 25 leading technology companies in May 1999, more than 600 member companies in 33 countries have joined the ASP Industry Consortium. Information on the ASP Industry Consortium - including a full list of member companies - is available at www.allaboutasp.org or by contacting the Consortium's headquarters at: ASP Industry Consortium, Inc., 401 Edgewater Place, Suite 500, Wakefield, Mass., USA 01880; Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; e-mail [e-mail].