Bob Thompson of Front Line Solutions to Chair Industry's First Conference on Partner Relationship Management -PRM-.

Business Editors

BURLINGAME, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2000

The International Communications for Management (ICM) Group is hosting the industry's first conference on Partner Relationship Management (PRM). PRM: Deploying Internet Technology for Effective Channel Partner Management will take place at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, CA, from March 15 - 17.

Bob Thompson, president of Front Line Solutions and leading PRM expert, has been invited to chair this ground-breaking event. "PRM has emerged as a powerful competitive weapon for companies that rely on indirect sales channels to reach more customers and deliver complete solutions," said Mr. Thompson. "This conference will show how to effectively leverage PRM technology and is a must-attend event for senior executives, channel managers, and CIOs."

ICM's Senior Conference Producer, Raida Dakhokhe, is responsible for putting the program together. According to Ms. Dakhokhe, the conference is designed to bring a new dimension to partner management. "We are very excited to bring the first ever produced event on PRM, and to be part of this dynamic industry. This work could not have been possible without the ongoing support of Bob Thompson and our sponsors," she noted. "In addition, we have the great pleasure of attracting quite a high caliber of speakers. These participants will share their expertise and successes in deploying PRM within their own organization at this industry forum."

On opening day, Mr. Thompson will deliver his Keynote address on Using the Internet to Transform and Streamline Channel Partner Relationships. During the conference executives from the following companies will discuss how they have successfully deployed PRM in sales, marketing, and service scenarios:

--   Microsoft, Inc.               -- Best Power

--   Hewlett-Packard Company       -- Bang & Olufsen A/S

--   Intel                         -- Viewsonic Corporation

--   Xerox                         -- Phase II Technical Sales

--   Sprint

Industry experts and executives of leading PRM vendors will also share insights on the latest PRM developments and tips for success:

--   Front Line Solutions          -- Intelic Software Solutions

--   OnTarget, Inc.                -- Webenable, Inc.

--   Allegis Corporation           -- Sales Science and Technologies

--   ChannelWave Software          -- Comergent Technologies, Inc.

--   Partnerware                   -- OnDemand Inc.

On March 17th, OnTarget's Executive Vice President, Wendy Lea, will present a half-day workshop on Partnering for Success in Today's e-Business World. "The e-revolution is dramatically changing the face of business today," noted Ms. Lea. "Industry-leading companies are creating their own markets by forming strategic alliances, always with the goal of delivering true business value to the end customer."

To register for the conference, please visit http://www.IT-TelecomSolutions.com. The cost of attending will be discounted for those who register on-line. The conference brochure can also be viewed or downloaded at http://www.frontlinehq.com/epartner/prmconf.pdf.

About International Communications for Management (ICM) Group

The International Communications for Management (ICM) Group is a global leader in the provision of business intelligence and information for strategic-decision making across industries and professions and through a variety of media. The privately-owned group creates major sector-focused events for business learning and networking opportunities across a variety of industries and professions. With over 1,250 employees operating in 41 countries around the world, the group has revenues in excess of $250 million, generated from clients including 940 of the world's top 1000 companies. Premium products and services are delivered through a variety of media enabling customers to improve their strategic decision-making process. For more information, visit http://www.icmworldwide.com.

About Front Line Solutions

Front Line Solutions is an independent research and consulting firm specializing in Partner Relationship Management (PRM). Founder and President Bob Thompson has over 20 years of experience in the high tech industry, in assignments as an IT strategy consultant and business unit executive at IBM, and a computer VAR senior executive. Mr. Thompson has pioneered the emerging PRM market with cutting-edge research and is recognized internationally as the PRM thought leader. He also writes extensively for Channel and CRM-related publications, publishes the popular PRM e-newsletter ePartner Insights, and recently launched the innovative new Customer Relationship Management portal CRMGuru.com (http://www.CRMGuru.com).

Mr. Thompson serves on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of the CRM Association and is a frequent speaker at CRM and channel-related conferences. He is also a member of CompTIA, a national, non-profit association of over 7,500 computer resellers, manufacturers, software publishers, distributors and service companies. For more information, visit http://www.frontlinehq.com.