Business Engine Announces the General Availability of the Business Engine Network.

Business Editors, Technology Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2000

Internet-based Software Facilitates Resource and Initiative

Management and Links Buyers and Sellers of Services Through a

Business-to-Business eCommerce Hub

Business Engine(R) Software Corporation, a leading supplier of e-business solutions for global IT, R&D and professional service organizations, today announced the availability of The Business Engine Network (TM). The Business Engine Network addresses the needs of internal and external service organizations who suffer from the rising costs of labor, high turnover and lack of automated systems by establishing a net marketplace that:

--Links buyers and sellers in the service supply chain

--Delivers business-to-business applications that automate and

manage the outsourcing of professional services 

--Provides industrial-strength enterprise applications for the

internal management of resources and initiatives

The Business Engine Network is an end-to-end, Internet-based solution that links buyers and sellers of professional services in a seamless net-marketplace. The Business Engine Network combines Web-based applications for managing internal service organizations that purchase services with professional service organizations that sell services in a business-to-business commerce hub.

"Professional service automation (PSA) is just beginning its exponential growth up the sales path. The PSA market will be growing in excess of 100 percent annually over the next five years," said David Hofferberth, practice leader at Aberdeen Group in Boston, Mass. "With their existing base of customers migrating their systems to the Web-based solution, Business Engine is well positioned to become a leader in this field."

The Business Engine Network leverages the success of the company's enterprise applications for managing IT and R&D service organizations, which have been installed at over 150 Global 2000 customers including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Eli Lilly, Fidelity, The Gap, Merck, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Nokia, Quintiles, Roche, Sears and Siemens. The Business Engine Network is the first complete net market solution for sourcing, delivery and management of professional services. Online sales of services are projected to grow to $220 billion by 2003 according to Forrester Research Inc., of Cambridge, Mass.

"Our current customers have experienced how well our enterprise product streamlined their internal processes," said John O'Neil, chairman and chief executive officer of Business Engine. "By taking that solution to the Web and adding a marketplace for the buying and selling of professional services, The Business Engine Network will help these companies extend their resource pool across time-zones, geographies and organizational affinities and increase their effective use of external talent."

Leveraging XML technology and designing the product around the Microsoft BizTalk Framework architecture, The Business Engine Network allows global customers to automate the service procurement cycle, transferring business documents and information automatically between applications. Unlike applications for the e-procurement of products, The Business Engine Network continues to provide value after the contract is signed by managing the relationship between the service buyer and seller. The outcome is a streamlined process for both buyer and seller, resulting in significant savings in efficiency that translates into reduced costs for buyers and higher margins for sellers. Plus, by using open XML schemas, the system is available for every member of the service supply chain to use The Business Engine Network to seamlessly manage their relationship with their trading partner.

About Business Engine Software Corporation

Business Engine Software Corporation has been delivering resource and initiative management applications to project-driven Fortune 1000 companies for more than three years from offices throughout North America and Europe. Global 1000 banking, pharmaceutical and other IT and R&D organizations are using Business Engine Software products to improve the effective management of their complex projects and initiatives, and utilization of internal and external resources. For more information on Business Engine or The Business Engine Network, please call 800/235-4142 in the United States, 415/616-4000 from outside of the United States, or visit the company's site at http://www.businessengine.com

Business Engine is a registered trademark of Business Engine Software Corporation. All other products and services referenced herein are trademarks of their respective companies.