Bloomfield Computing Solutions Offers Outsourcing Services To Baan Mid-Market ERP Clients.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 1998--

New Service Provides Clients with Freedom from Maintenance Chores

and Allows Lower Overhead Costs by Not Adding Headcount

Bloomfield Computing Solutions, Inc., (BCS) a premier supplier of information technology products and services, today announced it is expanding its portfolio of IT professional services to include outsourcing for mid-market customers and co-sourcing for all customers.

Available for Baan and other major enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendor clients, the outsourcing service provides the hardware and software applications and support for clients in the mid-market range -companies with annual revenue ranging from ($150 - $500 million.) BCS' new co-sourcing service provides management and maintenance of customer-owned hardware and software for customers of all sizes. These services are immediately available either at the customer site or they can be managed in an off-site data center.

Included in its suite of service solutions is BCS' expertise for on-site or remote systems and database administration, systems and network troubleshooting, HP OpenView enterprise management services, performance tuning, and capacity planning. In addition, BCS will provide retainer-based consulting, consisting of the use of expert personnel for eight to ten days per month to provide system support for smooth, continuous system operation.

"As a Baan Solutions Partner for the last two years, BCS has provided technology implementation services for over 30 HP customers - more than any other information technology services company," said Eric Johnson, Bloomfield's vice president, Professional Services. "This extension of our services gives customers the option of growing their businesses without huge capital outlay and administration and maintenance headaches. It's a case where clients trust us to provide them with the IT professional expertise for systems and network troubleshooting so they don't have to bring it in-house."

Among the customers using BCS for IT outsourcing is KAO Infosystems Company, a manufacturer and distributor of magnetic media products.

"Our Baan ERP system is a cornerstone of our business and IT competitive strategy," said Charles Browning, KAO's chief information officer. "However, systems management staffing for a medium-sized company like ours can be difficult. It requires a different set of specialized talents. From an operational point of view, I used to worry about where I would get a data base administrator, a Baan application administrator, or a UNIX operations administrator. IT staff also tends to move on after the implementation phase. We chose BCS to manage the Baan environment for us and it allows us to concentrate our people where their expertise is focused on what they do best."

The two structures of support are available to BCS customers through the company's Professional Services Group. For outsourcing, BCS will actually house the hardware and software for mid-market customers. The customers will access the system through a network and BCS will provide the applications, maintenance and support. For co-sourcing, the customer owns the hardware and software. BCS manages the applications, maintenance and support either at the customer's site or within the BCS data center. BCS terms this "data center hoteling." About Bloomfield Computing Solutions

Bloomfield Computing Solutions, Inc. is a leading enterprise-wide systems integrator, specializing in HP hardware, software, services, and solution implementations. Designated as a "Best-In-Class" Channel Partner by HP, BCS combines a focus on technology with core competencies in leading hardware, software, networking and storage technologies and professional support services. BCS is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and expanding nationally, with over 16 offices established across the U.S. More information about Bloomfield Computing Solutions, Inc. is available via the Internet at http://www.bcomp.com.