Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Business Line Prototypes an Improved Schedule Submission Process Using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2002.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SEATTLE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2002

Solution Development Accelerated by New Asset From Avanade and

Integration Software From Knowmadic

Avanade Inc. today announced the availability of the Avanade Connected Architecture for Integration (ACA Integration), which will help enterprise customers deploy Microsoft BizTalk Server 2002 to accelerate the integration of enterprise applications.

Part of the family of Avanade Connected Architectures, ACA Integration includes deployment best practices, background on new capabilities of BizTalk Server, and guidelines for using third-party adapters. Using BizTalk Server and ACA Integration, customers can more rapidly, cost-effectively create integrated business processes and speed Web services development.

"Business processes are affecting an increasing number of applications inside and outside the firewall. We have used BizTalk Server to help our customers successfully implement complex workflows at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional EAI tools," said Ashish Kumar, CTO of Avanade. "ACA Integration adds to the value proposition of BizTalk Server by making the EAI challenge more approachable."

Recently, Avanade teamed with Knowmadic to build an automated scheduling conversion interface (ASCI) for the Transmission Business Line (TBL) of Bonneville Power Administration. Knowmadic is the leading provider of software for companies building and deploying data integration projects where implementation speed and flexibility are critical. Headquartered in Portland, Ore., Bonneville Power Administration is a federal agency that markets wholesale electricity and transmission to the Pacific Northwest's public and private utilities as well as to some large industries. ASCI is being designed for TBL's large transaction volume customers as a mechanism to automatically submit transmission schedules securely and reliably through the Internet, given the current IT environment of mixed legacy and E-tag systems common in the Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC).

"Currently, our large transaction volume customers submit energy and transmission schedules manually through fax and Web screen input arrangements, which costs time and money and can be plagued with user input errors," said Mark Reynolds, business process implementation program manager for TBL Marketing. "With this proposed system that Avanade and Knowmadic helped us prototype, we anticipate to be able to provide larger transaction volume with a more efficient and accurate way of submitting transmission schedules during this transition period."

"With the introduction of BizTalk Server 2002, enterprises will have the added support of the .NET platform to build Web services capabilities effortlessly throughout the organization," said David Kiker, general manager for e-Business Technologies at Microsoft Corporation. "Avanade's deep expertise with BizTalk and the entire suite of Microsoft enterprise products has helped enterprises such as BPA rapidly build and integrate systems to effectively and cost efficiently advance their business."

About Bonneville Power Administration

The Bonneville Power Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, markets wholesale hydroelectric power from the 29 federal dams in the Columbia-Snake River in the Northwestern U.S. BPA owns and operates about three-quarters of the Pacific Northwest's total high-voltage transmission capacity. BPA's principal service territories include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and portions of Montana, California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA customers include publicly owned and investor-owned utilities, as well as some large industries. For additional information, visit Bonneville Power Administration's Web site at http://www.bpa.gov.

About Knowmadic

Knowmadic is the leading provider of integration solutions for companies who need to quickly build applications that can flexibly respond to rapid change. Knowmadic's products and services are designed to deliver "Integration in a Day." The Knowmadic intuitive visual development environment, comprehensive integration component library and robust run-time environment simplify and streamline integration projects and are compatible with Avanade's ACA Integration frameworks. Knowmadic can be reached at www.knowmadic.com.

About Avanade

Avanade is the world's premier technology integrator for Microsoft solutions in the enterprise. With Development Centers in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas, Avanade delivers secure, reliable, scalable Microsoft-based solutions to help Global 2000 companies optimize their technology investments across the connected enterprise.

Founded in April 2000 as a joint venture between Microsoft Corp. and Accenture, Avanade offers customers unique value based on a heritage of commitment to superior service, paired with unmatched insight into cutting-edge Microsoft technologies. Additional information can be found on the Avanade Website at www.avanade.com.

Avanade, Avanade Connected Architecture, and ACA Integration are trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.